Treasures of Indonesia Java and Bali | October 1 – 13, 2020
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Open to alumni UBC and friends TREASURES OF INDONESIA JAVA AND BALI | OCTOBER 1 – 13, 2020 Find harmony in the beautiful sites and exquisite landscapes of Java and Bali. Dive right into the soul of the country on the island of Java, exploring Yogyakarta’s creative and traditional culture. Visit Indonesia’s most important archaeological sites; the 10th century Prambanan Hindu Temple and the colossal Buddhist monument of Borobudur, both UNESCO Heritage Sites. Hop the train for a ride across the bucolic landscape of central Java and spend time in two smaller towns to enjoy a cooking class, a bicycle excursion, and community explorations. The natural environment is as stunning as the architecture and one of the highlights of your trip is sure to be your experience of Mount Bromo, Java’s highest peak set in a lunar landscape of epic proportions. The cultural landscape of Bali, where we spend the second part of our trip, is another UNESCO World Heritage site; the verdant rice terraces speak of an entire way of life. Explore Ubud’s traditional culture in temples, art, and dance, and marvel at the views by the sea at Canggu Beach. You’ll be staying in small boutique hotels; we have selected three hotels of the Tugu group for stays in Blitar, Malang, and Bali. These hotels are owned by one of Indonesia’s biggest collectors of fine art and cultural antiquities; we will see stunning collections on display at each hotel. Visit the Agung Rai Museum of Art to meet with the founder who has built one of Indonesia’s most impressive private art collections. Join study leader Paula Swart for a leisurely exploration of the best of Java and Bali. TRAVEL ARRANGEMENTS BY: WORLDWIDEQUEST.COM/ALUMNIUBC | TOLL-FREE 1-800-387-1483 / 416-633-5666 | [email protected] | 491 KING ST. E. TORONTO, ON M5A 1L9 Mount Bromo WHY TRAVEL WITH THE ALUMNI UBC TRAVEL CLUB? • Marvelling at three UNESCO World Heritage sites • Cycling and walking in small towns • Preparing a traditional meal with the chef INDONESIA • Watching the sun rise over magnificent Mount Bromo • View private art collections and meet the artists Java Sea Bali • Enjoy traditional dance and music performances Yogyakarta Blitar Malang Ubud STUDY LEADER Paula Swart is a museum curator and expert on Asian culture and history. Paula has degrees in Sinology, Asian art history, Chinese history, and archaeology and has published several books and numerous articles on the art and architecture of Asian cultures. Paula has been introducing travellers to this part of the world, its history and culture, for more than 20 years. WORLDWIDEQUEST.COM/ALUMNIUBC | TOLL-FREE 1-800-387-1483 / 416-633-5666 | [email protected] | 491 KING ST. E. TORONTO, ON M5A 1L9 DETAILED ITINERARY Penataran Temple Thursday, Oct. 1: Meet in Yogyakarta Arrive in Yogyakarta where a local representative provides a transfer to our hotel. Join participants for dinner this evening as we begin exploring the soul of Java. Yogyakarta is the only Indonesia royal city still ruled by a monarch and is an important centre for classical fine arts and textiles. Overnight: The Phoenix Hotel Yogyakarta Meals: Dinner Friday, Oct. 2: Yogyakarta’s palace and temple After breakfast, meet with Paula Swart, participants, and our dagger with distinctive blade pattern. It is an integral part of guide for a briefing. Then head out to visit the vast, ornate Kraton the rituals, ceremonies, and epic poetry of central Java; learn (the Sultan’s Palace), dating from 1755. This walled city is home about the tradition of Kris makers imbuing their blades with to over 20,000 people and encompasses a complex of pavilions, mystical powers. workshops, homes, and the Taman Sari (Water Castle) designed Overnight: The Phoenix Hotel Yogyakarta as a royal pleasure park. Visit the 10th century Prambanan Meals: Breakfast, Lunch Temple, a World Heritage Site and the finest Hindu temple complex in the country with the remains of over 200 temples. Sunday, Oct. 4: Temples and Town Life in Blitar Rising above concentric squares are three temples dedicated Hop on the train this morning for the scenic six-hour journey to the three great Hindu divinities (Shiva, Vishnu, and Brahma). to Blitar, a delightful provincial city off the standard Javan Admire the outstanding sculptural detail illustrating the epic of tourist trails. We’re coming here to experience beautiful the Ramayana. Freshen up at the hotel before dinner this evening countryside, green rice fields, and the remains of the ancient and a wayang kulit (leather puppet) performance. This traditional Majapahit Kingdom. It’s also an opportunity for an authentic Javanese theatre features a puppet made of buffalo leather experience of Javanese daily life. This afternoon visit the 12th behind a white screen. century Penataran Temple, one of the largest in East Java, Overnight: The Phoenix Hotel Yogyakarta dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva and the library of Indonesia’s Meals: Breakfast, Dinner first president Sukarno. Overnight: Hotel Tugu Sri Lestari, Blitar Saturday, Oct. 3: The iconic Borobodur Temple Meals: Breakfast, Dinner One of Southeast Asia’s most impressive sites and the largest single Buddhist monument in the world is our focus today. The Monday, Oct. 5: Cooking and Cycling in Blitar World Heritage Site of Borobudur dates from the 8th and 9th Join the chef at the local market to shop for fresh ingredients centuries. Over two million stone blocks were required to build for this morning’s hands on cooking class. Learn to prepare a the three-tiered temple with more than 2,500 relief panels, and traditional Javanese dish, such as Nasi Goreng, and some local more than 500 Buddha statues. Borobudur perfectly reflects delicacies like Kue Cara Isi (round cake with a savoury chicken the Buddhist cosmology, which divides the universe into three filling). In the late afternoon, head out by bicycle for a leisurely separate levels; the worlds of desires, forms, and formlessness. ride through rice fields and rural villages. Enjoy ample time to explore. On our way back to our hotel, visit Overnight: Hotel Tugu Sri Lestari, Blitar a traditional Kris maker. The distinctive Kris is an asymmetrical Meals: Breakfast, Lunch Tuesday, Oct. 6: Coffee Plantations on the road to Malang Follow the road through green hills and valleys to the Kawisari coffee plantation. The scenery is breathtaking with lush jungles as far as the eye can see punctuated by waterfalls, rivers, and a magical mist. The plantation is surrounded by two mountains; here coffee is produced using a secret recipe from the Dutch era. Further on, visit a rubber plantation to see the tapping of the trees and the processing of raw rubber into sheets. Stay for two nights in Malang, a cultured city established by the Dutch at the end of the 18th century. Enjoy a guided walk in the colonial city centre admiring the elegant whitewashed mansions, the fascinating backstreets, and soak up the ambiance at one of the charming Dutch era cafés. Overnight: Hotel Tugu, Malang Borobudur Meals: Breakfast, Lunch WORLDWIDEQUEST.COM/ALUMNIUBC | TOLL-FREE 1-800-387-1483 / 416-633-5666 | [email protected] | 491 KING ST. E. TORONTO, ON M5A 1L9 Wednesday, Oct. 7: Epic Sunrise on Mount Bromo Saturday, Oct. 10: Traditional Balinese Arts: Gamelan, The volcanic Bromo area is one of Southwest Asia’s most Batik, and Kecak breathtaking sights; the epic lunar landscape, the huge Enjoy a relaxing morning at leisure, then head out this Tengger crater, and the dramatic highland light make the afternoon to the Agung Rai Museum of Art to meet with the whole experience unforgettable. It will be a very early start founder (schedule permitting) who has built one of Indonesia’s (around 2AM) this morning to reach the lookout point for most impressive private art collections. Learn about his vision the best view of that ethereal sunrise. Then, drive across the to establish a centre for visual and performing arts to sustain sand sea to the base of Mount Bromo itself and walk up to the these traditions. Join a batik workshop; compare Balinese and rim of the crater for yet more incredible vistas! Note that if Javanese batiks and the history of this art form. Learn to play weather conditions are not suitable for sunrise viewing, we’ll the traditional gamelan with master musicians. Enjoy dinner visit Mount Bromo later in the day. This afternoon tour the with a spectacular Kecak fire dance performance. hotel’s collection of Asian arts and antiquities including 19th Overnight: Komaneka at Monkey Forest, Ubud century ceramics, 13th century jade carvings, Ming dynasty Meals: Breakfast, Dinner porcelain, and the complete façade of a Chinese temple. Overnight: Hotel Tugu, Malang Sunday, Oct. 11: Temples and a Hosted Dinner Meals: Breakfast, Lunch The temple of Pura Taman Ayun is a perfect expression of Bali’s enduring serenity. The huge water temple dating from Thursday, Oct. 8: Fly to Bali, a First Look of Ubud 1634, is surrounded by a wide moat; stroll through the inner Drive to Surabaya Airport to take the morning flight (about courtyards and admire the multitiered shrines. The Alas two hours) to Denpasar Airport, followed by the hour-long Kedaton Temple is similarly peaceful, situated in the midst of drive to our hotel, a tranquil oasis on one of Ubud’s main green forest. Tanah Lot Temple is one of the most important streets. The hotel began as a residence for artists specializing sea temples; although largely reconstructed, it is nonetheless in contemporary art. Relax by the pool this afternoon or head a spectacular sight, perched on a rock surrounded by the out on Monkey Forest Road, lined with boutiques.