Midwifery in Bali and Lombok
About the tour
Experience lesser-travelled Bali and Lombok on this bespoke midwifery study tour. Explore the beauty of the region, where temples and shrines nestle amongst emerald-green rice terraces, magnificent Mt Rinjani towers above pristine gilis (islands) and spirituality infuses everyday life.
The midwifery visits provide real insight into midwifery, childcare and health provision in Bali and Lombok. After independence, the Indonesians largely followed the Dutch model, where trained, qualified midwives provided the majority of health care and support to mothers. After a period when childbirth became more medicalised, the midwifery profession has since grown and developed. There are now over 200,000 midwives across Indonesia. The village midwife (bidan desa) is the backbone of maternity care in Indonesia, linking traditional midwives (dukuns) with the centralised maternity hospitals.
The study tour includes a wide range of visits including to the Midwifery Association of Bali, a teaching hospital, clinic, NGOs, a local hospital in Lombok that provides both public and private midwifery care, and a traditional birth attendant in Lombok. Through meetings, talks, a seminar and visits, this tour will provide a unique educational opportunity to learn about midwifery within different cultures in Bali and Lombok.
Download our brochure Midwifery in Bali and Lombok Book now
Your tour leader
Allison Cummins
Allison Cummins is a high-profile academic who is passionate about education and research. Allison is Associate Professor in Midwifery at the University of Newcastle; in her role as Lead in Midwifery she has implemented a new, innovative curriculum and increased the visibility of the profession of midwifery.
Allison has built a body of research around midwifery models of care and graduate transitions. Her reputation in this area has led to international research opportunities attracting funding and invited keynote addresses. Her current projects focus on the experience of women during the pandemic based on models of maternity care, outcomes for women with anxiety and depression who receive midwifery continuity of care, and evaluating innovative midwifery models of care known as midwifery antenatal and postnatal services (MAPS.) Allison has over 50 publications including peer reviewed high ranking journal articles and book chapters and has co-edited two books. Her latest book Stories in Midwifery is an insightful interactive multi-media learning resources for provides students and midwives alike.
Allison is an elected Midwifery Director on the Board for the Australian College of Midwives, the peak professional body for midwives. Internationally, Allison is a member of the Trans-Tasman Midwifery Education Consortium and the Quality Maternal Newborn Care Alliance. Allison is an Associate Editor of the midwifery journal Women and Birth International (WOMBI) that publishes relevant research on all matters that affect women and birth. WOMBI is ranked the number one midwifery journal in the world and the tenth for nursing and midwifery.
Need more information?
- Tel: (Toll Free) 1-8777-398-764
- Mon-Fri: 9am-5pm
Itinerary at a glance
- Day 1: Sanur (Sun, 2 June) Arrive and transfer to your hotel on the coast in Sanur. Meet with the tour leader and group. Enjoy a welcome dinner in the evening.
- Day 2: Sanur (Mon, 3 June) Meet with the Midwives Association of Bali for an overview of midwifery in Indonesia at the Politeknik Kesehatan Kartini Bali. Take a tour of the campus and learn about their Gentle Birth Method.
- Day 3: Sanur (Tues, 4 June) Return to the Politeknik Kesehatan Kartini Bali and learn about their peer-to-peer learning program. Visit a large tertiary referral teaching hospital that partners with Udayana University and provides midwifery degrees. The hospital is known for its strong teamwork with doctors and philosophy of ‘tat twam tasi’ or ‘treat someone as you want to be treated.’
- Day 4: Sanur (Wed, 5 June) Visit Rumah Sehat Madani Clinic in Denpasar, which provides maternal and general healthcare to disadvantaged families. Visit Yayasana Rama Sesana to meet their team of skilled educators comprising doctors, nurses, midwives and outreach workers, dedicated to the task of improving the health of low income women in Bali through education.
- Day 5: Sanur / Ubud (Thurs, 6 June) Take part in a cycle ride* on a route with beautiful ricefield views. See a sacred village temple, traditional Balinese compounds and an 11th century temple used for special ceremonies and deep meditation. * Those not wishing to cycle will make an alternative visit and meet the group for lunch. Enjoy a traditional homemade lunch in a local home before being transferred back to the hotel. Check into the hotel. Luggage is transferred directly to Ubud.
- Day 6: Ubud (Fri, 7 June) Full day visit to the NGO Yayasan Bumi Sehat, which provides holistic health care at their Community Health and Education and Childbirth Centres. Learn about their work providing holistic medicine, pre- and post-natal care, breastfeeding support, infant, child and family health services, nutritional education, pre-natal yoga and ‘gentle, loving natural birth services.’ Option to see traditional Balinese dance.
- Day 7: Ubud (Sat, 8 June) Walk through the Monkey Forest before driving the short distance to Ubud Palace and the local market. Explore central Ubud and at leisure.
- Day 8: Ubud / Lombok (Sun, 9 June) Drive to the port and take the morning ferry to Lombok. Arrive and transfer to the hotel.
- Day 9: Lombok (Mon, 10 June) Full day trip to visit Gili Sudak – a small island off the coast, away from the tourist trail. It provides good amenities, including a restaurant, with options to relax on unspoiled beaches and go snorkelling.
- Day 10: Lombok (Tues, 11 June) Visit Kebon Roek Market and an NGO involved in midwifery practice and comparative midwifery data. Following lunch, visit the Permata Hati Hospital.
- Day 11: Lombok (Wed, 12 June) Full day trip to east Lombok for views of Mount Rinjani. Take a walk in the paddy fields and see cultivation of local spices and fruits. Visit a local clinic in Kotaraja and meet a traditional birth attendant. Buffet lunch at the weavers’ cooperative and see rattan basketry. Return to the hotel and take part in a Midwifery Seminar Bali and Lombok – ‘Comparative Midwifery in Indonesia’.
- Day 12: Lombok / Sanur (Thurs, 13 June) Drive to the port and take the morning ferry to Bali. Arrive and transfer to the hotel. ‘Lessons Learnt’ meeting.
- Day 13: Sanur (Fri, 14 June) Depart Bali.
Tour cost
The cost of the tour is AUD $3,448 per person sharing. The cost with a room to yourself is AUD $4,088 (excluding international flights and transfers)