There are downhill cycling companies all over Ubud. We chose Bintang Cycling, because Ketut knows them. For 250,000 rupiah (about $27), we were treated to pick up at our hotel, breakfast in Kintamani, on the lip of a caldera, a downhill cycling trip of about 40 kilometers (which took about 3 1/2 hours) and lunch. Not bad! They are up in Champuhan and their phone is 361 746 2290.
After a nice breakfast, we were driven to a spot off of the main road and given our bikes along with helmets. The bikes were okay, considering, at least the gears worked pretty well. We started off downhill, with a guide in front and a couple of sag wagons bringing up the rear.
Almost the whole trip was downhill...there was only one bad uphill part and it was really bad, about a 25 degree hill (that is VERY steep) of about 300 yards. Only two of the eight cyclists made it all the way up on the bike. Most of the roads we took were back roads with very few cars and motorcycles. We went through many small villages where the kids came out to greet us with a big "hello!!!". Some had there pets with them...
Since was the week of Galungan, all the roads were lined with lovely penjors and the temples were dressed in yellow...
This is a great way to see the Bali that the tourist don't usually see, although at rather fast speed. Some of the most beautiful villages and rice terraces are along the route. We didn't see any other cyclists, so I imagine that each company has their own route.
For our diving trip, we headed to the northwest coast to Pemuteran. One of our favorite hotels, the Pondok Sari (www.pondoksari.com) is there. We've talked about this place in prior blogs; suffice it to say that for less than $50/night, you will stay in one of the nicest hotels anywhere. And they have a great spa where you can get a 90 minute Balinese massage for around $13.
The pool at the Pondok Sari...
The massage room...
About 200 meters down the beach is the dive resort of Reef Seen (www.reefseen.com). This is where we got our dive certificate last May. Paul Turley is the dive master there and is a fine fellow from the UK. We did 4 dives in all and the best were at Menjagnan Island, about an hour boat ride from Pemuteran. We dove to around 60 feet, next to a very deep reef, and saw many, many fish and coral. A turtle and a shark were also spotted.
This is a very nice place to get out of Ubud for a few days and away from the tourist areas. There are several good restaurants, a Thai and Greek restaurant are on either side of the Pondok Sari and are both very nice.
Highly recommended!!
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