Bali Bound
( Share this page on Facebook, MySpace, Digg or Del.icio.us )
Trip Highlights
- Volunteering in one of three memorable projects
- Artistic Ubud town
- Beautiful beaches
- Whitewater rafting
- Mountain biking down Mt Batur
- Hiking near Bali’s National Park
- Luxurious spa and massage treatment
Your "Taste of Volunteering" Project
1. For animal lovers, you can make a big difference in Bali. This wonderful island has a big problem with stray dogs, with a consequent risk of rabies. You can play a part in helping eradicate rabies.
The greatest needs are at the clinic, where you can help clean, feed the dogs, cook their food, do the laundry, help socialize the puppies and kittens, and walking the adult dogs.
Another urgent necessity is to continue to spay and neuter as many street dogs as possible to ensure that all of Bali's dogs can eventually be adequately fed and cared for, and you can help vets with this, along with feeding them, and caring for them at the shelter.
You can also go out on the streets, identifying injured dogs and cats, and assisting the vets to care for them.
Naturally if you are a vet with at least two years experience, your skills can be of enormous help.
NB: all volunteers will need to have full rabies vaccinations.
2. Balinese people tend to be warm and gentle, so it may come as a complete surprise that their traditional culture should consider disabilities a curse or the karmic result of past wrong-doing.
Join a remarkable project that aims to help young disabled people enjoy happier and more fulfilling lives by raising awareness about this misconception and dispelling these myths.
By removing these barriers, the youths can cease to be considered a burden on their community and an embarrassment to their families. Instead they will hopefully become empowered and go on to contribute to the greater society.
So, what can you do? You will be involved in providing them with the necessary tools to become independent. Make a real difference and assist with construction of specialised bathroom facilities, or manage IT or admin work in the office.
3. You can make a difference teaching English in an inspiring school - the school is a fascinating story in itself, in that it became a reality as a result of committed local people distraught at the fact there was no school in their area so that their children could receive an education and lift themselves out of poverty.
They approached the government, and were told that if they could fund the buildings, they would provide the teachers – clearly a daunting task! Fortunately one of the men had connections with the Australian government, and they stepped in to provide 75% of the cost of the buildings, and with fund raising were able to raise the balance, and the Indonesian government was good to its word, and provided the teachers.
The school is quite remote by Bali standards, and so has not had many foreign volunteers, but those that have been have loved it (I can put you in touch with some if you like) and the school is very keen to have assistance with English in particular, as this skill helps the children get jobs, and their teachers are not the best (you could also help teach the teachers).
Suggested Itinerary
The morning after your arrival is free at leisure to orient yourself around the Sanur area, with swimming, relaxing or walking options. Mid-afternoon you set out for the southernmost tip of Bali: to Pura Luhur Temple at Uluwatu. Enjoy watching the monkeys scampering around the cliff-side overlooking the Indian Ocean and in the evening revel in the magical sunsets. Then be absorbed by the spectacular Kecak Dance, an hour long excerpt from the famous Ramayana epic. The final reward for the day is a barbecued seafood dinner on the sands of Jimbaran Bay, before returning to the hotel.
The next day, you depart for a sightseeing tour, giving you an introduction to a Balinese village, including a stop at the Banjar (meeting hall for the local village council). You see the Kulkul alarm drum, enter a Balinese house compound with traditional kitchen, sleeping pavilions and house temple, and visit a silver smith in his home industry workshop and showroom. Walk through rice fields and observe the Subak irrigation system, traditional planting and harvesting (depending on the season). At Mas, you will see a woodcarving workshop. Lunch is in the artistic community town of Ubud, and a painter’s studio, a museum and the local markets are some of the fabulous attractions.
On the 4th day you have an exciting day river rafting (6 hours in total, with two hours rafting through some of the most spectacular scenery Bali has to offer). World-class river guides and modern safety equipment make this a fun day, a mix of exhilaration and sightseeing, switching between Grade II and III rapids and wide, leisurely stretches through tropical rain forest. The adventure ends with lunch at a riverside rafting restaurant. The remainder of the afternoon is at leisure.
The following day, you explore another side of Bali, this time on a mountain bike. You will be taken on downhill trails from Mt Batur, through sleepy villages, along little-used roads and tracks. Frequent stops are made with opportunities to see temples, plantations and villages, offering further insights into the Bali that is off the beaten track. To gain a deeper understanding of this beautiful country, make sure you take advantage of your local guides' in depth knowledge of Balinese culture and customs. Morning tea and refreshments are served overlooking Lake Batur and Bali’s highest volcanic craters and Lunch is provided in Ubud.
The next day will take you on a new adventure: trekking in normally inaccessible areas close to Bali’s National Park, where nature is still undisturbed by outside influences. Many species of plant and bird life abound, some are only found in this area of Bali, and the terrain offers unrivalled views across the twin lakes of Tamblingan and Buyan. Your jungle guides are well versed in the ways of nature and provide an illuminating insight into the realm of the rain forest.
Your Volunteer Project starts on the 7th day and will continue for the next four days. Your location depends on your choice of project.
After finishing our volunteering activities, you transfer back to Sanur Beach, with some sightseeing en route.
The following day, the ultimate relaxation awaits you! After a leisurely morning, enjoy the decadence of a 2.5 hour treatment as you bask in the lap of luxury. This exotic experience begins with gentle body exfoliation using a blend of granular herbal plant extracts. Your skin is then buffed to a smooth feel with Balinese “polish” known as ‘boreh’, and followed by a cooling yogurt body mask to nourish the skin. You then have a soothing soak in a tropical floral essential oil bath. A health tea known for its internal detoxification properties is offered as you relax. Last but not least, enjoy an hour of aromatherapy massage, using foot reflexology and lymphatic drainage techniques designed to help strengthen the body’s own healing potential. This is indeed a wonderful way to spend an afternoon following your exertions.
* Comfort Level: Your accommodation is in high quality 5* hotels & villas throughout.
For a full trip description in PDF format, click here .
If you like this trip, you may also be interested in:
Borneo - Borneo Bash
China - Eastern Explorer
Indonesia - Dynamic Duo
Indonesia - Triple Crown
Vietnam - Vietnamese Venture
Feel free to contact us if you have any enquiries about this trip.
With one person booking, please contact us for the price of your trip.
