You are in Bali but actually would like to see impressive sights in East Java too? Below we give five examples of possible tours to East Java. It is both possible to go back to Bali or to go to Surabaya (or another city/village on your route).
You want to see the famous Ijen Plateau and the colourful lake at Kawah Ijen, but time is scarse? Just 2 days and 1 night might do it for you…
Do you want to visit the crater Ijen and it’s Plateau in a relaxed pace? Take a three days tour.
Visit two great volcanoes in one tour. A sea of colours at the volcano Ijen and one of the most impressive sights of Indonesia; Bromo’s landscape.
The Ijen Plateau with it’s coffee plantation, factories, strawberries, home indurstry, hot springs and much more is worth extra days in East Java.
Four highlights in just one tour: mt Ijen, the protected Sukamade turtle beach, Kalibaru plantations and the breathtaking landscape of mt Bromo.
You didn’t find the tour that you like, because an item that your realy want to visit is not included? Please contact us, to discuss the possibities.
A question that Victor Mason, one of the organizers of the bird walk tour, might ask you is: ‘Are you a keen bird watcher?’
If the answer is Yes then you will have a grand time, if it is No then a whole new world called ‘Bali bird watching’ will open to you…
Together with his fellow bird watchers, Wayan Sumadi (known as Su) and Pink, Victor Mason organizes bali bird watching tours around Ubud on Tuesdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays morning.
However if you want it any other day or you want to do bali bird watching in other parts of Bali then that can all be arranged as well.
The people of the Bali Bird Walk know the island in and out and have been doing bird watching for more than 15 years.
So trust me, these are the guys you want to go along if you want to see birds you wouldn’t otherwise have seen or heard about.
I myself have hardly any experience with bird watching. I even had a hard time adjusting the binoculars I borrowed from Pink 😉
But within minutes I felt the same excitement as my fellow bird watchers when we spotted our first birds.
Victor Mason, Pink and their companion Umron the dog, took us along the main street of Ubud and into the rice fields. And almost after every couple of meters there was another bird that we could check-off on our list.
All kinds of bird names were mentioned which I could not even remember afterwards.
Luckily at the beginning of the walk everybody was handed out a list of all the birds we might see and with everybody’s help we could proudly say that we saw more than 30 types of Bali birds….
Of course we saw all the different birds with much help of Pink and Victor. It was amazing how they were able to spot the tiniest bird or to hear them coming from far away.
Every now and then you will see Victor cupping his ear with one hand and listening for a sound. Then within seconds the bird he heard coming from a distance would be flying passed us.
Pink on the other hand is amazingly good with spotting the birds sitting in trees more than 10m away!
Besides their wonderful Bali bird watching skills, they are also great fun. Victor Mason has lived in Bali for many years but he has definitely not lost his English wit. He makes you chuckle throughout the tour 🙂
As for Pink, he is originally from Ubud but his English is excellent. He knows everything you want to know about Bali, Ubud and of course the Bali Birds.
On top of that he is a painter and has created many beautiful paintings on birds, butterflies and insects.
Unfortunately I was not able to meet Su, but hopefully I will have another opportunity soon to meet her. But from the stories I’ve heard, she is just as great as the other two.
The Bali bird watching tour starts at 9.00 o’clock in the morning and takes about 3 hours.
However when walking around searching for birds and also checking out the many butterflies and various plants (Victor and Pink seem to know all of them as well) we kind of lost notion of time.
So at the end we were having lunch at 15.00 instead of 12.00 as planned. O well, we are in Bali were everything is much more relaxed than at home…
Lunch is included in the price. It’s in a beautiful restaurant above the Campuhan river.
And like the whole tour, it is all very informal and we were able to order whatever we wanted from the menu.
It was a great ending of a wonderful day…
I really had fun and I highly recommend this tour to anybody who wants to stroll around the rice fields while seeing the colorful Bali Birds.
And if you are an enthusiastic bird watcher already, then this will be the best opportunity to share your passion with others.
As mentioned above the Bali bird watching tour takes about 3 to 5 hours and costs US $33 incl big lunch. You should take a hat with you as it can get really hot when walking in the rice fields. And some extra water which always comes in handy…
Every evening around 17.00 thousands of herons gather together at Petulu.
Petulu is a tiny village set within the rice fields just north of Ubud and with the herons returning each day, its street are pretty much covered with bird droppings…
Ok that might be a bit of an exaggeration, but once the birds are in the tree you should not stand under them too long…
Nevertheless, it is a remarkable sight to see the white herons flying in. They all settle in the big trees along the road and stay there throughout the night.
To be honest, we did expect them to come flying in together in one large group, but after 17.00 they gradually show up and only after 18.00 are the trees filled with them.
When you arrive at Petulu for a Bali bird watching experience, you will be stopped by a village member who will ask for a donation. You’ll get a folder with information on the birds.
There are three types of herons at Petulu: the Egret which is totally white, the Cattle Egret which is slightly smaller and has a brown neck and finally the Javan Pond Heron.This is the smallest of the three and it has a black patch on his neck.
The villagers value the return of the herons every day. The herons started to arrive in the village in 1965 right after the ending of a large ceremony which was held in the village temple.
Because of the timing of the birds arrival, the villagers consider them a blessing from the Gods. Now ceremonies are held to honor them.
When considering the location of the village, Petulu is also ideal located for the birds.
The surrounding area is covered with rice fields and trees, creating an ideal place for the birds to find insects, little frogs, eels and to create suitable nests.
On the south side of the village there is a look-out point ideal for some bali bird watching. It is easy to find, as a sign next to road mentions: “the best place to see the herons”.
The little wooden house is in the middle of a rice-field from which you can see the herons arriving.
The little old lady running the place sells all kind of cold drinks so you’ll be comfortable during the whole spectacle.
The Best of East Java Eco Tours, starting from Bali to Ijen Crater Tours & Mount Bromo Tours in east java java Tours
Day 01 BALI – IJEN CRATER TOURS Starting from Bali then take you to Java Island, and then across the Bali strait by ferry. and lunch will be served at local restaurant on the way. and then city tour in Banyuwangi. End of the afternoon drive up to Hotel for over night staying at Ketapang Area (L,D)
Day 02 IJEN CRATER TOURS– KALIBARU HIGHLAND TOURS Early morning At 5 am we drive a short to the active beautiful crater of ijen Crater volcano ( 2 hours walking ) with its famous blue acid lake ( actually the most acid in the world ) and the hot partly liquid sulphur deposit .The dumorales are so hot that sulphur come out as green vapour. The vapour is collected by large pipe at the excite of which its condenses , forming red rivulets of liquid sulphur than freeze to solid deposit are carried to obtain huge block of pure sulphur with primitive , healthy devastating method and incredibly hard job .After observation time we leave Ijen plateau and drive down to an area close to Kalibaru, in the very heart of various plantations. Stay overnight and Dinner will be your personal cost (B,L,)
Day 03 KALIBARU HIGHLAND – MOUNT BROMO TOURS After breakfast in your hotel and enjoy free program till time to continue our trip to Mount Bromo Tours We will pass cold area with natural view of green hill, From Kalibaru to Mount Bromo area will take about 4-5hours including stop on the way for having lunch at local restaurant. Upon arrival in Mt. Bromo, you will stay at Mount Bromo Area where overlooking to the actives volcano of Mount Bromo Area, Enjoy your night with the Bromo View (B,L,D)
Day 04 MOUNTAIN BROMO TOURS – SURABAYA Early morning At 4 am the 4WD jeep will bring you to the world’s most famous view point at Mount pananjakan on the rim of the Tengger caldera to see sunrise with its young volcanic including Mount Bromo and an active Mount Semeru in the back ground is breathtaking the play light shadow with sunrise reach Mountain succession from the top to the bottom and the usual fog of the caldera. Afterward the adventure be continued to an active Mount Bromo volcano by horse riding. About at 08:00, the 4 WD will bring you back to the hotel for breakfast, preparing for checking out hotel then transfer out to Surabaya. We will leave Mt. Bromo about at 09:00 or 10:00 to Surabaya and It will take about 3 1/2 hours (B)
Price could be Arranged based on your Budgeting we are very flexible on Price
Price is included of : Pick up service from Bali to ijen ,Bromo Tours & transfer out to Surabaya airport 1 night stay at Ketapang Area 1 night stay at Kalibaru Area 1 Night stay at Bromo Area 4WD jeep for Sunrise tours land Transportation with air-conditioning 3X Breakfast , 3X Lunch, 3X Dinner snack+Fruits+ Mineral Water Horse riding at Bromo’ sea sand All ticket entrance Donation English Speaking guide Travel Insurance Price is Excluded of : Airport tax, bar, laundry, tiping, Phone, Personal Expenses and others
Day 01 BALI TO TURTLE BEACH Starting from Bali drive to East Java Tours, then across the Bali Strait to ketapang by ferry for 45 minutes. You will arrive in the early afternoon and city tours at Banyuwangi to see chiness temple, traditional market and having grilled fresh seafood for dinner at local restaurant where over looking to the beach and then over night stay at Hotel at Ketapang Area(L,D)
Day 02 Ijen Crater Tours– Kalibaru Highland Tours Early morning departure to the Ijen Highlands. From the village of Licin onwards we transfer you to an off road vehicle. It takes approximately one and a half hours to walk the steep path that leads to the crater of Mount Ijen. Ijen Crater is almost 2900 meters high and one of Indonesia’s most impressive volcanoes. It is an unforgettable experience to watch how hundreds of men hauling heavy loads of sulphur that is extracted near the lake inside the crater. after that we will drive down through the tea coffee plantation to Kalibaru Highland and lunch at Local restaurant after arrive at Kalibaru we will Over night stay at Hotel and Diner at hotel (B,L,D)
Day 03 Kalibaru Highland – Turtle Beach After breakfast then We will drive across the extensive plantations of East Java and the mountain range of the Meru Betiri nature reserve to the protected Sukamade ‘Turtle Beach’, a wild 3 kilometers sand strip on the Indian Ocean where 5 species of turtles come ashore to lay their eggs. Stay at the lodge nearby and return to the beach at night for turtle spotting. Conditions here are very basic, but more often than not visitors are lucky enough to come back with an experience that is both unique and bound to become exceedingly rare. Stay overnight and take dinner at the Guest House in Sukamade turtle Island (B,L,D)
Day 04 Turtle Beach – KALIBARU After breakfast in Sukamade turtle beach area then spend the morning for exploring the surroundings of Sukamade. This is an area virtually void of people. Go and take a dip in crystal clear waters of the nearby river. Leave in the early afternoon to be back to Kalibaru or directly to Banyuwangi town before dark. Stay over night Margo Utomo Guest house or Similar hotel in Banyuwangi (B,L,D)
Day 05 Kalibaru Highland– Bali In the morning we will visit the harbor of Muncar, which is filled with hundreds of colourful fishing boats. Return to Banyuwangi and after the ferry crossing, turn southward following the western coast. We take you back to your hotel in Bali or to the airport. (B,L)
Price could be arranged based on your budgeting we are flexible on Price! Price is included of: Pick Up service from Bali to Ijen crater, Turte beach and Kalibaru Return 2 Night Stay at Ketapang Hotel Area 1 Night Stay at Sukamade area 1 ngiht Stay at Kalibaru area Land transportation with Air condition 4 WD JEEP for Bromo Sunrise tours Horse for sea sand and hiking to see crater Breakfast 4X lunch 5X dinner 4X Snack , Fruits and Mineral water entrance tickets Donation English Speaking guide Travel insurance return fery Cost from Bali to Ketapang Price is excluded of: Airport tax, Bar, Laundry, Phone call, Internet, Tipping and other personal expenses
BALI and BALURAN NATIONAL PARK TOUR 3 DAYS/2 NIGHTS DAY-01: BALI-BALURAN NATIONAL PARK Early morning depart from Bali to the western tip of the island to reach Gilimanuk harbor. Board the ferry and cross the Bali strait to Java. An hour drive to Rosa’s Ecolodge located on the border of the 25,000 hectare Baluran National Park at midday. Enjoy lunch time at the Lodge then observe around the area and a visit to the traditional village of Sumberwaru. The walk ends at sunset for a light snack of freshly roasted local corn, coffee and tea while the view is overlooking the village’s rice fields. An early traditional East Javanese dinner served at the lodge before bed. DAY-02: EXPLORING BALI BALURAN NATIONAL PARK Night time safari by 4 wheel drive jeeps commences at 02.00 hours in order to catch the largely nocturnal wildlife of the park including local deer, Javanese wild banteng, wild boar, and wild dogs (couin alpinus). The safari’s route includes a number of eco-systems including a massive savannah, mangrove forests and a beach where you’ll pause at sunrise for early morning coffee and tea. Back to the Ecolodge for a full breakfast and a chance to relax and catch up on your sleep. Day at leisure at the Ecolodge and a chance to further explore the local community. Possibly a request of massage from traditional practitioner in the village or learn a gamelan lesson from a local musician (not included). Lunch with special Javanese BBQ will be served in the coconut grove under the stars and torch lamps. (Note: Optional Bird Watching Expedition can be organized to see the wide range of fowl living in the Park including black mynas, doves, bulbuls, turtle doves, fruit pigeons, egrets, kingfishers, hornbills, nightjar, falcons, peacocks, spangeld drongos, plovers, shrikes and coucals.) DAY-03: BALURAN NATIONAL PARK-BALI After breakfast at the Ecolodge depart by boat to the Bilik area for a swim and morning of relaxation on Bama Beach. Picnic lunch prepared by the Ecolodge’s staff. After lunch, return to the Ecolodge with immediate departure by car back to Bali and an evening arrival back at your hotel in Bali.
The crescent-shaped crater lake of Batur, 1,031 meters above sea level, is seven and a half km long, with a maximum width of two and a half km, and a depth of between 65 and 70 meters. The western side is barren lava rock while the eastern side is lined with trees. The average height of the huge outer rim is around 1,300 meters. Though there are no suface river outlets, the waters of the lake feed underground rivers which emerge as holy springs in the southern part of the island.
Eight villages huddle along its shores: the ancient Bali Aga settlements of Seked, Prajurti, Kedisan, Buahan, Abang, Trunyan, and Songan, and the newer village of Toya Bungkah. These small fishing settlements are characterized by their archaic layout and unusual, fully enclosed, pavilion-style, single-family houses-steep bamboo shingle roofs, low eaves, and walls of clay, mud, brick, woven bamboo matting, or wooden planks. Fish provide most of the protein for these lake dwellers. After your three-km corkscrew descent from Penelokan down to the lake (Rp1000 by bemo, or walk it in 45 minutes), turn left and journey two km on the northwest side of the lake through a strange moonlike landscape. Rivers of black lava, a layer of gravelly volcanic ash, sparse scrub, a few onion fields, and scattered houses now occupy an area where villages stood before the 1926 and 1963 eruptions. After seven km, this switchback, undulating road arrives in Toya Bungkah. The road down from Penelokan ends at an intersection-to the left is the way to Toya Bungkah and to the right is Pelabuhan Kedisan for boats to Trunyan and the villages of Buahan and Abang.
Mt.Batur and Mt.Agung Sunrise Trekking Tour It is once in a life time to experience the early trekking and admire the best sunrise on the Bali”s active Mt.Batur (1717 m above sea level) and Mt.Agung is the highest volcano in Bali.
Itinerary Batur sunrise:
02.00.Hotel pick-up,drive directly to starting point
03.00.Breakfast Banana Pancake with tea or coffee
04.00.From starting point about 2 hours to reach the peak of Mt.Batur accompanied by organization trekking guide
05.00.Stop will be made for short break and drinking water
06.15.Arrive at the peak of Mt.Batur,while waiting the sunrise a packed breakfast will be served with a special volcanic steamed eggs
07.00.Descend the path down to other crater,crater 2 & 3 and last crater erupted on the year of 2000
09.00.Arrive back on the shore of the Lake Batur,drive more further where a stop is made and get cool drink,pick fruitsfrom the trees,enjoy the fresh organic friuts.
10.00.Drive back to the hotel
Rate and Pick-Up Time:
Batur Sunrise Trekking Tour
USD 40/person, minimum 2 persons USD 60/person + overnight at Lake Batur
Pick up
Kuta,Nusa Dua,at 01.30 am Sanur,Ubud,at 02.00 am
Agung Sunrise Trekking Tour (Start Besakih Temple)
USD 60/person USD 70/person + over night at Besakih
Pick up
Kuta,Nusa Dua,at 20.00 pm Sanur,Ubud,at 22.00 pm
Agung Sunrise Trekking Tour (Start Pasar Agung Temple)
For survival, the children of Muntigunung must spend many hours every day carrying water to their homes.
Our projects are enabling these children to attend school.
The main focus of our work is to secure sustainable livelihood development in poor regions in Bali, Indonesia.
Muntigunung is one of the mountain areas that suffer from the harsh climate conditions in North Bali. The village is home to most of the begging women who come to the main cities and tourist centers in the south during dry season.
They bring their children to the streets and beg for money to secure the much needed income for their families up north. This situation is rather unusual for the Balinese culture. Families and communities are usually strong and supportive of each other. However, due to the difficult living conditions in Muntigunung, those supporting structures are no longer working.
Question: If the people do not have water, why don’t they move?
Answer: The Balinese have deep roots in their own land, and every Balinese house has its own family temple where it is believed that their ancestors reside. It is this deep religious connection that leads people – even those who have succeeded in finding jobs far away – to regularly return to their villages to attend important ceremonies in the family house and the temple, and to bring offerings to the different gods and spirits at the village temples. For most Balinese, it would be considered impossible to break those ties forever by leaving the land, because they would be leaving with it all of their ancestral, religious and spiritual ties to the land.
Question: Why do the women of Muntigunung travel to the tourist spots to beg with their small children?
Answer: Extreme poverty and hunger, caused by the chronic lack of water and no hope of income, force the women to bring their children to the more prosperous areas of Bali, where there is at least the possibility of gathering enough money simply to buy food for themselves and their families to survive.
Question: Are the people in Muntigunung simply ‘too lazy’ to work? Couldn’t they do more to improve their own lives?
Answer: The answer is illustrated the following inescapable cycle:
* No Water = No Food and No Income * No Food and No Income = Malnutrition * Malnutrition = Hampered Brain Development = Limited Learning Capacity * No Income = No Schools = No Education * No Education = No Employment * No Employment = No Money * No Money = No Water * No Water = No Food And No Income
The objective of this commercialized activity is to produce high quality products locally grown and to sell them under the „Muntigunung Community Social Enterprise“ label in Bali. We want to grow this business in order to create as many additional work places as possible. Zukunft für Kinder is responsible for the initial funding of this program.
Results
After harvesting 4.6 tons of rosella flowers and processing them to tea in 2009 (25 villages participated during the first year), the results of 2010 were mind blowing. 65 tons of flowers had to be processed: 40’000 boxes of tea, sweets (dried rosella flowers) and thousands of glasses of rosella in syrup were produced over a time period of 10 weeks. Muntigunung Community Social Enterprise received the required licenses to sell the products. Due to bad weather conditions in the following year, only eight tons of flowers were harvested in 2011. As a result of continuous promotional activities as well as local media coverage, sales numbers are growing slowly but steadily. Some of the leading hotels in Bali use the rosella tea to prepare welcome drinks for their guests. During the processing period of three months, up to 80 villagers are employed full time. It is our aim to further grow our customer base and develop additional rosella based products.
Their Mother and Father were both Balinese healers and farmers who have passed on to their children their knowledge, natural love and understanding of traditional herbalism.
“Knowledge of Balinese traditional herbal medicine came to us naturally through our families. We have also studied the Usada Bali, one of the traditional Balinese Books of Healing, and have spent a tremendous amount of time in the field studying Balinese plants and using them in our daily lives.
“We have committed ourselves to help keep the tradition of Obat Asli Bali (traditional Balinese healing herbs and medicines) alive.”
Westi and Lilir met at a guiding course and quickly discovered they had a garden of things in common. Lilir’s parent’s were healers and herbalists and relied heavily on traditional remedies for their brood of 11 children. Westi’s parents were farmers who remembered how much healthier the soil was before chemical farming. They were both inspired to use their position as guides to help preserve Bali’s unique indigenous heritage.
Westi became deeply involved in qualifying himself to teach others about Bali’s living pharmacy. “I became interested in herbal remedies,” he says. “My father was quite knowledgeable, and I spent time learning from him before he died. Now I study with three traditional healers, but they are also very old. There is a real danger that this wisdom will die out if it is not recorded.”
Come join us and…
Familiarize yourself with a wide range of native plants and herbs. Learn to make identifications by sight, smell and taste. Gain insight into the techniques and practices of traditional and contemporary Balinese herbal healing. Explore various methods for diagnosing and treating common ailments. Learn how you can interpret various plants effects for individual constitution. Be introduced to the plants that are used for first aid, emergencies and the treatment of chronic illnesses.
On Bali we have maintained our ancient relationship to the natural world. It is an integral part of our life and culture. For centuries Balinese have used a wide range of native plants & herbs for therapeutic, medicinal & health enhancing purposes. Herb Walk is a unique opportunity to explore the prolific plant life that flourishes here.
The herb walk takes about 3 hours, with time out to stop at an organic restaurant. In addition to discovering herbs that grow along the edges of the sawahs, you learn of the methods the farmers use to cultivate rice. Although it doesn’t seem obvious how ownership of the sawah is established, narrow irrigation channels and different ground levels apparently delineate who owns what patch of land.
“A Modern Day Medicine Man?
“The walk is slow paced and the calm surroundings obviously influence Westi’s temperament; he is softly spoken, perhaps a little quiet at times. Often, it felt like we were just going on a walk with our friend. Although not the most charismatic guide in the world, Westi is very knowledgeable and obviously passionate about his work, perhaps something of a modern day medicine man.
“This tour did make me stop and think that in today’s world we are over-reliant on modern, synthetic medicine. Herbal remedies are available for a lot of common ailments and are arguably better for our bodies. Whilst it was somewhat interesting learning about various herbs and their medicinal properties, for me, the real hi-light was simply being able to enjoy the stunning scenery. It is easy to see why artists apparently come to the rice fields for inspiration!”
Lilir believes it is crucial for young people to spend time working in the rice field to get a feel for their land and to learn about how they are connected to it. Unfortunately, many are reluctant to embrace the old ways when new technology beckons. Similarly, when it comes to treatment of ailments, most young people seek cures through modern medicines, eschewing traditional methods.
The older generations have used traditional medicines all their lives and for them, it is natural to harvest what is needed from their own backyards. Body scrub such as boreh have long been used by farmers in the sawahs at the end of a long back-breaking day. Used to help prevent rheumatism, the boreh scrub is made at home using a mix of cloves, ginger, red rice, galangal and temu lawak (Javanese turmeric), pounded to a thick paste and applied to the body until the paste dries, before being washed off.
The wide variety of plant life that grows together along the edges of the sawahs providing food and medicine is a revelation. Turmeric whith roots and coconut palms, taro plants and banana trees, lemon grass and citronella, soursop, jackfruit, pineapple and breadfruit grow side by side. Lilir pulls, picks and crushes roots and leaves so we can smell the strong fragrances. We stop to taste edible leaves, to suck the nectar out of the red flowers of the “closed” hibiscus tree, and to drink fresh, young coconut juice.
How Long : About 3 to 4 hours with stops along the way to rest enjoy the scenery & take photographs
What to bring : Comfortable foot wear with non-slip soles that can get wet and muddy are advisable, as well as a hat and sun block a camera and lots of film
Where : We meet in front of the Puri Lukisan Museum, on Ubud’s main road
When : Every day, Begin at 8.30 &ends at About 12.00
Cost : USD $ 18 per person includes
– Refreshing herbal drinks
– Balinese cake or tropical fruit
Book your Herb Walk and Jamu Class by phone: 62.812.381.6024, 62.0812.381.6020 or email1 or email2. Website
The original and authentic eco/educational cycling tour, (many try to copy us, claim to be us and use our text) this tour was designed to take the visitor to Bali away from the tourist areas and show them the Bali they want to see – ‘the real Bali’ and to learn about the Balinese culture in the process and that’s what we have been doing for the past nine years. This tour is now promoted in every guide book on Bali/Indonesia (the Lonely Planet Guide Books on Bali, Indonesia and Best of Bali, The Rough Guide Book to Bali, The Natural Guide to Bali and numerous French, German and Dutch guide books) has been consistently voted the best tour in Bali and a must for every visitor.
After being picked up at your hotel we drive in an air conditioned car to Penelokan (Kintamani) where we breakfast overlooking the active volcano, Mt. Batur and its crater lake, enjoying the most stunning views in Bali.
A short drive after breakfast and we’re off on our mountain bikes through the heartland of Bali, travelling downhill on non tourist, secret back roads and minor village roads (with little traffic), experiencing typical Balinese daily life and enjoying the beautiful Balinese countryside to Ubud. We ride through lush forested areas, plantations full of Balinese staples and cash crops (cloves, coffee, cocoa, vanilla, tapioca, taro, local vegetables and exotic tropical fruits), through timeless small villages and lush rice paddy panoramas. And throngs of adorable Balinese children will be there calling out ‘hellos’ and wanting ‘high fives’ on the way down. If we chance upon a ceremony (and we often do) you will be invited to witness the events and our guides will offer explanations.
We show you a Bali other visitors never see and our experienced guides explain this amazing culture and the relationship the Balinese have with their beautiful island.
We have numerous stops on the way, including a visit to a Balinese home/compound, (where you get to see first hand how the Balinese live outside the tourist areas), a Balinese plantation (where you learn of the medicinal and culturally important uses of local plants, the process of making coffee and see many of the spices you have used in cooking and tropical fruits growing in their natural environment. We also get to sample many exotic tropical fruits, local herbal teas and coffees, including Coffee Luwak, the unusually produced and most expensive coffee in the world). We also stop off at a village temple, an enormous Banyan tree and stunning rice paddy panoramas. We go for a short walk in the rice paddies to see villagers planting and harvesting rice (you can join in) and see traditional craftsmen at work en route.
We are the only tour that offers optional extra flat and uphill riding towards the end of the tour, for those wanting a cycling workout or for our more athletic guests.
Lunch, served in our restaurant, set in the serene surrounds of rice paddies, is a delectable Balinese feast, including the smoked duck/chicken the guide books rave about (Many guests describe our lunch as the best meal they have had in Bali). We also cater for vegetarians and can accommodate children with special meals.
A Balinese family concern with Western family ties, we are the only company that can proudly offer western standards of safety, hygiene and sanitation. And those standards are the norm. Our groups are kept at a size of 8 or 10 (unless requests for a larger group) and we have a senior leading guide and a secondary guide at the rear of the group (unlike other tours). Our car also follows us down the mountain in case anyone is not feeling well.
After lunch you have an optional visit to the Ubud Monkey Forest and temple complex.
We are rather flexible with our tour and if you want less information and more riding we can accommodate you as well.
This tour is a full day tour (though, we can cater for time requirements) and we like to describe it as not just an adventure, but a cultural, ecological, learning and culinary experience! We promise you won’t be disappointed!
Tour Includes:
Pick up and return to your hotel by A/C car.
Mountain Bike and safety helmet use.
Breakfast (overlooking an active volcano) and lunch (a real Balinese feast, often described by guests as the best meal they have eaten in Bali).
Ample water and fruits on tour.
Entrance fees and wet weather gear (if needed).
Cold face towels after your ride.
All the beautiful scenery you wouldn’t normally see.
An in depth explanation of the culture from our experienced guides.
Rp. 360. 000 per adult Rp. 250 000 for children under 12 years. Infants up to 5 years Rp. 150 000 for use of child/baby seats.
Child car seats also available for use. However, children occupying child car seats will be charged at the price of a child.
The best value in Bali by far!!
Please note that the currency exchange....read more
