VANCOUVER — Since 1978, Bestway Tours and Safaris has been a leading cultural tour operator offering tours that bridge cultural divides through people-to-people contact.
For 2014 the operator has organized a number of journeys exploring the vast diversity of Indonesia.
“With 17,508 islands, a journey to Indonesia is an experience of a vast kaleidoscope featuring a rich ethnic, religious and cultural diversity, which can hardly be rivaled by any country on earth. Our Indonesian Journeys have been tailored to take you across a part of this huge archipelago to experience diverse nature, history, beliefs, traditions and cuisine. All our tours are commissionable to travel agents,” said Mahmood Poonja, Chief Explorer of Bestway Tours.
Isles of Indonesia starts in Medan on the island of Sumatra and explores Lake Toba, a former super-volcano that is now inhabited by the Batak people. Next guests travel to Borneo to observe orangutans in the conservation sanctuaries in Tanjung Puting National Park, including the renowned Camp Leakey. Tour members then head to Java to enjoy the rich cultural life of Yogyakarta and visit the nearby UNESCO World Heritage Sites of Borobudur and Prambanan. The tour then heads to Sulawesi Island, where guests will interact with the Toraja people, famous for their unique architecture and elaborate funeral rites. The journey concludes on the island of Bali. Guests also have options to visit Komodo Island to see the renowned Komodo ‘dragons’ firsthand, or extend their stay on the island of Bali to enjoy some of the world’s most beautiful beaches. With a minimum tour size of two participants (max 10) the tour costs from US$3,565 and includes all domestic land transportation, first class hotels, 38 meals, entrance fees and services of a local English-speaking guide. Airfares are extra. Departures this year are April 20, June 15 Aug, 3 and Sept. 14 with five departures for 2015 already set.
Indonesia’s Sulawesi & New Guinea (Papua)
explores living prehistoric cultures. This 10-day escorted tour visits the Toraja people with their unique architecture and elaborate funeral rites on the island of Sulawesi, followed by an exploration of the Baliem Valley, located in the Central Highlands of New Guinea, with visits to the Dani people, whose culture is still in the Stone Ages. With daily departure (seasonal limitations from November to February) the group sizes are as small as two and a maximum of 10 persons. Tour cost of US$2,595 includes all land transportation, first class hotels, 27 meals, entrance fees and services of a local English-speaking guide. Airfares are extra.
Kalimantan & Bali’s Heritage
is a 10-day, fully escorted tour specially tailored to include Borneo’s famous orangutan conservation sanctuaries in Tanjung Puting National Park, including the renowned Camp Leakey, on board a traditional ‘klotok’ boat. The second portion of this tour focuses on Bali’s unique heritage, touring legendary Hindu temples, rice terraces and witnessing some of Bali’s famous performing arts with time to relax on Bali’s beautiful beaches. A small group departure limited to 10 persons, this tour departs every Monday. Tour cost starts from US$2,125 and includes all domestic land transportation, deluxe hotels, 13 meals, entrance fees and services of a local English-speaking guide.
For tour details, view: bestway.com/countries/indonesia.php, call 1-800-663-0844 or e-mail: bestway@bestway.com for a print copy of the brochure. An online version of the brochure is available at bestway.com/ebrochures/.
