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September 1-11, 2017
Join us in Bali for healing and rejuvenation.
You read Eat, Pray, Love.* It moved you. You want to change your life, too. But who can take a year off to travel? How about an immersive week to experience some of the marvelous things author Elizabeth Gilbert* enthralled us with in her memoir?
USA Today featured our Eat Pray Love Bali tour!
Enjoy Bali the way she did, like a native, and experience all the magnificence this little island has to offer.
Time Magazine interviewed us about this trip, too!
We will eat, we will pray, and we will love all that is Bali! Then we will go BEYOND into new and exciting places that tourists never see.
$500 holds your spot!
Complete Trip: $3600
Single Supplement: $995
Price includes accommodations, local Balinese guides, Spirit Quest’s own guides, transfers, most meals, meditations, and all the wonderful things Spirit Quest is famous for.
Fly into Denpasar, Bali’s bustling capital. You’ll be met at the airport by one of our “Bali Family” and then taken (by private, air conditioned coach, of course) to Ubud, the beating spiritual heart of the island.
Day 1 In addition to a full-time local guide on all tours and private transfers, Greg, Spirit Quest’s founder will be with you every step of the way: sharing his unique insights, spiritual guidance, and in-depth knowledge of Balinese life.
We’ll be staying at the stunning Komaneka in Ubud.
Dinner is a short walk, as you are already in the center of Ubud, or dine in the gorgeous hotel restaurant which features fresh, local, macrobiotic cuisine.
6 NIGHTS ACCOMMODATION AT THE KOMANEKA in UBUD. This hotel is in the very heart of the heart, right in the middle of the flavors and color of Ubud. Birds and flowers of all kinds surround you and you are only steps away from everything.
Your deluxe room features a marble bathroom and gorgeous views, as well as lots of amenities. The beds are swathed in the richest of fabrics. The rooms are huge, with plenty of space for luggage and seating. The whole hotel offers free WiFi, accessible in both your room and at the restaurant, as well as a macrobiotic, made to order BREAKFAST DAILY.
MORNING GET TOGETHER – get to know your fellow spirit questers and Liz Gilbert fans and tell us what about the book inspired you to come for your very own Eat Pray Love* experience in Bali! We will offer daily themes from the Eat Pray Love* book that will enliven and deepen your understanding of Bali.
We’ll learn how the Balinese pray and worship, and be treated to insights about Balinese life, by our guides Hari and Yanta.
AFTERNOON SPA TREATMENT AT UBUD BODYWORKS – This is one of the best spas on the island (and where the film crew who shot the EPL movie got all their massages). It’s an incredible locale – very Balinese, and extremely relaxing and peaceful. What better way to soothe our bodies after long travel and get ready for the spiritual adventure ahead? Pamper yourself: choose from a facial, Balinese massage or reflexology treatment. Choose your own locally blended aromatherapy oil for your massage, then experience bliss as you relax and float off into a world of comfort.
DINNER IN ITALY – For our first evening together in Bali, start with the EAT part of our trip, at Terrazo: authentic Italian ambience and incredible food will whisk us away for an evening in Italy. Save room for Tirami Su.
EARLY MORNING MEDITATION – We’ll start the day with a beautiful, centering meditation. Don’t know how to meditate, or have never done it before? No problem! this is the perfect chance to learn. Don’t feel like getting up early? Sleep in. enjoy a late morning and have breakfast any time you like.
MORNING READINGS WITH NYOMAN LIYER
By special arrangement, Spirit Quest has set up readings with the son of world-famous Ketut Liyer, the Balian featured in Eat, Pray, Love. Nyoman, who has followed in his father’s footsteps as a Balian, will give private readings inside his family compound, and you can also buy art drawn by Ketut or his granddaughter. Enjoy this glimpse into Liz’s world – she sat on Ketut’s porch for many many afternoons. (OPTIONAL)
LUNCH AT PIZZA BAGUS in Ubud, as we continue to explore the Italian experiences from “Eat Pray Love” – have a Margarita pizza, along with a reading about Liz’s pizza-eating experience in Naples, and enjoy handmade gelato for dessert.
SHOPPING EXCURSION – This afternoon we visit UBUD MARKET, the renowned outdoor market. You might need an extra suitcase for the silk sarongs alone!
Then we stop at our favorite local craft studios offering hand-made batik fashions and silver and gold jewelry. We are very pleased with the quality of the crafts on offer and have negotiated a group discount at both establishments.
AFTERNOON VISIT TO THE UBUD MONKEY FOREST – Cuddle up with these amazing local monkeys at the Monkey Forest sanctuary. See Mamas and their newborns, up close and personal, take as many pictures as you like, even feed the monkeys bananas. Enjoy shopping afterwards on Monkey Forest Road, a favorite with our groups.
DINNER AT CAFE WAYAN – Tonight we’ll enjoy one of the best meals on the island – the exceptional Balinese cuisine at a wonderful local establishment, the famed Cafe Wayan. Relax and drink in the rich ambience in a tropical garden, enjoying local delicacies and tastes in the heart of paradise.
MORNING YOGA CLASS – Start the day with rejuvenating, restorative yoga in an open air class with a gifted local teacher. Think of this as either of the “India” portion of the trip, and fully participate in the yoga classes, or like the “Italy” portion of the trip, and sleep in! It’s your choice. (OPTIONAL)
Today we journey by air-conditioned coach to Besakih Temple, the mother of all temples on this island of 10,000 temples. This trip gives us the chance to worship right along with the Balinese as they do. Stop to pick up a temple outfit (bring your own white shirt from home) including sash and sarong, then drive through the stunning Balinese countryside on your way to Mount Agung. Besakih is built into the very slopes of this sacred mountain, and you will experience one of the most important spots in Bali.
Inside the temple grounds, our guide will make a special offering of flowers and fruit to the temple, then we will pray with flowers, incense, and rice — you can follow along with our guide and the local Pedanda (Balinese priest). This is a beautiful way to honor the local traditions, and is very appreciated by the locals, especially since most tourists don’t bother to learn!
Afterwards, enjoy a buffet lunch at a mountainside restaurant with breathtaking views.
MORNING MEDITATION – We continue our journey inward toward healing, wholeness and joy.
THE RURAL CHARM OF BALI – Today we trek through the inspiring and peaceful Balinese countryside, strolling though rice terraces on our way to Tumbakasa village, where we’ll visit a traditional Balinese house compound where the buildings are made from plaited-bamboo! We continue on to the ancient site of Gunung Kawi Temple.
This is native Bali…
Lunch will be served in a stunning organic restaurant in tegalalang area, Bagus Jati!
First, the AYU MAS PAINTING STUDIO, which features room after room of gorgeous paintings in the Balinese, local, and classic styles.
The Ayu Mas is a huge, privately owned, art gallery filled with hundreds of original paintings by dozens of local artists. There’s often a small group of artists working out front. The owner is a charming fellow who’s very knowledgeable in the various local “schools” of painting (i.e. Ubud style, traditional style, etc.) and the staff is friendly and efficient.
BALI BUDAYA WOOD CARVING STUDIO is a magnificent example of Balinese craftsmanship at its best, this enormous studio features works as small as the palm of your hand… up to 10 feet tall! This studio offers stunning, original carvings in a variety of sizes and price-ranges. We have negotiated a very substantial discount for the group.
MORNING YOGA SESSION, or sleep in!
VISIT TO TIRTA EMPUL – Take in the holy waters at one of the most sacred spots on the island of Bali… Tirta Empul is a delightful and deep way to experience the spirituality of the locals, as you immerse yourself in the rituals of the Balinese people. After purifying yourself, wearing your temple dress, step fully clothed into the waters of Tirta Empul.
Ducking your head under each of the 13 holy springs, feel the significance of the waters as they cleanse your past and you emerge ready to create the future. You will be surrounded by locals who will support and appreciate you as you make this powerful shift. This is a trip very few tourists take, and is a special gift from our Balinese guides.
In the afternoon we will visit Ida Resi Alit, the “high priestess of Bali” for a special water healing ceremony. This is a very unique, and powerful experience. Water is sacred to the Balinese, and is used to purify, heal and restore. Ida Resi Alit is powerful channel for healing, release and rejuvenation.
DINNER: We dine overlooking the Ayung River at Bridges Restaurant, which fuses French and Balinese cuisine into a delicious combination. Tonight we say farewell to Bali and bring home all our fabulous memories… unless you are joining us at the beach for our extension!
(OPTIONAL) If you would like an appointment for another spa treatment, the Komaneka offers spa treatments at a special price for us. Relaxation and pampering combine as you choose from Balinese massage, Balinese facial, or traditional reflexology with a Balinese twist – 1 hour treatment.
NEXT WE HEAD TO THE BEACH: BEAUTY & BLISS!
4 NIGHTS ACCOMMODATION AT THE AYODYA BALI RESORT (DELUXE ROOM)
Enjoy your gorgeously appointed room, with private patio or balcony, marble bathroom, and sumptuous beds.
The fabulous Melia is a full-service hotel with a private beach, 4 restaurants, 2 bars, and a full spa.
Daily breakfast is included. As we arrive, begin with a welcome drink and room assignments; then enjoy dinner on your own, or relax and take a walk on the private beach, stroll the grounds, or take a swim in one of the hotel’s beautiful pools.
Dinner on your own in one of the hotel’s delicious restaurants.
SUNSET VISIT TO TANAH LOT TEMPLE – Considered one of the most beautiful temples in the world, Tanah Lot is perched on a cliff overlooking the ocean. Wearing our temples clothes, we’ll carry our group offering, and journey out to the small volcanic outcropping just offshore, where we’ll receive a purifying blessing from the fresh-water spring before climbing the rough-hewn steps up to the temple where we’ll join the locals in one last ceremony as the sun dips below the horizon.
After a day of soaking in the sun, relaxing poolside or at the beach, enjoying the spa or on site fitness center, or shopping at the wonderful Bali Collection next door to the Melia, let us take you to dinner at one of the best restaurants in Bali! Bumbu Bali features authentic cuisine and a terrific atmosphere – one of the best meals you will eat on the island is yours this evening. You might even want to take home the Bumbu Bali cookbook.
Day 11 (B) Private transfer from our hotel to the airport for your flight home. Our service doesn’t end until you have your exit visa in hand and are personally walked through emigration, so don’t worry! We will take care of you!
We love and adore Bali and you will, too!
Itinerary & accommodations are subject to change without notice. Quality and class will remain the same.
* DISCLAIMER
This tour is not affiliated with or endorsed by Penguin Books or Sony Pictures. Elizabeth Gilbert will not be leading this trip. Julie Roberts has probably never even heard of Spirit Quest Tours. Javier Bardem will not marry you. Richard from Texas (RIP) will not give you advice. James Franco will definitely not make out with you. Still, you should come on this trip.
