Home > Bali > Private Tour: Bali Cultural Heritage Tour
USD $44.00
Private Tour: Bali Cultural Heritage Tour
Bali, Indonesia
On this private tour, discover the cultural heritage and natural beauty of Bali, a tropical paradise that offers endless unique sights. With your guide, visit the village of Blahbatu and see artisans at work creating musical instruments. Tour an archaeological museum and see ancient funeral relics belonging to the royal family. Explore the unique village of Penglipuran, untouched by time, and travel to the Kintamani region, where you’ll see its active volcano and stunning Lake Batur. End your tour with afternoon tea at Bukit Jati while admiring stunning ocean views.
Your private tour starts with a visit to the Blahbatu village, renowned for its craftsmanship. See artisans at work as they make the musical instruments used in a gamelan, an Indonesian percussion orchestra commonly featured in religious and other special events. Next, travel back in time with a visit to an archaeological museum, where you’ll see funeral relics belonging to the royal family. Dive into Bali’s ancient past while browsing artifacts from the Bronze Age and Stone Age, and gain insight to the island’s more recent history, from Indian traders to Dutch settlers.
Then, travel through the plantation village of Sri Batu and see local farmers tending crops of Eastern coffee, fruit and spices, such as cloves. Continue to the spectacular mountain region of Kintamani, known for its active volcano, Mt Batur, with remnants of lava running down the peak. At the foot of the mountain is glistening Lake Batur, the largest lake in Bali offering some of the most spectacular views on the island. Here, take some time to enjoy lunch at a nearby restaurant (own expense).
After lunch, head to Penglipuran, a traditional village with unique cultural and historical characteristics. The real beauty, apart from its breath-taking surroundings, is that it remains untouched by modernization. Wander through the dense bamboo groves and see local carvers creating everything from household wares to bamboo wind chimes.
Finally, stop at Bukit Jati with amazing panoramic views of the countryside and the ocean in the distance. Relax in the tranquility of this picturesque place and enjoy afternoon tea before returning to your hotel.
My husband and I enjoyed this tour quite a bit. First, we were able to view a traditional Balinese dance I think it was the Legong - apologies if incorrect.We were grateful to be provided with an English translation of the events of the dance - although to be frank, neither myself or my husband really had a good grasp of what was going on...and in a lot of ways, that may have been a good thing if you have seen one of these, you know what I mean. : While the auditorium was packed with tourists snapping pics, it was a great event to have seen._br/_ Our guide took us to the Gamelon Gong foundry, and we were able to meet the owner, and even try our hand at some of the music - one of the highlights of the trip for my husband, who is a musician. I will say, unless you are a huge music person, the foundry may not be of interest. It is definitely NOT intended to be a tourist attraction - but a stop very worthwhile if you are a world music aficionado._br/_ We also visited the remote village symmetrically aligned with its main temple I can't remember the name of the village - while it was neat to see, we were told by our guide that we were not allowed in the temple I don't necessarily think this is true, as I saw sarongs for rent outside, and two English ladies leaving. Overall the village was very very quiet - we really only saw 4 other people there, and a handful of villagers who retreated into their houses as we walked down the main street. Interesting to see - and a pretty drive through the bamboo forest - but I'm not sure I would recommend it, just because it is so quiet and there is not really much to do other than walk down the main quiet street and snap a few pics._br/_ Our guide was great and suggested a bit of shopping afterward, which was great - and the driver was also very skilled and quite friendly._br/_ Overall, it was a long day with a lot of driving we were staying in Nusa Dua. Balinese dancing was definitely worth seeing, but I think the gong foundry, as well as the remote village trip, may not be for everyone.
Review by: Richard H, June 2017
Would not recommend - tour director too inflexable - would not vary itinerary to suit customer requests
Review by: migatsway, June 2017
This is a trip that has to be done if you want to know anything about Bali's past. We were picked up early from the hotel by our Guide Sandy and his driver and off we went.Sandy's knowledge was excellent and answered any questions we may have had.We went to see musical instruments being made from the carving of the basic to the intricate carving and painting in traditional colours.the later being done by young boys. We went to Temples, Museums, Coffee tasting and Lunch overlooking Mount Batur and Lake Batur.We then went to Penglipuran village to see how it used to be, only snag so many people there difficult to see things. Also had a walk around a bamboo forest to see the locals felling the bamboo and the carvers. We also took in as an extra Kite makers and a silver factory._br/_ An excellent trip with an excellent guide Thank you
Review by: Robert P, January 2017
Very nice backdoor look into the island. Very knowledgeable guide and driver. Great opportunity to engage with locals, their customs, food and coffee.
Review by: Theresa R, March 2015
This was a full day tour that took us to some very spectacular places around Bali. A fantastic introduction to Bali we did this tour on our first full day in Bali. We were privy to beautiful views, rich history and our guide was extremely friendly and knowledgeable. I would highly recommend this tour to anyone wanting unique cultural experience.
Review by: Bruce G, January 2015
The guide and driver did a great job of educating us into the history of Bali as we went around on this tour. The sights were great and very educational.
Review by: Megan C, February 2014
Our tour guide, Ray, was great! He took us to what we wanted to see, and it was really a great day! I appreciated how flexible they were on what we wanted to do. :)
Review by: Judy R, January 2014
This was okay. After doing the other three trips, I'd pretty much seen everything. I did get to see a local instrument-making establishment which was fun.
Review by: Maria C, September 2013
I would highly recommend this tour. Our tour guide, Kana was exceptional. His knowledge of both Bali and the culture made this a truly memorable experience.
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