Bali: Culture and Adventure (Older Teens)

Rustic Pathways Program Leaders supervise students from the moment staff meet them at Denpasar airport until they depart for their flight home. Program Leaders travel with the group throughout, alongside English-speaking local guides.

• A median student-to-staff ratio of 1 staff member for every 4.37 students, never exceeding 7:1.
• Program Leaders are housed on site and available overnight.
• Two-Deep Leadership: No staff member is ever alone one-on-one with a student.
• Each student has a personal check-in with a Program Leader within 24 hours of arrival.
• Families receive a Safe Arrival email within 12 hours of arrival in Indonesia.
• Program Leaders go through a four-month selection process of vetting, training and evaluation, and all hold current CPR and First Aid certification.

Both sessions are open to you. Choose the July 5 – 14 session (ages 14 to 18) if you want to travel with high school students; see Bali: Culture and Adventure. Choose this June 28 – July 7 session if you are graduating or already in college, or if you have traveled with Rustic Pathways before and want a group at your stage. Our admissions team can help you decide.

Bali is 12 hours ahead of New York in summer.

• After the final scheduled activity of the day, students have their phones, subject to quiet-hours and lights-out rules.
• Non-emergency concerns: contact the Program Leader using the details provided before departure.
• Routine help: call +1 440-975-9691, Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET.
• Emergencies: use the 24/7 number in your pre-departure materials.

If a student has an urgent, medical, or significant personal need during activities, a Program Leader helps them contact home.

Parents receive daily photo updates by email. Rustic Pathways’ average parent-notification time in an emergency is 27 minutes.

Most students join on their own, and some join with friends or siblings. Roommate requests are accepted during enrollment for students coming together. Program Leaders run icebreakers on day one, and friendships form quickly.

Cancellations within 24 hours of enrollment receive a refund of all amounts paid to Rustic Pathways.

Cancellations before midnight ET on March 31, 2027, receive a full refund of the program tuition. The enrollment fee and any airfare already booked become non-refundable.

For cancellations after March 31, 2027, see the enrollment terms.

If your family experiences a serious, documented emergency, contact us. We review these situations on a case-by-case basis.

Yes. Students room with same-gender peers, and Rustic Pathways Program Leaders are housed on site and available overnight. At Rumah Desa in Tabanan, students sleep in gender-separated communal sleeping areas.

Everyone meets the group at Denpasar (DPS). There is no group flight: all students book their own flights, arrive within the published arrival window, and are met at the airport by Program Leaders. Rustic Pathways students travel to Bali from all over the world, and no route is the standard one.

Coming from the United States there is no nonstop, so expect one or two connections through an Asian hub and roughly 22 to 28 hours in transit. Coming home you cross the date line the other way and land the same calendar day you leave Bali. From Australia, Singapore, Hong Kong or the Gulf the trip is far shorter and often nonstop.

International airfare is not included in program tuition. After enrollment, our Personal Travel Advisors can help with booking and logistics wherever you are flying from.

Whichever option you choose, Rustic Pathways staff meet every student at Denpasar airport on the arrival date and see them off on the departure date.

There is no chaperoned group flight on this program.

Option 1: independent flights with support

Cost: Flight Support Fee, plus airfare.

• You choose the flights and Rustic Pathways books them, into and out of Denpasar (DPS).
• Students fly on their own, and you get 24/7 travel support if plans change.

Option 2: book your own flights

Cost: No Rustic Pathways fee, just airfare.

• Your family books and manages the flights, into and out of Denpasar (DPS).
• Students fly on their own. Changes and rebooking are between your family and the airline.

Arrival and departure windows

Students land within the arrival window and leave within the departure window, about four hours each. Your Personal Travel Advisor shares the exact times before you book. Flights outside the windows carry an additional fee.

Dates on this page run from the day students leave the U.S. to the day the group leaves Bali. Students land in Denpasar two days after they leave the U.S.

All students fly independently, so book flights that arrive and leave on these dates. Flight times can change, so contact your Personal Travel Advisor before you book.

At Denpasar airport (DPS). Program Leaders meet students there on the arrival date, and the program ends there on the departure date.

US citizens need a visa on arrival for Indonesia, bought at Denpasar or online beforehand. Passports must have at least six months validity. Other passports: check yours on Indonesia’s official e-Visa site. International visitors to Bali also pay the Bali Tourist Levy of IDR 150,000, which can be paid before departure on the official Love Bali website.

The enrollment fee is a one-time fee, separate from tuition, covering enrollment, pre-departure advising, and trip planning. It begins at $100 and increases closer to the departure date. The enrollment fee is refundable for cancellations within 24 hours.

Yes. Rustic Pathways offers a 4-Pay payment plan that splits program tuition into four payments over six weeks. This plan is only available for enrollments more than 90 days before departure and only for U.S. bank accounts.

Need-based financial aid and merit scholarships are also available. Explore scholarships and financial aid.

Rustic Pathways requires every participant to carry medical insurance with coverage in the destination country. Travel insurance is separate, is not included in program tuition, and is strongly recommended rather than required. Rustic Pathways recommends Arch RoamRight.

$150 to $200 per week is recommended for shopping, snacks, or souvenirs. Meals, scheduled activities, and gratuities are included in program tuition. Bali uses the Indonesian rupiah, and cards are accepted in Sanur and Ubud.

All Program Leaders hold current CPR and First Aid certification, and the nearest medical facilities are mapped for every major program location.

Denpasar has international-standard hospitals, including BIMC and Siloam, roughly 30 minutes from Sanur and under two hours from Ubud.

Students have free time in Sanur and Ubud to explore and shop.

Students must stay in groups of at least three, and Program Leaders set boundaries and a meeting place and time. A staff member stays at the meeting point at all times while others patrol and monitor the area.

Everything else is structured activities.

At night, students stay in their rooms with their roommates. Program Leaders are housed on site and conduct nightly room checks.

Rustic Pathways programs follow the Trip Before Scroll policy. Program staff store phones and smart devices securely during daytime programming and hand them back after the final scheduled activity. Students keep their devices overnight, subject to quiet-hours and lights-out rules.

Students keep their devices on travel days, and medical and accessibility exceptions apply. Read the device policy and contact arrangements.

Wi-Fi is available at most hotels, but signal strength and speeds can vary in more rural areas. Mobile coverage in Sanur and Ubud is generally good, and hotels provide Wi-Fi. Connectivity may be patchy during the village stay at Rumah Desa and on Mount Batur before dawn.

Rustic Pathways welcomes all students and works with families to provide appropriate support. Learn about Rustic Pathways’ inclusion policy.

The group is limited to 22 students, ages 17 to 20.

Yes. Non-U.S. students can join this program. Rustic Pathways alumni come from 53 countries. Like every student on this program, international students book their own flights to Denpasar (DPS) to arrive within the designated arrival window for their session.

Rustic Pathways staff meet them at the airport and ensure safe departure within the designated window at the end of the program.

Visa requirements depend on the passport, so ask an advisor.

Hotels in Sanur, Ubud and Kuta, and one night at Rumah Desa in Tabanan, a working Balinese house compound rather than a hotel. The village night is the simplest accommodation on the program.

Yes. Vegetarian, vegan, pescatarian, gluten-free, dairy-free, and other diets, plus common food allergies can be accommodated. Dietary needs and allergy information are collected after enrollment and shared with meal providers and project partners in advance.

Vegetarian and vegan are easy in Bali, as much of Balinese cooking is already plant-based. Shrimp paste (terasi), peanuts, garlic, ginger, and onions are common in Balinese cooking. If a student has an allergy or aversion to any of these, tell us early so we can plan alternative meals.

Yes. The itinerary may change due to weather, safety concerns, transportation issues, or site availability. Program Leaders may adjust activities and schedules to keep students safe and ensure a positive program experience.