Riding a scooter in Bali, I am often in areas frequented by small tourist buses. Today I got the chance to take a trip with Barrie, Candika and Barrie’s mother Yvonne, in a tourist bus.
The stagging area for this epic voyage was the restaurant at Hotel Prawita on Jl. Legian. Barrie & Co. were getting into the toast and Vegemite like a bunch of Ocker’s at a roo grill. I had already, showered, shaved, had breakfast, done 30 laps of the beach and read 3 books, so I was roaring to go.
Barrie had arranged a young Balinese guy with a typical white tourist van, so we could all stretch out, and let him worry about the driving. Heading up the Sunset Rd to Kerobokan, we turned off to Canggu, passt Tanah Lot towards Tabanan. Barrie wanted to show Yvonne, some of the mountains. A circular route was planned, incorporating Suraberata, Pupuan and Sanda. The road through Tabanan is okay driving, but is trafficked by heavy goods trucks from Java. Our first stop was at a large parking area in Soka Beach, just west of Antosari, where the road reaches the ocean. Many beach front restaurants that cater to the mass touirst trade are set up there, but today the lace was quiet. Barrie, a keen surfer in his youth (we’re talking the 1800′s), pointed out the particulars of the breaks at Soka Beach, and suggested that at an outgoing tide, conditions might be good.
Anyone in the Kuta area, will of noticed the Harley Davidson club of Indonesia is in town. They drive around the island in groups of a dozen or so, roaring up and frightening the locals. While we sipped a tea, a few of them came and sat next to us. Barrie’s mum Yvonne, likes big choppers (no accounting for taste), and had to have her photo taken next to this Bali Harley. These guys spend a ton of cash on their ride, keeping them it top shape.
Temperatures were bearable today, warm, but not oppressive. I had 3 thermometers with me, Barrie, Yvonne and Candika, so I know that was the case. If the mercury gets over 32C, Barrie goes into ‘Croc’ mode, slows down his heart rate and slithers into the pool. Candika retires to watch Indo TV, and Yvonne’s list of commands morph into one long ‘Barrieifyoudon’tgetmesomethingtoeatI’llscream’. As I say, today wasn’t like that, so everybody was up to staying awake, and watching Balinese people work in the fields.
Suraberata, which is past Pekutatan on the west coast, is the place we turned inland and headed for the spectacular banyan tree at Bunut Bolong. This is probably the only tree in Bali, you can drive a car through. Its true, Balinese locals often try to drive cars through trees, but this is the only one, where they manage to do it unscathed. We stopped for a kopi Bali, and chatted with the locals. Looking down from the local cafe, I saw a couple of young kids attemping to launch a massive kite. Barrie entertained Balinese kids with his camera. The whole ridgeline before and after Bunut Bolong, is a line of small villages, with slopes that simply drop off into the valley.
Our route was a clockwise circle and passing through Pupuan, our driver stopped to allow us to snap the rice fields. Yvonne was demanding food, so Sanda Butik Villas was the lunch stop. Arriving in the tranquil mountain setting, gave us a chance to unwind. We realized we were all wearing the same style hat. Barrie and I ordered a delicious tuna steal for 49,000rp while the others chose other items from the menu. Candika seemed pretty happy with her choice.
Sanda is a great place to stop for a hot coffee, meal or a drink. Its great for older people, as there are only 2 steps and the atmosphere is relaxed, with plenty of western food. After lunch we knew we had a 2 hour plus ride, so headed off slowly in the direction of Tabanan. A detour due to road works in the Tabanan area, meant a 20 minute exploration down bumpy kampung lanes, finally rejoining the main road, on the way back from Tanah Lot.
This trip took around 9 hours, and did not require much physical exertion. Older people would enjoy the scenery I think. Staying at Sanda and taking a slower approach to exploring the west coast / highlands would be even better.
