Bali, Day 6: A Day With East Bali Bikes; on and off the beaten track

Today's weather: Overcast morning, brilliantly sunny afternoon

Today's exchange rate: IDR 9450 per Aussie $

Today, Mum and I had a booking for a bike tour with East Bali Bikes. I had made the booking about a week ago through their website. Mum had previously done a bike tour with one of the mainstream companies that started from Mount Kintamani and went through Ubud. As much as she enjoyed the ride, she didn't enjoy Kintamani and it's hawkers so were looking for something different. Mum found it via Google and left the rest up to me. I go us all booked in and confirmed within the week and the anticipation began. East Bali Bikes is one of a kind, in that it starts up near Amed and finishes at White Sand Beach. This beach is something that has been on our to-do list for a while but we didn't know enough about it to know if it was worth having a day trip up there. This was the perfect compromise.

Our pick-up was at 7:30, which meant we had to get up a bit earlier to have breakfast before we went. For me, that meant that today was the day I would get up even earlier to watch the sunrise. I had my alarm set for 5:30 and at 6:00, Mum and I made our way over to the beach, cutting through the back of Sand restaurant. We sat on a lounge and watched the colours of the sky change while enjoying the peace and quiet. Unfortunately, the sunrise wasn't as good as what I've seen before, but still worth a few snaps. I do love getting up early in Bali, you just see a different side of the place.

When we were satisfied that we had seen enough, we made our way back to the hotel to finish getting ready for our day and to have an early breakfast. We had failed to check with the staff if it was ok that we have breakfast early, but we only came in 10 minutes before it started and it was no problem. We ate our breakfast while chatting with a young German guy and then made a move. We quickly went back to the room and went to the lobby to wait. About 5 minutes before we were due to be picked up, I started questioning whether or not I had even informed the company of which hotel we were at. I needn't have worried, because we were picked up right on time, even a few minutes early. Our driver was Komang who is also the owner of the company and whom I had organised the tour with. He was very friendly despite the early morning and also has excellent English.

We were on our way. The starting point of the tour is up near Amed so it was a bit of a drive to get there, but a very scenic one. It was about 2 hour in the car, but I'm sure, if it weren't for the few hold ups we had, we would have arrived sooner. What were those hold ups, I hear you ask? School children marching on the narrow roads of course. They were marching for the Balinese Independence Day, we were told, and we came across not one, not two or three groups of school children marching along, but at least ten. Mum and I found it quite amusing because they did not move for the cars or scooters, they just kept on marching. The children that we passed on the way that were not marching would all run up and call out "Hello, hello, hello!" They were all smiling and laughing and just looked so happy.

As we got closer to the starting point, we were taken onto a very much beaten track, in a literal sense. There has been quite a bit of mining going on in this area which meant heavy trucks going up and down the mountain side. Komang told us they were too heavy for the roads, which resulted in them breaking and making the road very bumpy. He explained to us that, much like Australia, once the mining is finished in one area, they'll move on and rehabilitation will take place in the area, but it never really recovers. Komang seemed very passionate about the environment, calling these mines "scars" in the landscape. He added that once the rehabiliation takes place for the damaged environment, the air and sound pollution, the profit made from the mining is somewhat obsolete. The weather got more and more threatening the further up we went and Mum and I felt a bit concerned that we'd be riding in the rain.

After our bumpy ride, we had arrived at the starting point. The bikes were waiting for us, as was the rest of the group, all ready to go. From what I understand, you are shown around the immediate area before the tour begins but we were too late for that. After a quick seat adjustment for Mum, we were off. I'm unsure if there was a briefing before the tour began of what the track is like and where we were going, but if not, I definitely would have found it helpful. The first 10 minutes or so is steep, downhill riding of the same bumpy and rocky rode we had driven on to get there. While the rest of the group sped ahead (one of them having a tumble because of it), Mum and I took our time. I think at one point, when our hands were absolutely aching from having to constantly break, we were both thinking that maybe we had made the wrong choice by coming on this tour. I was, however, very happy that I had chosen to wear my sports bra.

We soon got to the end of the steep, rocky trail (Thank God!) and onto a dirt track. Although there were still some steep hills with loose rocks that resulted in both Mum and I walking our bikes a few times, it was much easier. The rest of the group had once again sped ahead and we had a single guide stick with us. His name was Gilang and he was fantastic. Great English, very funny and more than happy to stop and wait for us to catch up or take photos. We happily chatted along with him for this part of the ride, stopping every now and then so he could show us the peanuts and chilli's growing in a field. Mum and I had a great time with him. We rode on dirt tracks where no cars could come and that ran right next to the beautiful rice fields. What an incredible view it was. The clouds also cleared up and the sun beamed down gloriously. I was left regretting that I had left both my hat and my sunglasses in the car. I had also failed to put on sun cream so I've been left a little red on my shoulders and chest.

Chilli field

Gilang showing me the peanuts growing

Soon after, we were brought to a beautiful, smooth road. There were a few hills going up, but always one going down before it so it was easy enough and Mum and I managed just fine. We couldn't have been riding for more than an hour when we stopped and caught up with Komang. Our bikes were put into the back of a truck to meet up with us later. For now, we were off for a trek. Mum and I weren't aware that we were doing this, as I had requested the tour that does not include a walk through a rice field, but we were both so glad we did it.

The trek was at Tenganan. This is a traditional Balinese village not far from Candi Dasa. We didn't walk through the village itself, but through it's land. This land has the most incredible view over many, many rice fields. Komang told us that the land is owned by the village's people meaning it cannot be sold or leased or built upon so it still retains it's "Old Bali" feel. This part of the tour is definitely what I could classify as off the beaten track. It is Tenganan is not a widely advertised attraction which means it remains very quiet and somewhat untouched. During our walk, we only came across 3 other groups.

The walk went for about an hour and you don't need to be too fit to do it. Although there are some steep steps at the beginning, the rest of the walk was flat. There was no path along here to walk on, but rather a small retaining wall for the irrigation system. It was wide enough that we could easily walk along it without slipping but it still required some amount of concentration.

Komang was a great guide during this section of the tour. He's very knowledgeable and was pointing out this and that along the way, such as all the different fruits growing right beside us. He kept with our pace, happily took photos for us and was always calling out "You alright?" just to check. Mum and I just could not get over the view; it looked totally unreal. The only buildings that were visible from where we were, was those of the village not far away.

Check out that view!

Meet Komang

We continued our walk, and at the end, there was a car waiting for us. We weren't sure if that was the end of the riding, but it wasn't. We drove for only a few minutes and then we met up with our bikes again. Back on we went and continued our ride to White Sand Beach. This part was only about half an hour and was mostly on smooth roads, up and down hills. As we got closer to the beach, the roads once again got very bumpy and rocky, but we soon rounded a corner from where we could make out the perfect blue of the water peeking out at us from behind some palm trees. What a sight it was; we were so excited. We returned our focus to manouvering our bikes through the rocks and bumps and when we looked up again, we were in awe of what was before us . How beautiful it was! The water, so amazingly blue, the breeze and the white (ish) sand. We couldn't wait to dip our feet into that beautiful water.

Nearly there!

We parked our bikes and Komang directed us to one of the warung's along the beach where we would be having lunch. We took our table over looking the beautiful ocean and we were given a menu. A special menu is provided for those doing this tour and gives you a choice for one drink and one meal, all included in the price. Mum decided on Chicken Satay and I had Mie Goreng. We removed our shoes and took pleasure in the feel of the sand beneath our feet and admired the amazing view. We each took a turn at going down to the water. It was an absolutely beautiful temperature but unfortunately it was very choppy. The current was quite strong, even the back flow was very strong and even though we are two very competent (and smart) swimmers, we decided not to go in. We each had a litte walk up the beach while waiting for our lunch. There are a few market stalls directly on the beach, plenty of warungs to choose from and even more lounges on the sand. It was unfortunately a bit crowded by them, but so enjoyable nonetheless.

Our lunch arrived and we both ate every last bite; we were pretty hungry by this point. The food was mot enjoyable. I really enjoyed my Mie Goreng as it had a really nice spice to it that other Mie Goreng's don't usually have and Mum's Satay had a really beautiful smoky flavour to it. We ordered another drink and continued to enjoy the perfect view.

Mie Goreng

Satay Chicken

After lunch, we decided not to stay too much longer, as we were pretty tired from our early morning. We went for a bit of a stroll up the beach and discovered that it is actually the warung's along the beach that hire out the lounges on the sand. I didn't find out how much but they are, but there were quite a few people on them. A person from each warung asked if we wanted one but were not pushy when we replied with a "No, thank you" or an Indonesian "I am walking" and they did not bother us again.

Mum and I both commented on how relaxing it would be to spend a morning, afternoon or a whole day here. Although there was quite a swell when we were there, apparently it is usually a very calm beach. There were still children playing in the white wash and a few swimming, but we would have enjoyed it more without the big swell.

We decided to walk back to the warung to find Komang and start making our way back to the hotel; we were definitely ready for some relaxation. What a wonderful day it was; the perfect combination of adventure, sightseeing and culture. I would definitely participate in this tour again.

East Bali Bikes can be found here. They offer 3 different tours at the moment. They are East Bali Adventure Tour (Tour A), East Bali Off Beaten Track Downhill (Tour B) and East Bali Sky Walk and Trails (Tour C). From what I understand, Tour A and Tour B follow the same route, but Tour B includes the walk through the Rice Field which I would definitely recommend. The cost for these tours are as follows:

• Tour A: IDR 450,000 per person (cheaper for children)
• Tour B: IDR 550,000 per person (cheaper for children)

The prices may be more for hotel pick-up depending on where you're staying. The price, however, is inclusive of a bike (very well maintained), helmet, water throughout the ride, and lunch at the end. It was definitely good value for money and payment is not due until the conclusion of the tour. Komang did a lot of research before starting this company in regards to the starting and finishing point and the route that will be taken. Although there have had to be some changes due to mining in the area, it is a great way to see a different side of Bali and it's obvious that Komang and his wonderful staff are very passionate about people visiting and appreciating East Bali.

 

One our way home, I managed to doze off for a bit; I was absolutely knackered. The drive was quiet. I think all of us were very tired from our early morning and bike ride. Komang dropped us off at the hotel where we paid for th tour and gave him many thanks for an amazing day. We both really enjoyed the tour and I'm sure we'll both be doing it again one day.

 

It was straight up to the room from here to get into our bathers for a swim. Luckily, the hotel was very quiet and we were spoilt for choice as to which pool lounge we were going to settle on. The pool water was just perfect; exactly what we needed after our ride. We enjoyed the serenity for a while longer before a few kids started to get on our nerves a bit. They weren't being particularly loud or rude, we would have just preferred that they weren't there at all. We retreated to our room and instead enjoyed the fresh air from the comfort of our balcony. Mum came in to shower and I came in to write before going to dinner. We had a few places in mind for dinner; The Art Cafe, Warung Pregina or Lilla Warung. We wandered down the road and found the streets of Sanur very lively. It is Saturday night afterall. Many places had live music playing, shops were still open and lots of people were walking around just like us, deciding where to eat dinner.

 

In the end, we decided to have dinner at Made's, which is across the road from Cinnamon's. We have both eaten here before and enjoyed it, plus I really wasn't sure what I wanted for dinner and Made's had a menu with lots of different choices. Mum and I both decided to get a cocktail and share an Indonesian Rijstafel plate. The Rijstafel's here are made for one person but we weren't too hungry so one between us would be sufficient. Mum's cocktail arrived quickly, but mine was taking longer because it was served in a pineapple and they had to carve it first. Our meal actually arrived before my cocktail did. When it did come though, it was delightful. I also seem to have a knack for choosing cocktails that causes others to stare in jealously.

 

Our Rijstafel was also delicious and included Nasi Goreng, Mi Goreeng (which we swapped to rice noodles so Mum could have it), Lumpia, Chicken Satay, Fried Chicken, steamed rice and some kind of bean salad. It was quite yummy, not the best we've had, but it hit the spot for tonight. Our meal came to just over $20.

Rijstafel

From here, we decided to walk along the street in search of somewhere to have dessert. We couldn't find a restaurant that had something we both wanted so I told Mum I was just going to go to Hardy's for ice-cream so she came along. When we got to the ice-cream stall she said "Oh, I'll have one too I guess." We taste tested a couple of flavours each before I decided on dragonfruit and mango and Mum got mint chocolate chip. My ice-cream was delicious. Although the dragon fruit was bright pink, it had a very mellow flavour. Mum also enjoyed her ice-cream.

We walked back in the direction of the Tamukami but Mum noticed that her new favourite shop, Jenggala, was still open so in we went. Mum did make a few purchases in here, but they are unfortunately tightly bubble wrapped to get them home safe so I have no photos of them. But it is a beautiful shop and Mum will definitely be building up a collection during her next few trips to Bali.

When we walked out, there was a small stall set up with Asian desserts. I think they were a promotional thing for the official opening of Jenggala today. Mum and I agreed to try a few, but we were given a plate and a whole lot of these treats. The lady just said "Oh you try this one too" and kept giving us more. Needless to say, our bellies were very full.

We continued on our way back to the hotel and straight to the room. Time for a good sleep to reenergise from another busy day.

 

Posted with Blogsy