Helios builds small-group journeys with the villages that host them — treks, craft, and cycling routes where a fixed share of what you spend stays with the people who made the day worth having.
"I didn't want to bring more tourists to Nusa Penida. I wanted to bring the right ones — and make sure the island got to keep what they brought."I Made Jana, Founder
Named for the village where our founder was born, Ampel Experience is the emotional heart of Helios — a cave that predates memory, a cycling route through protected forest, a weaving artisan who still uses natural dyes. Nothing here is performed for a camera.
Goa Gede Trekking — 3–4km, 2–3 hours, difficulty 2 of 5, capped at 20 guests. Here's where the revenue from every booking actually goes:
Villagers now guide full-time — work they used to leave the island to find.
Families currently benefiting directly from Helios operations in Ampel, on the way to 30.
Of every Goa Gede booking goes straight to the community, disclosed on every itinerary.
Home of Ampel Experience
Reef, mangrove, quiet coves
Fishing village pace, tide pools
Where every journey begins
Car-free, horse-cart quiet
Waterfalls, Sasak villages
Standard-market day trips, offered alongside our signature experiences for guests who want classic ground coverage too.
Men Sruti could have taken the same path off the island as her sons. Instead, she taught fourteen guests this year alone.
A cliffside spot nearby photographs beautifully. It's also why we're not building a trail to it — yet.
What it actually took to turn a trekking route into twelve full-time jobs in Ampel.
I Made Jana spent years guiding tourists across Bali while his own village watched the tourism boom happen a twenty-minute drive away. In 2021, he came home and started building something else: routes worth walking, and a business where the money a traveler spends actually stays in the hands that earned it.
"I didn't want to bring more tourists to Nusa Penida. I wanted to bring the right ones."Read the Full Story