bali indonesia paradice

When you think of Bali ‘great mountain biking’ doesn’t immediately spring to mind—but this island paradise is home to some of Asia’s best trails, and it’s right on your doorstep.
Knowing exactly what to expect when first arriving in a strange land is always a bit of mixed bag; a blend of intrigue, excitement, and at times fear all mix together.
Although I know much of Southeast Asia inside out, for some reason I’d never been to Bali. Sure enough I‘d considered it a few times, all be it vaguely. But I guess it’s one of those situations where preconceptions take over, if you let them.
Bali; when you mention Bali so many conflicting images spring to mind. For most it’s images of a bustling beach resort with nightclubs and neon lights that jump out. To others it’s images of tranquil sandy escapes, while to some it’s spas and holy retreats. Well, within a couple of days on the island you’ll find that it is all of these and so much more. The beauty of the place is that you can take whichever slice you desire and leave the rest of the cake on the side, or scoff the whole lot if you like.
You can party, relax, find solace, get culturally enlightened, and ride awesome singletrack—all in the same day. Early explorers termed Bali ‘the perfect island’. And in many ways it is.
Alternative Holiday
Not being much of a beach bum, my reasons for heading to Bali were to get in some decent mountain biking, to see what the cultural and natural side were like, and of course to sample the local brews—something of a passion of mine. It’s always tough trying to find trails and information when travelling to destinations like Bali, where mountain biking is often an alien concept.
With this in mind I’d done plenty or research, and teamed up with Clare from the ‘Bali Trailblazers’. She is an ex-pat Pom who knows just about every padi field and volcano trail in this neck of the woods, thus guaranteeing that the great riding would be laid on and made easy to find.
Having poured over various maps of the island before my trip, I’d figured that Bali is more or less like a huge ‘wedge’ with towering volcanoes at the top end. These peaks peter out as travel closer to the densely populated south—I wasn’t far wrong.
Most of the islands trails are located on the sparsely populated northern and eastern flanks, around the two major volcanoes—Batur and Agung, impressive sights that dominate the vista on a clear day.
As we had only a couple of days to spare, cherry picking the rides was key—this meant hopping in the truck to get to the trails. It doesn’t take long on the road to get a feel for what Bali is all about; this place has more temples than you can shake your pump at. Every few seconds you’ll see some stone carved effigy or temple. The typical picture postcard images of colourful ladies carrying baskets on their heads, lush green terraced hillsides and smiley faces abound. It truly is a captivating place.
Lakes & Volcanos
Our first ride was a loop based around the impressive crater of Batur. Things start off around the caldera rim, and the outlook is stunning; a huge lake spans the carter base, peppered with fishing villages and a patchwork of agricultural lands. As you descend steeply into the crater these sights rapidly become life size and the trail winds around the lake before climbing to a near perfect ridgeline singletrack. These are trails used by locals and mountain bikers are a rarity, so you get that pioneering feel that is often lost in modern biking.
The lake is shadowed by the smouldering dormant volcano, and our route took us right through a lunar like lava field beneath it—great riding and not at all what I’d expected to find on Bali. But for me the best thing about the ride was getting into the heart of the country, seeing the small villages, and stopping to chew the turkey with the locals as they prepared for Galangal, their twice-yearly religious festival. They are seriously friendly people who are fascinated at the concept of mountain biking.
Batur had been a great introduction to Bali’s trails. I have to say they were better from a pure biking point of view than I’d imagined. But it was the following days riding that really stuck with me.
After following the coastal road to the eastern slopes of Agung volcano, we wove our way up an amazing hillside, which was a mass of wet padi fields, all neatly stitched together to make use of every patch of land. The trail wound it’s way up through the fields, and as we climbed higher the stronger the images became. Every few minutes we’d pass a small train of locals walking between villages, all brightly clad with baskets on their heads and all happy to see us. As for the descent, well it was awesome! Bali is so much more than you’d imagine and it is a really great place for every kind of mountain biking!
Bali Fact File
Country – Indonesia
Capital & airport – Denpasar
Language – Bahasa Indonesia
Religion – mainly Hindu
Climate – tropical/equatorial
Country IDD code +62
Currency – IDR (Indonesian Rupee) approx $1 = Rp 7,888
Recommended reading – Lonely Planet
Electric – 127/230v with two pin and three peg style plugs.
Time zone – GMT +8hr
Population – 3,160,000
Area – 5,620km
Getting There – there are numerous flights from major airports to Bali, both direct and scheduled flights that go via Jakarta. For most it is closer than flying from Sydney to Perth, so rates are competitive.
Visas & Paperwork – A visa is required for entry to Bali, these can be obtained in advance from Indonesian Embassy offices, or easier still on arrival at the airport. The procedure is pretty straightforward and you can obtain visas lasting from 1 week through to 1 month. Payment is in US Dollars ($10-$25). You will also need to pay a departure tax of Rp100, 000 (around AUS$12).
When to Go – Bali is very much a year round destination. The main resorts can get very busy during the Christmas period. Between June and September would generally be considered the best time for mountain biking, as these are the drier months. However, in recent years the weather has become pretty similar all year round, so it isn’t a major worry.
Eating & Drinking – You can get more or less any kind of food and drink in Bali—from western style food to traditional Balinese dishes. Around the towns and coastal areas you’ll find loads of great restaurants, and as you venture inland the fare becomes more typical with noodles, curry, seafood, and on special occasions suckling pig is popular. Bali is unusual in Indonesian terms as it is not Islamicly nurtured, so alcohol is also easily obtainable. Costs in general are around 20-40% less than in Australia.
Accommodation – There is a huge and varied array of accommodation available on the island. Along the busy coastal areas there are lots of high-end hotels, and also cheaper options. Head inland and prices decrease a little, but there is still plenty of choice, especially around Ubud, which is well known for it’s Balinese spa hotels and retreats—it is a favourite hangout of the rich and famous. At around $50 a night for a three star hotel, you certainly don’t have to be rich to stay here. For listings check out the Lonely planet guide or go to www.balitravelportal.com or www.visionbali.net. Alternatively ask Bali Trailblazers to make arrangements to suit your budget.
Bali Trailblazers
Bali Trailblazers is a company based in Denpasar that specialise is short to medium length mountain bike holidays. The owner is a Brit who has lived on the island for some time, and has probably the best knowledge available of the islands trail network.
The company can arrange just about anything you want; be it a day trip with bike hire included, or a two week long epic guided tour of the islands finest trails—and believe me you will need a guide to find the best trails as they are not marked.