Delve Deep: Bali & the Gili Islands

Ready to embrace the new and exotic? Discover the unknown? Change your view and challenge your expectations? Well, this is the place to do it – welcome to Bali. Meet us in Canggu as we kick off the adventure with a group dinner at a local eatery. Then: pull up a deck chair and sip on a cocktail as the sky turns into a million different shades of pink and orange. This is gonna be good.

Time for one last swim before we set our sights on the tropical rainforests of Ubud. There’s more here than #Insta swings – trust us. Bit of a nature buff? You’ve come to the right place. First up: our fact-filled Trip Leader will give us a whip around the area, passing Ubud Palace (for allll the carvings), the traditional craft market and lushhh af rice paddies. After a pit stop at a local café where your drink’s on us, the evening’s all yours.

An early riser? If you can drag yourself out of bed, there’s an optional trek up Mount Batur on the cards. You’ll reach the top just in time to see the sunrise over the island. Cue: all the goosebumps. Return to the hotel in time for an included brekkie. Then, you’ll have an entire day to explore more of Ubud. Take a closer look at those rice paddies. Find a local yoga class to try out. Or browse for souvenirs among Ubud’s many boutiques before cooling off at an Insta-perfect café (try an iced Balinese coffee – you won’t regret it). Later: keep the food theme rolling with an optional Indonesian cooking class.

You don’t want to skim the surface. You want to delve deeper. So today, we’ll be heading to the Kaura Day Club – a STUNNING eco retreat in the unspoilt village Manggis. Fuel up with a delish lunch before we dive into an orientation tour. Meet the locals and find out about their numerous development initiatives. Learn how to craft a canang sari: a Balinese Hindu temple offering. Afterwards, you'll have some free time at Kaura. Pull up a sunbed by the beaut infinity pool or treat yourself to a massage. And later? We'll head to our next hotel where there’s a Balinese dinner on the cards. Delish!

Pack an overnight bag (we'll store your suitcase) and wave goodbye to Bali as we speedboat our way to the Gili Islands. We’re heading north to the biggest of the Gili archipelago trio: Gili Trawangan. Insert: sun-bleached sandy beaches, shimmering turquoise water and sipping fresh coconuts under palm trees. Get your bearings with an orientation bike ride around the island. Then: the rest is up to you. Do the obvious and get horizontal on one of Gili T’s gorgeous beaches. Or relax and unwind with a beachfront massage. Later, there’s an optional pub crawl on the cards. Think fruity cocktails and heaps of awesome prizes. It’s gonna be LEGENDARY.

Head feeling a little sore after last night’s antics? No drama - you’ve got the whole day to just do you. Need some suggestions? Snap on a snorkel and step into a glass bottom boat to see which awesome creatures live *in Sebastian’s voice* under the sea. Or do your good deed for the day and help clear the ocean of rubbish on a stand-up paddleboard (the sea turtles salute you). Prefer to keep your feet on solid ground? Easy. Practice mindfulness at one of Gili T's many yoga studios. Go for a pedal and café-hop your way around the island. Or park up at a beach club that suits your vibe. Tonight, head to Trawangan night market for a feed. Here you can try everything from nasi gorang and bakso meatball soup to fresh lobster, squid, king prawns and snapper. Basically? You want it, they’ll grill it.

Not an early bird? You’ll wanna wake up for today’s dreamy sunrise beach picnic (trust us). Once your belly’s stuffed and your camera roll is full, we'll be making tracks back to Bali via speedboat. If it’s sunny, claim a spot on the top deck, grab a cold one and soak up those rays. When you reach Canggu (your final stop *tries not to cry*), they’ll be time to chill or take a last stroll along the sand. Later: catch up with the gang at our final group dinner, and watch the sun set in paradise one last time.

A week’s worth of incred Indonesian adventures? Completed. But now it’s time to say goodbye. Staying on in Bali? Some people have all the luck. Swap those Insta handles – you’ll need them for next year’s reunion trip. Where to next? Thailand. Vietnam. Cambodia. All the above?