Coast to Coast Traverse of Bali

At Much Better Adventures, we work hard to accommodate dietary requirements and allergies so your trip is safe, inclusive, and enjoyable. That said, options can vary by country, location, and lodging, and in some places, options may be limited or unavailable. The information below has been provided by your host so you’re fully informed about what will be possible on your trip depending on your individual requirements. This information should be read carefully before your trip to ensure that you are adequately prepared for the situation ‘on the ground’.

Once you have booked your trip, please fill out your passenger information form asap with any dietary requirements. Once you complete your passenger information, your dietary needs and any allergies are automatically shared with your host and, in turn, your guide. Please submit this as early as possible so they can plan accordingly and deliver the best experience. Please also remind your guide about your dietary requirements upon arrival, as mentioning these in person allows your guide to comprehend individual preferences and limitations as soon as you arrive.

BACKGROUND

Indonesian cuisine reflects the country's extraordinary diversity as an archipelago of over 17,000 islands, shaped by centuries of spice trade, Hindu, Buddhist, and Islamic influences, and a tropical climate that yields rice, vegetables, coconut, and an abundance of fresh produce year-round. Meals vary considerably by region but are typically bold and aromatic, centering on rice accompanied by grilled meats, fish, tempeh, tofu, and rich spice-based sauces, with strong local traditions differing between islands such as Java, Bali, and Sumatra. Vegetarians can generally find workable options given the widespread use of plant-based proteins like tempeh and tofu, though fish-based condiments and meat stocks are common and may not always be obvious. Travelers with specific dietary requirements should expect variable awareness outside tourist areas, and guides can be a vital resource in communicating needs clearly to local cooks and hosts.

SPECIAL DIETS Vegetarian -Vegetarian diets can be catered for on this trip, provided that your host is made aware in advance. Indonesia offers a wide variety of plant-based dishes using tofu, tempeh, vegetables, rice, and noodles. Please note that some dishes may contain fish sauce, shrimp paste, or meat stock, so advance notice is essential.

Vegan -Vegan diets are difficult to cater for on this trip. While your host will do their best to meet these requirements, please be aware that the required produce and ingredients are not abundant in this destination, and you may find the food provided repetitive, as animal-based ingredients such as eggs, shrimp paste, fish sauce, and dairy are commonly used in local cooking and awareness of vegan requirements can vary outside tourist areas.

Please do consider bringing your favorite snacks or food supplements from home to ensure that you always have enough fuel for your adventure.

Kosher -Fully certified Kosher kitchens and supervision are rare and usually cannot be guaranteed unless expressly confirmed in advance by your host. Vegetarian or vegan options can often be the most reliable alternative if this is acceptable to you. The Host is unable to guarantee a separate, certified cooking/preparation area or the use of certified kosher products. They can, however, provide meals that exclude non-Kosher ingredients (such as pork and shellfish) and avoid mixing meat and dairy.

Halal -Halal diets can be catered for on this trip, provided that your host is made aware in advance. Indonesia has the world's largest Muslim population, and Halal food is widely available in many parts of the country. However, availability may vary in Bali and some international tourism areas where non-Halal options are also common.

INTOLERANCES

Gluten Free -Gluten-free diets are difficult to cater for on this trip. While your host will do their best to meet these requirements, please be aware that the required produce and ingredients are not abundant in this destination, and you may find the food provided repetitive. Wheat-based noodles, soy sauce, fried foods, and cross-contamination are common in local kitchens, although rice-based meals are widely available.

Please do consider bringing your favorite snacks or food supplements from home to ensure that you always have enough fuel for your adventure.

Lactose Free -Lactose-free diets can be catered for on this trip, provided that your host is made aware in advance. Many traditional dishes are naturally lactose-free or can easily be prepared without dairy, such as grilled meats, rice, and vegetable dishes though eggs are common.

ALLERGIES

Our host has confirmed that provision for certain mild and severe or life-threatening food allergies on this trip may be unreliable. Please get in touch with our Customer Experience team before booking to discuss whether your requirements can be accommodated safely on this trip.

This will allow us to carefully consider the sensitivity and severity of your allergy, the available provision on the trip, and the accessibility of medical care should a reaction occur. Your safety is always our top priority. Please note that when traveling overseas, local ingredients, food preparation methods, and labeling standards may vary, particularly in remote areas. It is also worth noting that any allergies may result in more limited options and repetitive provision in some areas. While your guide will help communicate dietary requirements where possible, customers remain responsible for managing their own allergies during the trip.

Peanuts, tree nuts, shellfish, soy, and egg are commonly used in Indonesian cooking, often in sauces or as garnishes. Cross-contamination risk can be significant in local kitchens and street-food environments. Clear labeling cannot always be guaranteed.

Our long-term partner and host in Indonesia developed this route to create a coast to coast trail from the south to the north of Bali island, visiting rural communities along the way. The terrain is varied as you trek through rice paddies, jungles, and volcanic foothills. The environment throughout is lush and green, with numerous waterfalls dotting the route. In many places along this route, you won’t find another tourist at all. Your host designed the route to get away from Bali's busier side and to help benefit local communities on the island. Most Bali trips concentrate on the south, east, or north of the island. This coast-to-coast trail delves into the lesser-visited west, doing something very fresh and new, as well as offering an insight into how ordinary people live in the villages, day by day.

You can read more about the route, the environment, and the communities you'll pass through in our article The New 62-Mile Coast to Coast Hiking Route Across Bali.

No. You'll need to have a larger bag suitable for all your belongings which will be transported for you, and then a small daypack to carry personal items during each day of hiking.

Clean drinking water will be provided throughout. Please pack your own reusable bottle; it will be well used.

Your luggage can stay with you for the whole trip and will be transported for you. You won't return to the same hotel you stay at on the first night of the trip, so it's not feasible to leave luggage there to return to collect. Your host can store your additional luggage at their office if you request this in advance.

The majority of the trail is doable throughout the April-October season with no deviations needed. The exception is for the Batukaru climb on Day 6. This will involve your guide checking the weather forecast to determine that conditions are okay to tackle the climb. Storms or heavy rains can make the climb conditions unfavorable, so an alternative route will be taken that day in this eventuality. Similarly, occasionally the authorities have been known to close Mount Batukaru to trekkers for religious ceremonies with very little prior notice, in which case an alternative trek will be planned.

There is a guide throughout the coast-to-coast trek who will lead most of the trekking sections. Additional specialist trekking guides will join the group on certain sections from the local communities along the route. This gives the trek a proper local insight and helps benefit the communities along the route.

All trips operate in line with our Animal Welfare Policy [https://help.muchbetteradventures.com/en-us/animal-welfare-policy] therefore we don't include visits to any centers/sanctuaries that may fail to meet these welfare standards.

Can I experience Luwak coffee on this tour?

During the trek, your guide will take you through local coffee plantations and share insights into Bali's coffee production traditions — but we don't include a visit to a Luwak coffee plantation. Kopi Luwak is made from coffee cherries eaten by Asian palm civets, with the beans collected from their droppings, then cleaned, roasted, and brewed. The process produces a smooth, rich, low-bitterness coffee — but it comes with welfare concerns. Many plantations keep civets in cramped, stressful caging conditions, and claims of wild-sourced beans are difficult to verify. For this reason, we've chosen not to include Luwak coffee experiences on our tours. If you'd like to visit a plantation independently, we'd encourage you to ask staff directly whether their civets are wild or farmed, and to trust your instincts if the conditions don't feel right.

A note on Turtle Conservation Centers

Turtle Conservation Centers vary widely in their standards, and not all prioritize animal welfare. Before visiting any center, we'd encourage you to speak with your guide or host — they can give you a clearer picture of how a specific site operates, so you can make a decision you feel good about. As with all wildlife experiences on our trips, we're committed to responsible wildlife watching, and we want every encounter with nature to be one that leaves both you and the animals better off.

Sure can! Over 70% of our travellers travel solo, it’s a great way to meet like-minded people.

Our team of Adventure Hunters co-create exclusive adventures which are run by highly vetted, specialist hosts. The trip is run by our trusted host partner in the destination. We only work with independent, local, in-destination experts who know the very best places to explore and how to stay safe. Read more information about the local teams we partner with. You’ll be introduced to the host straight after making a booking via the Much Better Adventures platform.

Much Better Adventures refer to the UK Government’s official travel advice when designing trips and monitoring trip operations. We recommend that all customers review the practical information available on the UK Government’s FCDO website, where you can find up-to-date advice by searching for your destination(s).

If you are based in the United States, you can also check the latest travel advisories from the U.S. Department of State.

For customers joining from other international locations, we recommend checking the official travel advice issued by your country of residence, as guidance may vary.

We recommend checking out the country-specific information and also talking to a travel nurse.

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All of our group adventures are specially designed for adults to enjoy as we want these adventures to bring together outdoorsy people who are truly like-minded. You must be over 18 to join one of our trips.

You're always in good company on one of our adventures.

Our trips typically consist of a mix of solo travelers and small groups of 2 or 3 friends, with most in their 30s-50s.

Our sociable adventures are solo-friendly by design and naturally attract outdoorsy people with a shared mindset; a love for adventure, a desire to push themselves, and meet awesome, like-minded people along the way.

It’s this camaraderie that has so often turned a great adventure into a life-changing one.

Don't just take our word for it:

• 95% of people rate the group dynamics on our trips 5/5
• 90% of people recommend joining a trip to make new friends
• 75% of people have met people on our trips that they would now consider friends

See here for more info about the Much Better Adventures tribe.

Indonesia is positioned on both sides of the equator, so it has a similar climate year-round with average temperatures between 75°F and 95°F. Indonesia's dry season (from mid-April to November) is when the conditions are ripe for trekking. From December to March, the rains come which make the trails less than desirable and potentially unsafe to hike on, so no trips are run during these months.