Voyage to Indonesia: Dragons, Reefs, and the Spice Islands – with Smithsonian Journeys

This 4-day program, based in the lush jungles of the island's interior, offers the opportunity to experience Bali's traditional culture, exquisite craftsmanship, Indonesian cuisine, and serene landscapes. Leisurely-paced excursions each day are combined with unstructured time for you to use as you wish, perhaps exploring further on your own or focusing on personal wellness at your hotel's pools, spa, and yoga center. It is the perfect way to prepare both physically and mentally for the cruise that awaits you.

 

Day 1 — Bali

Arrive at Denpasar International Airport, where you will be met and transferred to the Maya Ubud Resort & Spa, located in the forests of Ubud, Bali's cultural and spiritual heart. After check-in, spend the balance of the day relaxing or exploring the resort's many amenities. Lunch and dinner are at leisure and independent.

 

Day 2 — Bali

Today's excursion provides opportunities for you to sample some of the rich flavors of Balinese cuisine and also introduces you to a traditional Balinese village. Begin with a visit to a nearby family-run coffee plantation, where you will be invited to savor a variety of herbal teas and coffees, including the very special Kopi Luwak, made from beans that have passed through the digestive system of a civet (Luwak) before being roasted and brewed. After this unique tasting experience, continue to Batuan Village, famous for its distinctive art and for its traditional Balinese architecture. Here you will explore the 11th-century Pura Puseh temple, adorned with intricate stone carvings that depict ancient myths and legends, followed by a visit to a Balinese compound house. These traditional houses are actually a series of pavilions collected within a walled compound, each pavilion with a specific function, and organized according to the principles of Asta Kosala Kosali (similar to Feng Shui).

A specially curated 3-course lunch of Indonesian cuisine will be served at a local restaurant before you return to the hotel. An afternoon at leisure is followed by a cocktail reception with your fellow travelers. Dinner is independent.

 

Day 3 — Bali

After breakfast at the hotel, travel to the John Hardy Jewelry Workshop in nearby Mambal, an artisan collective established by Hardy in 1975 to preserve Balinese craftsmanship. During your visit, you will see master artisans at work creating the intricately designed pieces for which the collective is known around the world, and you will have the opportunity to explore the Kapal Bamboo Boutique, the workshop's showroom. Following your visit to the workshop, you will enjoy a lunch of authentic Indonesian cuisine at a restaurant located in the Tanah Gajah resort, once the home of a wealthy art collector. The balance of the day is at leisure and dinner is independent.

 

Day 4 — Bali | Embark

Your final day in Bali begins with a visit to the Taman Ayun Temple in Mengwi. Built in 1634 by the royal family of the Mengwi Dynasty, this UNESCO World Heritage Site is surrounded by gardens and moats and features a number of multi-tiered shrines dedicated to different Hindu gods. At the nearby palace compound of Puri Taman Sari, you will see more classic Balinese carvings and shrines and experience a traditional dance performance accompanied by gamelan music, followed by a buffet lunch of authentic dishes. Leaving Mengwi, travel to Tohpati Village, where skilled artisans practice the ancient craft of batik fabric art and where you may wish to purchase a souvenir of your time in Bali before continuing to the pier in Benoa to embark Le Jacques Cartier.

 

Your hotel:

The Maya Ubud Resort & Spa is a 5-star, 45-acre property nestled between a river valley and rice terraces in Ubud in central Bali. The resort has four restaurants and bars, three pools, a tennis court, a yoga pavilion, a spa, and fitness center. You will be accommodated in a large Heavenly Pool Villa, replete with butler service, your own swimming pool, separate sitting area, and porch overlooking the property.

 

Your program includes:

·        3 nights at the Maya Ubud Resort & Spa

·        Transfer and luggage handling from the airport to the hotel on the scheduled arrival day

·        Transfer and luggage handling from the hotel to the ship on Day 4

·        Welcome Reception on Day 2

·        Breakfast and lunch on Days 2, 3, and 4

·        Sightseeing and programming as noted in the itinerary

·        Local English-speaking guide

·        Gratuities for the drivers and local guides

Your program does not include:

Transfer from the airport to the hotel on any day other than the scheduled program departure day.

Personal expenses and other services and meals not mentioned as included in the program.

Please note:

·        It is imperative that your flight arrival details are communicated at least 60 days prior to the beginning of your cruise in order to secure your transfer from the airport to the hotel.

·        Early check-in and/or late check-out are subject to availability and at a supplement. An additional night is possible, upon request and depending on hotel availability. Please, contact reservations or your travel agent for further details.

·        The official currency is the Indonesian Rupiah. Credit cards are widely accepted in hotels, larger shops, and restaurants. But markets and smaller shops, cash will be necessary.

·        This pre-cruise program is offered as a package. There will be no refunds for unused accommodations, meals, or excursions.

·        Program is offered on a space available basis.

·        Program is subject to change without notice.

 

Hotel contact information:

Maya Ubud Resort and Spa

JIn Gunung Sari Peliatan

P.O. Box 1001

Gianyar, 80571, Indonesia

+62 361 977 888

 

This post-cruise program offers the chance to take advantage of being halfway round the world by spending a few days to discover the charms of Australia's largest city and its surroundings. With a 5-star luxury hotel as your base, explore cosmopolitan Sydney, including its emblematic Opera House and iconic Bondi Beach, and travel to the nearby Blue Mountains, a UNESCO World Heritage Site of ancient forests and stunning beauty.

 

Day 1 — Darwin | Disembark | Sydney

After breakfast aboard, disembark and join a panoramic coach tour of the city of Darwin, including Old Fannie Bay Jail, St. Mary's Cathedral, the USS Peary Memorial, Government House, and Parliament House, among other landmarks. Pause along the way at Darwin's Botanic Gardens for a stroll among the colorful displays of trees, shrubs, and flowers before continuing to the airport for a regularly scheduled flight to Sydney.

 

On arrival in Sydney, you will be met and transferred to the Four Seasons Sydney hotel (or similar), where you check-in for three nights in this 5-star property overlooking Sydney Harbor. The balance of the evening is at leisure. Dinner is independent.

 

Day 2 — Sydney

After breakfast at the hotel, join your guide for a panoramic tour of some of Sydney's most iconic landmarks. Begin in the oldest part of the city, the Rocks precinct, where you will see Sydney's earliest colonial buildings as well as the historic waterfront theater district of Walsh Bay. Passing under Sydney Harbor Bridge, pause at Dawes Point for magnificent views of the Opera House just across a narrow inlet, and then continue your drive through the Royal Botanic Gardens to Mrs. Macquarie's Chair, a bench carved out of a rock ledge by convicts in 1810 so that the wife of the then-Governor could enjoy the splendid view. Your morning concludes with a private docent-led tour of the Sydney Opera House, with exclusive access to areas not open to the general public.

 

Leaving the Opera House, travel to Bondi Beach for lunch at a local restaurant followed by time at leisure to stroll along the beach, enjoying the sun and sea of this world-famous surfers' hangout. Your full day of touring ends with a drive along the coastal road and through Sydney's posh eastern suburbs on your way back to the hotel. Dinner is independent.

 

Day 3 — Sydney | Blue Mountains | Sydney

After breakfast, meet your guide for a day devoted to nature and wildlife, as you travel into the Blue Mountains National Park, one of seven national parks that make up the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area. As you explore this wonderland of sandstone outcrops, deep ravines and hazy blue eucalypt forests, your guide will take you off the beaten track to remote lookout locations where the geography, flora and fauna of this magnificent region are on full display.

 

Leaving your hotel, the first stop of the day is at Sydney Zoo, home to over 4,000 animal species, including endangered species from around the world. But the focus of your visit today will be on Australia's endemic wildlife—the kangaroos and wallabies that hop freely around a beautiful open-range habitat. From the zoo, ascend into the mountains, stopping at outlooks over the Jamison Valley, until you reach remote Eaglehawk Lookout, with great views of the Three Sisters rock pillars, which according to Aboriginal legend were formed when a tribal shaman turned three women to stone after they fell in love with men from a rival tribe. Lunch will be served at Echoes Restaurant, perched high in the mountains with views over the entire length of the valley of rainforest below.

 

After lunch, visit Govett's Leap, one of the most famous lookouts in Australia, where a magnificent waterfall drops 600 feet to the base of the cliff and where the lookout provides sweeping views down the valley to the Grose Wilderness. On your return to the city, pause at the delightful Blue Mountains Botanic Gardens to admire its collection of cool-climate flora, including the rare, ancient Wollemi Pine, a species that has existed for more than 200 million years.

 

Day 4 — Sydney | Depart

After breakfast at the hotel and checkout, transfer to the airport for flights homeward.

 

Your hotel:

The Four Seasons Hotel Sydney is located adjacent to The Rocks and Circular Quay, offering the comfort and amenities that you would expect from this luxury brand. Your Deluxe Partial Harbor View room is a beautifully designed space with views of both the water and the city skyline, right outside your room’s floor-to-ceiling windows.

 

Your program includes:

·        3 nights at the Four Seasons Sydney (or similar) in a Deluxe Partial Harbor View room

·        Transfer and luggage handling from the airport to the hotel on the scheduled arrival day

·        Transfer and luggage handling from the hotel to the airport on Day 4

·        Lunch on Days 1, 2, and 3

·        Breakfast on Days 2, 3, and 4

·        Sightseeing and programming as noted in the itinerary

·        Local English-speaking guide

·        Gratuities for the drivers and local guides

 

Your program does not include:

·        Transfer from the airport to the hotel on any day other than the scheduled program departure day.

·        Personal expenses and other services and meals not mentioned as included in the program.

 

Please note:

·        It is imperative that your flight arrival details are communicated at least 60 days prior to the beginning of your cruise in order to secure your transfer from the airport to the hotel.

·        Early check-in and/or late check-out are subject to availability and at a supplement. An additional night is possible, upon request and depending on hotel availability. Please, contact reservations or your travel agent for further details.

·        The official currency is the Australian Dollar (AUD). Credit cards are widely accepted in hotels, larger shops, and restaurants.

·        This post-cruise program is offered as a package. There will be no refunds for unused accommodations, meals, or excursions.

·        Program is offered on a space available basis.

·        Program is subject to change without notice.

 

Hotel Contact Information:

Four Seasons Sydney

199 George St. The Rocks

NSW 2000

Australia

+61 2 9250 3100