Bali Culture Week in Indonesia, Ubud

• Journey to Indonesia, one of the most interesting countries in the world for cultural learning
• Visit local temples
• Experience a walking tour of Ubud and the famous Monkey street
• Indulge yourself in traditional cooking classes
• Explore the diverse and rich surrounding areas of Ubud

We highly recommend you start your trip with a comprehensive cultural immersion week followed by one of our community projects. It will help you settle in by meeting new people and understanding great aspects about the country you are visiting. Search other activities for week two onward in the ‘Related trips‘ section.

Programme Description

Indonesia is one of the most interesting countries in the world for cultural learning and experiences. Bali is renowned for its diverse and sophisticated art forms, such as painting, sculpture, woodcarving, handcrafts, and performing arts. Bali boasts one of the most diverse and innovative performing arts cultures in the world, with paid performances at thousands of temple festivals, private ceremonies and public shows.

Culture Week is packed full of exciting adventures, cultural excursions and interactions. It includes language lessons, visits to various temples around Bali, a walking tour of Ubud and the famous Monkey street, local art and cooking classes, traditional dance shows and flower arranging classes. During the Culture Week, you will be participating in various activities and will get acquainted with the Balinese culture, study the Balinese language and explore Ubud and its beautiful surrounding areas.

Through this week you will experience a traditional Balinese show and challenge your artistic and creative side through traditional Batik Painting and also try out your skills as a cook with a traditional Balinese cooking class. Finally, you will make a traditional flower offering and offer your creation at one of the most impressive Balinese temples: The Holy Tirta Empul Temple. At this temple, you will also have the opportunity to immerse yourself in Holy Water and pray for good luck.

CRB/DBS (Criminal Records Bureau) Check
It is required that participants complete a CRB/DBS (Criminal Records Bureau) check in order to take part in this project.

Start dates are every week of the year with your activities starting on a Monday. We therefore request you arrive anytime on the Sunday before to receive a free airport pick-up and transfer. Early or late arrivals will incur an additional charge for the transfer and extra night including food, so arriving on the Sunday will be your better option.

Your trip will finish on the Saturday morning when you will need to vacate the accommodation.

Aims & Objectives

To introduce you to the authentic Balinese culture and immerse you into it. By doing so, you will experience the best and the closest you can get to this impressive culture.

Location

You will be accommodated in one of our houses in the village of Pejeng Kaja. Located on the outskirts of Ubud, village life is quintessentially local here and you will get a good chance to see typical Balinese life – roosters crowing and all!

Accommodation & Food

The accommodation is located in Pejeng Kaja which has shared rooms for participants including all facilities as well as enough space for them to interact and enjoy their time in Bali. There are two centres in Pejeng which are specially furnished for the participants’ accommodation namely Santi Rahayu and Melati.

Available Room Types

* Three meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner) during the week and two meals (breakfast, dinner) during weekends
** Drinking water
*** There are local laundry services around the village
**** Please bring a padlock

Food Arrangements

Indonesian food is tasty and diverse and you can expect to experience a myriad of flavours and meals during your stay. Typical dishes included Mie Goreng (fried noodles and vegetables), Nasi Goreng (fried rice and vegetables) or Gado Gado (mixed vegetables with a satay sauce). For those who do not eat meat, Indonesian cooking uses a lot of tofu and tempeh (soybeans), some western dishes would also be available. Breakfasts are varied and include pancakes, fresh fruit, toast etc. Tea, coffee and purified water are available at the house. We do not recommend drinking tap water.

Facilities

Our houses are located in Pejeng village and it will take about 15-30 minutes by car to reach the centre of Ubud depending on the traffic. There are grocery shops in the village and 24 hours mini-marts are available in Ubud centre.

Shopping
There are small local shops which will take 5-10 minutes by a walk where you will be able to find everything that you need.

Restaurants and Cafes

If you want to eat out occasionally, there is a wide selection of restaurants with high standards of both international and local cuisine. There are several cafes in the village, where you can relax and hang out with other participants in your spare time. It takes about 5 minutes by car or 20 minutes by walk to the center of the village.

Swimming Pools

Our swimming pool can be reached in 10 minutes by walk and is available for all the participants. There is a juice bar at the swimming pool where you can buy meals, snacks and drinks.

Gym

There are several gyms around Ubud area.

Clinic and Hospital

The clinic UPT Kesmas is open 24 hours, is located in Tampaksiring about 4 km away. It takes about 10 minutes by car and the hospital Ari Canti hospital Rumah Sakit is about 8 km from the center and it takes 15 minutes by car to reach there.

Mandatory Orientation Day

On the Monday of your first week at this location, you will join our orientation day, to familiarise you with the surroundings as well as local culture. Your program will continue as usual from Tuesday onward throughout the rest of the week.

Schedule

• Welcome, introduction to Indonesia, House rules, Code of Conduct and handling of documents
• Culture Lesson
• Lunch
• Project meeting and Preparation

Activities & Events

No scheduled activities outside the program.

Sights & Surroundings

Since the weekends are free, you can go wherever you please. Several popular destinations that you can reach by taxi are:
The Gili Islands, where you will find small resorts and huts for tourists looking to get away from the bustle of Ubud. The islands are a popular destination for snorkelling and diving due to their abundant marine life. Nusa Lembongan, an island paradise with one of the clearest waters that you will ever see and it is also a place where you can find peace and completely relax. Surfing, diving and snorkelling are amongst the most popular activities that visitors can enjoy.

Lovina, located between the Bedugul mountains and the sea, it is popular for dolphin watching, trekking, hot springs and its gorgeous coral reefs. Sanur, a stretch of beach in Southeast Bali that contains villa resorts and Zen Villas. Historically, it was used as the landing site for the Dutch invasion troops during the Dutch invasion in 1906 as well as being the entry point into Bali for the Japanese during WWII. Kuta, a beach known for its surfing opportunities and party atmosphere.
Uluwatu, a temple built at the edge of a 70-meter high cliff at the edge of the sea and inhabited by monkeys.

Transportation

From this location we do not provide free transport to other locations.

Accommodation

Volunteer camp with shared rooms (4-8 people per room); Basic but comfortable; Shared toilet and shower facilities; Communal areas for socialising and relaxation, Wifi in social areas.

Food

3 meals a day are provided on weekdays, and then 2 meals per day on weekends; Diverse and tasty meals are provided. Meals are of a typical Indonesian fare.

Airport Transfer

Included on arrival date. Ask us for details if you are arriving early/late. You be supported at the end of your trip in your onward travel.

Training

A full orientation and project induction takes place. You will also receive full training relevant to your volunteer role.

Support

Pre-departure help and advice; Local in-country team; 24 hour emergency support.

Donation

Part of your fee is used to buy decent equipment for the project and community you work with. If you wish to bring further donation, please make sure that this is in the form of equipment and not monetary donations.

• Flights
• Travel Insurance
• Visas
• Vaccinations
• Spending money
• In country travel
• Laundry service
• Extra activities not on itinerary
• Departure transfer

Preferred Duration

There is no preferred duration but we believe that the longer you can stay the more you will experience and benefit.

Pre-requisites

No prior experience or qualifications are required and it is important that you can speak English. All participants require a CRB/DBS check to take part in the project activities.

Ideal for

Volunteer Holidays and Placements in Asia; Community Work and Activity Breaks in Indonesia, Volunteer Gap Years and Career Breaks in Indonesia, Student Summer Holidays in Indonesia, cultural experience Indonesia.