Bali: Beyond the Surface
Are you ready to immerse yourself in the culture and nature of Bali in a way that goes beyond the surface and benefits the island’s communities? We’re taking you on a culturally immersive experience through Bali. You’ll explore Bali’s cultural depth while also engage with the realities of overtourism and sustainability through meaningful, on-the-ground insights.
This experience can be taken on its own or combined with Java (from Sept 5-13th) for a more complete and immersive understanding of Indonesia: two islands, two distinct perspectives, one cohesive journey. Developed together with the Indonesia Tourism Board and PT. Wisata Sekolah, this experience offers access to perspectives most travellers don’t encounter.
“I really admire what ya’all are building with The Hybrid Tours, coupling education, humanitarian work, local support, and deeper impact with travel and adventure…The experiences on this trip, especially with the local human rights organizations and tons of q’s/convos with the guide, has given me a lot of refreshing hope for how those norms can be changed and how to explore deeper impact as part of travel.” – Missy, USA
Start
End
Denpasar, Bali
Meals
4 Breakfasts, 4 Lunches and 4 Dinners
Transport
Private Bus
Group size
6 – 15
Days
5
Accommodation
Shared accommodation in a mix of 4*, 3* hotels & homestays. Single rooms can be arranged for an extra fee of $320
Dates
Sept 13-17th, 2026
Physical activity
Moderate: Expect extended walking and one half-day of cycling, mostly downhill. Hiking, cycling and intense activities are optional.
Trip highlights
Candidasa | Karangasem | Taro Village | Jimbaran
✔️Samsara Living Museum – Engage with Balinese philosophy, rituals, and community-led traditions
✔️Taro Village life – Stay within an Indonesian community and experience daily rhythms beyond tourist areas
✔️Sustainability in action – Learn from grassroots initiatives addressing overtourism and environmental challenges. This is done through our permanent partnership with Our World Too.
✔️Waterfalls & Jimbaran coast – End the journey in nature with a final reflection by the sea
✔️Java (optional add-on) – Begin your journey with us in Java, where layered history, living traditions, and everyday life offer a deeper understanding of Indonesia.
Why this trip is for you
Experience Bali the Indonesian way. This is not a typical island escape, but a culturally immersive experience designed for those who want to go beyond the surface. Whether it’s your first time in Bali or not, you’ll engage with the island’s living traditions: through daily rituals, community-led practices, and hands-on experiences that shape everyday life.
Learn how Balinese communities are passing their heritage and practices to new generations.
Prepare Indonesian dishes from farm-to-table through immersive cooking classes!
Learn from grassroots initiatives addressing overtourism and environmental challenges.
Experience layered history, living traditions, and everyday life to gain a deeper understanding of Indonesia.
Experience what it means to Travel Hybrid and go beyond the guidebooks to learn what it’s truly like to immerse yourself in a country’s culture! If you’re looking to visit a new part of the world, travel in a completely different way, enjoy breathtaking nature, get to meet new people and immerse yourself in a new culture, then come and join us!
Inclusions
- Accommodation: Shared accommodation in a mix of 4* and 3* community-owned hotels & homestays. Single rooms can be arranged for an extra fee of $320.
- Activities: All activities listed in the itinerary are included.
- Small groups: For the best immersive travel experiences, we pride ourselves on having MAX 15 people per group.
- Transport: All ground transportation is provided for the duration of the trip in a private vehicle.
- Airport Transfers Airport pick-ups/drop-offs are included on the starting and ending dates of the tour.
- Meetings with activists
- Entry fees: All entry fees listed in the itinerary are included.
- Local tour guides: Professional English-speaking tour guides.
- Meals: Most meals are included.
- All government taxes
Exclusions
- Travel insurance: All participants are required to have travel insurance
- Personal expenses: We recommend bringing $200 USD. This does not include the tips.
- Extra Meals: Meals outside of those stated in the itinerary.
- Tips for Guides: Not included. We recommend tipping $10+ USD per person per day to your guide. About half of this amount for your driver.
- Visa Fees: Indonesia has electronic visas available for dozens of nationalities. Prices start from $30 USD. If you’re not sure about the requirements for your nationality, reach out to us directly!
- Activities not listed
- International Flights
- Beverages: Bottled water will be provided regularly and is, of course, included; other beverages aren’t
Itinerary
Day 1 in Indonesia. Arrival at Bali Denpasar International Airport. Meet and assist at the airport. Transfer to hotel.
From the start, we do things differently. Rather than staying in Bali’s main tourist hubs, we head to the quieter east coast. The island is huge, and while tourism is encouraged, the real challenge is how it’s distributed. By first going to Candidasa, we contribute to a more balanced approach: supporting local communities beyond the usual hotspots.
You’ll be staying at a beautiful, Indonesian-owned resort by the beach, in line with our commitment to working with community-owned businesses throughout the journey.
Meals included: Welcome Dinner
Overnight in East Bali / Candidasa Beach area
Samsara Living Museum is one of the best ways to help preserve Balinese culture and traditions. Founded and created by the Balinese community, you’ll dive into their philosophy and daily practices by taking part in workshops that connect people, nature, and spirit. These are all designed to show how rituals preserve cultural identity.
This is not a regular museum. By engaging directly with these traditions, you’ll see how a living museum empowers Balinese communities to keep their heritage alive, passing knowledge and practices to new generations while preserving the island’s unique way of life.
Meals: breakfast and lunch
Overnight in East Bali / Candidasa Area
We’ll start our day at Karangasem Palace, and learn about how local kingdoms survived and thrived under colonial pressures. From there, we’ll head to Taro Village for a beautiful homestay, where you can relax or spend the rest of the day exploring the day, which has optional hikes.
Meals included: breakfast, lunch and dinner
Overnight in Taro Village
After breakfast, we’ll explore Taro Cultural Village in the best way possible: on 2 wheels. We’ll cycle through lush rice fields and visit the sacred Gunung Raung Temple. This will be followed by a delicious farm-to-table cooking class, where you pick your own vegetables and learn to prepare traditional Indonesian dishes: a truly immersive, hands-on way to experience Bali’s culture, cuisine, and sustainable practices. Who will be the best cook? Vegetarian/vegan options available!
After our meal, we’ll also learn about community-driven waste management at TPS3R, a grassroots initiative tackling overtourism in Bali and environmental challenges.
Meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner
Overnight in Taro Village
On your final day, we’ll trek to a waterfall, a Balinese symbol of regeneration and reflection. To end the journey, we’ll head to Jimbaran Beach for a closing session, taking time to reflect on everything we’ve experienced:
- Indonesia’s colonial legacy and cultural resilience
- How culturally immersive travel can support communities and sustainability
- Our personal takeaways from this journey
For those interested, this is PART TWO of a bigger journey that begins in Java: moving across two islands and experiencing two very different sides of Indonesia. It also just flows better this way, and works out as a better value when done together.
This is where your journey officially ends, and airport transfers are included.
If you wish to extend your stay in the region, let us know and we can assist you with accommodation, transportation, and anything else you might need.
Thank you for joining us on this once-in-a-lifetime adventure!
Meals: breakfast, lunch & dinner
Logistics ✈️
Trip dates: Sept 13-17th, 2026
Logistics: Pick up is between 2-4pm on Sept 13th from Bali Denpasar Int’l Airport.
The airport code is DPS. This is when our Java group is landing, so you’ll be joining the rest of the travelers then to be transferred to your accommodation.
If the flight schedules do not align, we will be happy to arrange extra hotel nights & airport transfers if needed! Please reach out directly to help you out 🙂
Your return flight should be booked after 10 pm on Sept 17th. Airport code: DPS.
Need help looking for flights? Or if you would like to stay longer and explore other parts of the region, please reach out to us directly for assistance!
If you’re looking to visit a country in a unique way, cross off some bucket-list items, travel in a completely different way, get to meet new people and immerse yourself in a new culture, then come and join us!
Travel tip: If you have more flexibility and time, fly ANYWHERE in Southeast Asia then buy a regional flight to Bali. This could save you hundreds! We recommend looking for flights to Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur or Singapore.
Why should you join us?
- You’re ready to experience Indonesia in a way that does not contribute to gentrification and does not disempower communities
- You’re curious about history, culture and human stories
- You want to connect with communities and fellow travelers
- You’re tired of tourist traps and want to discover something real
Read what our guests have to say!
