Astungkara Way is one of Bali’s most pioneering tourism initiatives. Starting in November, the team will be launching their hotly anticipated Northwest Bali Trail, which will traverse 16km over 4 days, covering Bali’s real hidden gems.
Astungkara Way’s Northwest Bali Trail starts in Pemuteran and leads all the way to West Bali National Park. The national park is one of the final strongholds of the critically endangered Bali Starling, and is home to some of Bali’s most abundant coral reef ecosystems.
This is the last corner of the island where dry forest, mangrove, coastline and coral still meet, and where farmers and fishers work the same landscape.
The Northwest Bali Trail, like all of Astungkara Way’s trails, trips and farm visits, seeks to give tourists a culturally authentic and deeply meaningful experience, building connections with local people and the living landscape. The Northwest Bali Trail is the first of Astungkara Way’s trails that include the ocean element and is an invitation to experience Bali as few ever do.
Guests on Astungkara Way’s trails are known as pilgrims. These walking routes and experiences are aligned with Balinese philosophies, and as a regenerative tourism initiative, guests are encouraged to slow down, move with great intention, and learn and engage sincerely.
As a regenerative tourism initiative, Astungkara Way aims to give back in highly impactful ways, using tourism as a catalyst for positive change in the lives of local people, local communities, the local landscape, and with local businesses too.
Over the course of the 4-day, 3-night experience, the group of 6-10 pilgrims will enjoy learning about community-led initiatives and tourism, snorkel while learning about reef restoration, take part in ranger-led conservation walk in West Bali National Park, and take part in mangrove planting along the coastline. True to Astungkara Way style, there will be plenty of traditional Balinese food, including a nourishing farm-to-table dinner where pilgrims walk the garden to collect ingredients for the evening’s meal.
The Northwest Bali Trail itinerary offers a rich set of experiences perfectly balanced to keep everyone engaged and active, while offering plenty of time for rest, reflection, and rejuvenation; a core principle of regenerative travel. One of the highlights of the 4-day pilgrimage is meeting Astungkara Way’s multiple community-led collaborative partners.
Astungkara Way is supporting existing initiatives from coral reef restoration to mangrove replanting, and during the trial, pilgrims get to learn firsthand from the local people who are living and breathing this essential environmental work every single day.
Accommodation on the Northwest Bali Trail is both memorable and unique. Pilgrims will spend two nights at Menjangan Ecolodge by Plataran, inside West Bali National Park.
One night will be spent on the hill above Pemuteran, sleeping outdoors on the community’s open platform. Mattress, bedding, pillow, and mosquito net provided; toilets and showers on site.
Astungkara Way has worked with community partners across Bali to build open platforms for other trial routes, and the overnight experiences in these spots are consistently cited as trip highlights for pilgrims.
As a company, Astungkara Way has been named as National Geographic’s Best of the World in wellness by readers. The team is amongst only a handful of businesses in Bali leading the regenerative agriculture and tourism movement since 2020.
Speaking of the Northwest Bali Trail, Astungkara Way founder, Tim Fijal, shared, “I mean, it was time; it’s been since 2020 when we first started designing our cross-Bali trail. It’s been wonderful, but it’s time to expand and connect with new local partners and see new places and terrains in Bali.”
“It’s really special for Astungkara Way because until now we really haven’t had a connection with marine landscapes and coastal areas. So for us this is a really exciting way to explore new connections with the land.”
The Northwest Bali Trail is now taking bookings for November, with a small group of a maximum of 10 guests.
Contact [email protected] for more details, and be sure to follow Astungkara Way on social media and learn more about this impactful project on the website.
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