The
adventure of a lifetime is just around the corner, and thirty-five
lucky travelers will
head off to the tiny island of Bali, where will participate in
the first ever “Eat, Pray, Love Bali,” trip organized by Spirit
Quest Tours, a boutique spiritual tour company based in Las
Vegas, NV. Elizabeth Gilbert’s 2006 best-selling book, Eat, Pray, Love, is the creative force behind the upcoming
Spirit Quest
Tours.
Like the book,
Spirit Quest Tours has created a respite full of
eating, praying and loving. The “eat” part is
simple with both Italian and Balinese food. “Bali
food is so wonderful,” Spirit Quest Tours’ founder
Greg Roach said. Praying is also incorporated as it
is always an integral part of the tour. “We teach
everyone how Balinese Hindus pray, and offer
meditation and yoga.”
When it comes to
Love, never doubt the power of numbers when one sees
the Kecak dance. This popular Balinese dance
requires 100 shirtless men in sarongs to form a
multi-layered circle, simulating fire and wind while
chanting simultaneously with one huge voice. The
emotion and mood during the Kecak dance is hot,
literally, as some include the man in the middle of
the circle playing Hanuman, the monkey god, dancing
over fire.
All those single
ladies out there looking for the promise of Love,
start doing your dance because, “Bali is about
love,” Roach says. Will all the singles on this tour
go home with the love of their life, as Gilbert
did? Roach laughs. “We don’t make any guarantees!”
After a long evening chanting “cak-cak-cak” no one
will sleep in little cottages, like the book
depicts. Instead Spirit Quest Tours’ guests will
notice the biggest difference between the book and
life in the accommodations, with a four star
experience.
In Ubud, the
artistic center of Bali, guests will stay at the
Alila Hotel, featuring a stunning infinity pool
overlooking the rice paddies, in an eco-friendly
room with a private outdoor shower and even an iPod
and dock to use on their stay. Guests will visit
local temples, including the famous Taneh Lot, and
enjoy spa treatments. Spirit Quest Tours
encourages traditional sightseeing, including
shopping with local artisans, a torch-lit dinner on
the beach, and a farewell evening with traditional
Balinese dances, such as the Kecak. Bali guests will
also have the opportunity to meet the true catalyst
behind Eat, Pray and Love, Ketut Liyer. An
authentic shaman, “He did palm readings, and he kept
telling everyone they would live to be 100.” Maybe
100 will be your magic number in Bali.