19 Incredible Highlights of our Bali Adventure Group Tour Holiday for Women!
I know you'll fall in love with Bali, as I did when creating our new Bali Adventure women only group tour, so here are 19 reasons why, although I could go on and on!
We do things differently at Travel Queen. In fact, Bali is where the idea of Travel Queen was born, when I travelled here for the first time as a newly single woman in my thirties, while I was going through my divorce. As well as loads of info and beautiful Bali inspiration, I'll also explain how Travel Queen will make your adventure to the Island of the Gods so much more special than any other group tour company, because a genuine love of travel and the places we explore together, and going way above your expectations, are at the heart of everything we do.
1. Walk among, swing above and soak up stunning views of Bali’s iconic lush green rice terraces!
Up there with the most iconic Bali scenes are its picture perfect rice terraces, which despite looking incredible, haven’t been created just to look good! ‘Rice is life’ across Asia and these terraces help distribute water to many farmers’ fields across a community from one source.
While the masses of people who travel to Bali only visit touristy rice terraces overlooked by swings, infinity pools and other Insta posing spots (although good fun not to be sniffed at of course!), we take you to more authentic rice fields too. You’ll see uninterrupted swathes of green fields and terraces with local farmers working their fields by hand, and will feel like you’ve stepped back in time, long before electricity, never mind the ‘gram!
2. Live tropical island paradise life in Lombok’s gorgeous Gilis!
Indonesia’s Gili islands trio, part of Lombok next door to Bali, are one of my favourite groups of islands I’ve ever been to. Soft white sand, bright turquoise water, hammocks between palm trees and a bustling little array of chilled island beach bars, restaurants, boho style shops and cafes, and plenty of massages and spas.
On our Bali group tour for women we head to Gili Trawangan, or Gili T as it's affectionately known, the largest of the three Gili Isles. We’ll have had an action-packed adventure so far, so this is the perfect place to spend three days and nights chilling out, island style, (with our own private boat to explore incredible snorkelling spots off neighbouring Gili Meno in there too, but more on that later).
3. Visit Bali’s most beautiful temples and learn their fascinating stories and importance to Balinese people
We visit a few different temples on our Bali Adventure, but two in particular stand out, both over a thousand years old!
Bali's most important temple of Balinese Hinduism, Besakih Temple is known as the 'Mother Temple of Bali', perched high on the slopes of the volcano Mount Agung.
The Uluwatu 'Sea' Temple is famous for its clifftop location with stunning sea views of the surrounding coastline, the sneaky monkeys that hang out there and the traditional, weird and wonderful Balinese Kecak fire dance, an unforgettable performance as the sun sets.
For both temple visits we have a local guide to show us the way and bring these magical places to life with stories about what they mean to Balinese people.
4. Explore Nusa Penida’s stunning coastline of epic seaside cliffs, unusual rock formations and idyllic beaches!
Our first stop on the island hopping part of our women only Bali Adventure is stunning Nusa Penida, home to THAT view you’ve probably seen tonnes of other posers trying to get the perfect shot in!
We do visit the famous Kelingking Beach, and have carefully planned how to beat the crowds at this popular spot, that’s become a bit of an Insta institution due to the mind-blowing views of the T-rex head shaped coastline!
Unlike the masses of day-tripper crowds who only hop over from Bali for a few hours, we stay overnight on Nusa Penida, so we can go to Kelingking after they’ve all cleared off back to the mainland. Added bonus; we also get to see it as the sun sets, making an already stunning view even more special.
We also visit other incredible sights on Nusa Penida, including Crystal Beach, Angel’s Billabong and Broken Beach, that without staying here we just wouldn’t be able to squeeze into the usual day trip. Oh and we get to enjoy sunset drinks with the girls at beach bars (with names like Penida Colada!), before walking back along the beach to our cute little beachfront bungalows too.
I mean, what more could a woman want?
5. Experience Bali’s spiritual side by taking part in a sacred water ceremony!
Bali is one of the most spiritual places in the world, where people come to not only see the beauty of the place but to invest in their wellbeing. One of the most important spiritual Balinese traditions and rituals is a purification ceremony that takes place at a special temple connected to a sacred natural source of water.
Bathing in the temple’s holy waters is believed to cleanse and purify your soul of negativity and it's an act of great importance to Balinese people, practiced as part of their Hindu beliefs, not just a photo opportunity. When done properly, away from the masses, it's a special experience and insight into Balinese culture.
As always, with Travel Queen, we've carefully selected a beautiful, lesser known water temple where you will experience a more authentic, moving experience than the crowds who head to the main spot of Tirta Empul, to join the vast queues that you don’t see in the photos.
Then you'll return to the sanctity of our luxurious jungle infinity pool feeling like a new woman!
6. Snorkel incredibly clear, turquoise water to spot colourful fish, turtles and mysterious underwater statues!
We have two incredible snorkelling spots lined up for you on our Bali Adventure, on the two gorgeous islands we hop to as part of our amazing itinerary! In Nusa Penida you can sample some of the best snorkelling I’ve ever done in shallow, calm, unbelievably clear waters packed with tonnes of colourful, tropical fish, and you'll have the chance to try your luck at spotting manta rays too!
In the Gili Islands we'll explore incredible snorkelling spots off neighbouring Gili Meno, in search of turtles and mysterious underwater statues!
7. Create offerings for the Gods with Balinese women!
Local Balinese women will share with you their ancient practice of making the little offerings to the Gods that you will see people all over Bali taking to temples and placing in the entranceways to their homes, businesses and other buildings.
Called ‘canang sari' in Balinese, they are usually based in a woven bamboo container or coconut leaf and include flowers, rice, incense, sweets, fruits and spices. Making and presenting these offerings to the Gods is a daily gesture of gratitude and sharing this part of their daily life with local women is a special little experience that helps you to appreciate the more spiritual side of Bali.
8. Our open-top jeep tour of local villages and volcanoes!
What a fabulous way to spend the day this is, I LOVE this trip! We'll board our private little convoy of jeeps and set off to explore the real Bali away from the crowds. Feel free to stand up and enjoy the views and wind in your hair through the open rooftop, as amazing scenes of sweeping rice fields, Balinese villages and local life pass by, as friendly locals wave hello!
Our stops include the black lava rock fields, formed by ancient eruptions of the looming volcanoes in the distance, a beautiful hidden waterfall (more on that later) a visit to a Balinese home where we'll try fresh tropical fruits and coconut wine from a palm tree, off-roading through the jungle high in the mountains to a mystical temple, and lunch at a local restaurant with sweeping views of the volcanoes overlooking the lush green valley.
9. Raft down white water river rapids through the jungle looking up at stunning waterfalls!
If you’re a woman up for a little extra adventure this unforgettable experience is an optional extra activity that we can arrange on our Bali Adventure. I love white water rafting and have been lucky enough to do it all over the place from Canada to New Zealand, but I have to say this rafting in Bali was my absolute favourite!
The rapids are great fun, not to mention the couple of small waterfalls we go over, but it was also just how amazing the surrounding jungle scenery is, bursting full of stunning waterfalls that spill into the river as we raft past. There are plenty of fun and lively parts of the river, but there are also calm moments to enjoy floating along and soaking it all up. By the time we reach the end of the river you’ll definitely feel like you’ve been on an adventure!
10. Gaze at stunning sunsets and starry skies from gorgeous beachfront bars!
What woman doesn’t enjoy watching a gorgeous sunset over the ocean and the stars coming out to light up the sky? For me, taking the time to do just this is one of the highlights of any holiday!
If it is for you too then you’ll get plenty of chances on our Bali Adventure. From chilling in a hammock over the waves or on a beanbag with your feet in the sand, while local musicians play live music at one of the back to basics beach bars. To the glamour of sipping cocktails at cool beach clubs where DJs soundtrack infinity pool sunset parties and dancing under the stars.
11. Discover beautiful waterfalls cascading through the jungles and mysterious caves!
There are lots of opportunities to see waterfalls on our Bali Adventure but one of the most impressive and my favourite is one that we stop off to see on our fab open-top jeep tour, which is unlike any other in Bali.
We hop out of the jeeps and follow the steep steps down deep into the jungle caves, then make our way between the sheer rocks to find a waterfall spilling through the rocks high above and into the shallow pool below, complete with dramatic light and mist as rays of sunlight shine down from above.
Stunning… and makes a cracking photo if you're after an intrepid solo female traveller, strong independent woman vibe!
12. Treat yourself like a queen with tropical beauty treatments and beautiful flower filled baths!
Shouldn’t every woman get to bathe in flower petals at least once? So this is a thing in Bali!
You can have the bath in your room at a few of the luxury resorts where we stay on our Bali Adventure, or at this gorgeous little spa overlooking the beach in one of the islands we visit, filled with your choice of flowers and design, or with masses of fresh citrus fruits, lemongrass, mint and ginger for a super lush bathing experience…
And there are places offering amazing massages and other beauty treatments like body wraps, scrubs, facials, manicures and pedicures for cheaper than you can imagine, all over the place. From super cheap options like getting a massage from a lady on the beach, to cute little boutique style spas, all the way up to pure, full on luxury experiences at some of our resorts’ spas.
Whichever option you go for, it’ll definitely cost way less and be way more tropical and relaxing than the equivalent experience at home, and let’s be honest, when was the last time you actually invested in some real self care and you time?
Go on, make yourself feel like a queen, you deserve it!
13. Explore hippy Ubud’s cafes, markets, art galleries, temples and monkey forest!
Our Bali Adventure tour is packed full of activities but it’s nice to have time to just wander and explore sometimes too, either taking time out just for yourself or joining in with other ladies in the group, and Ubud is the perfect place!
Set amid rolling jungle and emerald rice terraces, Ubud began as a peaceful hippy village that attracted early yogi and arty visitors, and it has gone on to become known as the ‘cultural heart of Bali’ that no visit to the Island of the Gods would be complete without.
The bustling centre is full of cool little cafes, art galleries, Ubud Palace, tonnes of temples and ornate doorways leading to Balinese style homes, boutique shops, health spas and yoga studios. It’s also home to over a thousand monkeys in the sacred Ubud Monkey Forest.
14. Watch weird and wonderful Balinese dance performances from the quirky eyed legong to the chants of the kecak fire dance!
I’ve seen dance performances all over South East Asia, but nowhere does it quite like Bali! The different dances all have a story based on the history and culture of Indonesia, and it’s the sheer effort that goes into the elaborate costumes, make-up and performances of the characters involved that make Balinese dances stand out from the rest!
The Barong Dance, that tells the story of the fight between good and evil and often features performers with large animal masks, is one of the most well-known and loved on the island.
The Legong Dance was my personal favourite, because it’s just so weird and wonderful! It tells the story of a king who finds a lost maiden and holds her captive and features the complex, unusual movement of the female Balinese dancers’ fingers and feet, facial expressions and eye movements, that you just can’t look away from!
The Kecak Fire Dance, that we’ll watch on the last stop of our Bali Adventure at the stunning clifftop Uluwatu Temple, involves a large group of Balinese men performing a mesmerising chanting performance as the sun sets, as all sorts of other performers move about the stage in a full blown theatrical performance that is just unforgettable.
15. Treat yourself to the wonder of a Bali floating breakfast!
Another popular ‘Bali thing to do’ and Insta craze is the floating breakfast… but we are here for it ladies! To be fair, as you wake up from a great sleep in one of our fabulous hotels on our women only Bali group tour, you will be welcomed by a lovely warm morning as the sun starts to climb in the sky, and you may need to hop into the pool to cool down, so why not enjoy your breakfast in there too?!
16. Embrace Bali’s zen vibes with yoga on our open-air rooftop studio overlooking the jungle!
Ladies, how does starting your day bathed in sunlight, breathing in fresh jungle air and these stunning views, with a super zen yoga session from the rooftop of our Ubud hotel in Bali sound?!
If you have never tried yoga before don’t worry, our Bali yoga class is more about embracing the spiritual and calming experience of this ancient practice, with simple, easy to follow, relaxing moves for beginners, than it is about contorting yourself into difficult poses and working up too much of a sweat!
And as with all Travel Queen activities, you won’t have to worry about how you look or feel in front of others either, as we’ll all be in it together to try new things in the supportive environment of our small, women only tour group.
17. Do Bali in style and stay in beautiful, boutique places fit for a queen!
Just as I do with all our adventures, I have personally tried and tested out all the best accommodation I could find in Bali, and I’m pretty proud of our line up (that I know for a fact smashes other group tour operators' hotels out the park, cause I’ve checked their's out too!)
You'll spend 12 fabulous nights in beautiful, locally owned hotels and villas of an excellent standard; including cute little wooden beachfront bungalows, traditional rice barn villas overlooking rice fields and luxurious Balinese style resorts from the jungle to the beach with heavenly swimming pools! There's a few snaps below but check out our Bali Adventure Itinerary for loads more photos of the amazing places we stay in on this tour.
18. Experience a seamlessly planned adventure with your own group leader to take care of everything!
Hopefully you can tell from checking out our website and following Travel Queen on social media, that this is much more than just a business to me! I take great pride and care in creating very special experiences from my own travels around the destinations we visit to make sure everything about the experience goes above your expectations, both from a travelling, accommodation and activities perspective, but also that you feel comfortable, safe and happy mixing with a new group and getting to know your new travel buddies.
Bali has a special place in my heart as it was my first ever solo trip back in 2015, that I took as I was going through my divorce, and it was also where I first had the idea to create Travel Queen to encourage more woman to travel and have the independence and courage to join a group of likeminded women to travel with on a new kind of women only group tour. If you'd like to know more about my story check out my blog here.
If you'd like to hear what women who have travelled with us say, take a look at our Meet Real Travel Queens reviews and videos page here. This is me with some of the lovely local people I met in Bali to plan this adventure and now work with!
19. Travel with a fab group of likeminded women who'll become your new travel buddies... and maybe friends for life!
Travel Queen is about so much more than amazing adventures and enjoying a few luxuries along the way. It’s about bringing women together, creating new friendships and championing woman power too, because we believe that's what really makes us feel like a queen, and that every woman deserves to feel that way.
Among all the amazing feedback I get from the different women who have been on our adventures, there’s a common theme running through what they all tell me about their experience. They booked on their own, without knowing anyone, and the main reason for joining us was because they didn't have people in their lives that they could do a trip like this with. Most had never done anything like this before, and many were a little, if not very, apprehensive about doing something on their own for perhaps the first time, yet they were still drawn to go for it and do it anyway.
And all of them said they were so glad they took the plunge and did it, and how quickly they realised that it wasn’t scary at all! That they soon realised we were all in the same boat, and were simply a group of women, not just looking for adventure and an amazing holiday, but for new friendships with other women, who'd maybe also been feeling like we were the only ones who didn't have people in their lives to do these kind of big, exciting trips with.
They all said how happy it made them to then find those women and share an incredible experience with them, that created what they knew would become lifelong friendships way beyond the tour itself. Lots of the women on our tours have booked onto another Travel Queen tour to recreate that feeling and even travel with some of the same women again.
And lots have been lucky enough to create friendships so special that they’ve gone on to become a big part of each other's lives at home and even go on their own holidays together too. To read more about this, check out our blog post Adventure + Luxury + Woman Power = Travel Queen! here.
You can check out the full itinerary, our next tour dates, prices and FAQs for our Bali Adventure here on the website, where you can also book your place online, or simply get in touch with a message through the website chat or with Mel on 07967 788845.
Travel Queen LTD specialises in small group tours, adventures, travel and holidays for solo / single women in their 20s, 30s, 40s and 50s to Bali, Croatia, Thailand, Vietnam & Cambodia and Hawaii, with more on the way.
For details of all our adventures and for inspiration from women who’ve travelled with us visit www.travel-queen.co.uk
To join our growing community of women who have been on our adventures or are thinking about booking one, and to access private events online and in person about everything we do where you can meet ladies who could become your future travel buddies, hosted by Travel Queen owner Mel who designs and leads the tours, visit https://www.facebook.com/groups/TravelQueensUnited
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