April 13th, 2009, I tried the most popular Jati Luwih Cycling course in AYUNG RIVER! Jati Luwih locates in the east center of Bali, Tabanan regency, and it takes about 2 hours drive from Nusa Dua. The place’s name means “really great,” and there is broad area of rice terrace! It’s not organized as a sightseeing place, so there is not many tourists and quiet. I run through green rice field place!
7:30 am, I left from the hotel in Kuta with other applicants! I have accompanies of French family this time. They are really friendly and we become good friends in shortly!!
It takes about 2 hours to Jati Luwih, but we can enjoy chatting, and watching view of rural area during the driving time! I requested taking pictures on the way, they stopped and gave us time.
9:40 am, arrived at Cafe Jati Luwih. It’s cozy cafe in rural area. Wellhole style open tables, and broad area of rice terrace! It’s the great view restaurant.
They are my accompanies, French family. We have light breakfast in here. Menu is Pisang Goreng, cut fruit and coffee or tea.
Guides, Dewa and David are also arrived! Today, we have 6 members of our group, so guides support us from forward and back. I feel ease! AYUNG RIVER’s Special cycling globes! Especially, these are useful to apply brakes strongly on downhill.
And, you can bring them back as souvenir.♪
Guides give us instruction and course schedule. Free to ask questions! For 10 min. by car from the cafe, we arrived at the starting place. There is the track with bicycles.
We learn how to use both side gears and brakes, and adjust height of chair. Ready to go! I wear well-stretched pants but not jeans pants to bend my knees easily.
Challengers 6 bicycles + Guides 2 bicycles, 8 of us leaving now!
First, lso flat road and gentle uphill slope, so it’s good to tr we pass the mountain road. Not only downhill, but a ain whole body! At the first stop point, we have lecture of fruit with wild fruit. I already get thirsty and want to drink water.
In AYUNG RIVER’s cycling, they change cycling course flexibly depend on applicant’s wishes.
We can stop many times, take a break, and take pictures or we can run fast with speed. My group requested that stop in villages and temples and visit local areas. Also, we wanted to take pictures a lot. So, we stopped 7 or 8 places.
The greatest view during cycling was that we stopped bicycles beside rice field, and walked on the pass through rice field. (picture in below) Right side is rice field, left side is rice field, and we can see wide jungle in front of us!!
It was really beautiful, and I didn’t expect that I could walk in such a place in cycling course. I was impressed so much!!!
We found “Soap Bubble Tree” in one house! If picking a stem, the sticky sap from the stem makes soap bubble!! I didn’t know such a tree! On the way, guides explained us that we were ahead to up and down road. Yes, we are ready!!(≧▽≦)！
There is the shape down slope! It’s better to walk along with bicycle. In the second house, cute mom and baby were there. She is only 18 years old! We asked to see house and garden.
When all is said and done… I love this view in front of us!!!
We stopped many times and asked to take pictures, but guides never get tired of us, and they adjust to us with smile. They have good hospitality!!
Cycling course is going into the last part. We arrived at the local hot spring! Bathing fee is Rp.4,000. It’s the secret hot spring!! We passed the hot spring, there is one rural Hindu temple. We cannot enter, but we learn about Hinduism.
From here, there is the last uphill slope!! Many members give up riding a bicycle.
Finally, we are goal!! We crap our hands and share happy feeling. I saw on my watch and it said 1:30 pm… We ride bicycle for 3 hours.
Nice AC shuttle car! We move to the restaurant which is built on the hill. Depend on the number of applicants, they serve buffet or set menu. Today, we had buffet. Lucky!
Mie Goreng, Capcai (Vegetable stir fry), Lumpia (Spring Roll), Sate (Meat stick), French fry, Soup, Fruit, and Pisang Goreng, etc. there are over 10 kinds of dishes. I like the taste, too!
French family who must be particular about food also help themselves a few times.
I tried SOBEK cycling before, so I could compare with 2 companies.
AYUNG RIVER has other cycling courses, Kintamani course and Village course. The Jati Luwih course has downhill, flat road, and easy uphill slope, so we can exercise well in this course. In addition, we can stop 7 to 8 places and see many things! We can touch wild papaya and cacao, smell spices before selling in a market, learn about different kinds of rice; black rice, red rice, and Philippines rice, etc. and feed to pig… Guides answer our many question such as “What’s the vegetable?” and “What does it mean?” etc. Well, they are professional!! We come to Bali so we wish to know many things of Bali!
Restaurants that we stop for breakfast and lunch were the “rural small restaurant,” so they have simple building and meals. The mountain bike is not brand new, and they are normal well-used bike.
It was really cool to ride bicycle in calm rural road of rice field! I was very impressed with beautiful view of Bali again after I live in here for 1 year! You cannot miss it; cycling in the most magnificent rice terrace… just for $47!! It sounds like advertisement, but I’m sure it’s reasonable! You should join this tour, if you want to see great view in reasonable price, you want to take lots of pictures, you want to know more about local Bali!!
●○Report Memo○●
I found red rice of Jati Luwih at warung near the hot spring. At first they said Rp.25,000/ 1kg, but I asked discount and I could buy it for Rp.20,000. Red rice is tasty and good for health, so why don’t you bring this Bali rice as a souvenir?
※This report was written based on the information when the time of visiting. Course menu and schedule might be changed without notice. In addition, the report contains individual opinion and impression, however, these are not applied for all people. Please read it just for your reference. Thank you.