If Bali is high on your bucket list, check these Crystal deals

Four new Crystal  Cruises will feature Bali as a destination both on land and at sea in autumn 2014 and early winter 2015. Complementing local overnights onboard Crystal Symphony are a bevy of native dancers, an Emmy award-winning Bali anthropologist and filmmaker, and arguably the island’s most renowned traditional chef.  

Departing November 24, December 7, and January 5 and 17, each new 12- to 14-night itinerary also calls in several other Indonesian ports while sailing between Bali and Singapore, and includes visits to Australia and south-east Asia, depending on the cruise. Limited time “Book Now” fares offer up to £1,313 in savings on the voyages.

The expanded onboard programming includes:

·    Heinz von Holzen - a local chef and author behind the island’s only authentic Balinese cuisine restaurant, bringing onboard his latest modern-meets-traditional recipes to share via hands-on cooking classes, demonstrations, a guest chef dinner for all and a limited-availability Vintage Room dinner featuring multiple courses of the secret dishes, each perfectly paired with rare wines. (January 5 sailing only.)

·    Dr Lawrence Blair - the Bali resident and anthropological expert will share personal tales from his Emmy Award-winning PBS series and book Ring of Fire, which explores the region’s volcanic eruptions, gypsy pirates, man-eating animals (and people) and Blair’s own homesteading in a Balinese village. (All voyages.)

·    Local Kecak dancers - an ancient tradition, featuring a group of approximately 100 men clad in checked waist-cloths depicting the epic Hindu battle of Ramayana via native dance, chanting and music. (All voyages.)

Ashore, guests can ride an elephant through the forest, step inside temples once reserved only for the rajas, learn how traditional batik and other crafts are made, visit local villages and residences, taste and make even more traditional dishes, view volcano vistas and rice paddies and experience other ancient stories through music, such as a Barong dance.

Until the August 30  “Book Now” deadline, all-inclusive cruise fares for the Bali sailings start at £2,191 per person, with special perks and offers available for solo cruisers and families sailing with children under 17. Shorter “Getaway” segments are also available on the 2014 sailings for those with less time.

Crystal’s passion for taking care of guests in an inviting environment of extraordinary space, quality and choices has earned the company more “World’s Best” awards than any other cruise line, resort, or hotel in history. 

For further information and reservations please call Crystal Cruises on 020 7399 7601 or visit www.crystalcruises.co.uk

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