Experience Travel‘s Nick Clark, who specialises in Sri Lanka and Cambodia, has been out exploring Bali in recent weeks in advance of us adding this marvellous little island to our Experience South East Asia portfolio. Fortunate to be the first of the team to get out on the road and find the kind of hotels and activities that fit the Experience Travel model, he filed this blog on trekking, canoeing and cycling from somewhere we all wished we were. We look forward to hearing of more of his experiences on the road, but for the time being, over to Nick .
Hello and greetings from Experience Travel’s expansion into Bali. I have been sent to Bali and Lombok (I know it is brutal) to investigate what these beautiful islands have to offer.
After a night and a day exploring Ubud, the cultural heartland of Bali, I was taken by my guide Sugeng up into the Volcanic mountains and the small town of Munduk; where I stayed at the Munduk Moding Plantation. The hotel is loosely described as an eco-resort, although how accurate this can be with each room having a plasma T.V I don’t know! However, there is absolutely no doubting its fabulous views of the surrounding mountains and over the northern coastline below.
The following morning I woke to these breathtaking views and after breakfast in a sala on the side of the mountain we departed for a morning of trekking, canoeing and cycling. After a short drive we arrived at the top of a volcanic crater that offered stunning panoramic views of two crater lakes below. After doing my best to fill up the memory card in my camera, Sugeng, our local guide and I started the descent. It was described as a ‘trek’ but I do not think it was long enough or strenuous enough to warrant that title. Either way it was a very pleasant hour long walk through a jungle, first heading down some steps to a small local temple and then on through various trails to a village and our local canoe.
The canoe trip consisted of Sugeng and I sitting in the front of a traditional ‘catamaran’ style canoe taking in the breathtaking views while two local men paddled furiously at the back. The water in the lake was a beautiful deep blue and it had steep forested sides all around. It looked incredibly inviting for a swim but unfortunately the locals believe that there is a temple at the bottom of the 50m deep lake and therefore prohibit any swimming or fishing.
At the other side of the lake we were met by a further local guide and three pretty shiny looking mountain bikes. It was decided that we would go off road and then cycle up the mountain and back to the hotel. Coming from a few days of eating large amounts of Thai food in Bangkok I was very keen to do some exercise, something that was not satisfied by the first two activities. I should have been careful about what I wished for! The off road was wet enough to be tricky, although it was not too strenuous, and cycling up the mountain was extremely tough, those volcanoes are steep and you suddenly realise that the lowest gear on a bike can be useful! The climbs were never long but they were often and in quick succession; riding to work over the mounds that London has to offer was no preparation. However, each climb produced another spectacular view and the looks on the locals faces as they inspected this insane westerner were priceless; and hey I must have burnt of at least two curries!
After arriving back at the hotel it was a quick lunch before heading back down to visit some hotels in the northern coastal town of Pemuteran. It is not all play out here you know.
You Might Also Like:
- Gentle Sapa We left the busyness of Hanoi for a couple of days in Sapa. This mountainside retreat was originally built for...
you might also want to visit the Philippines. great beaches and fascinating tourist spots.