Secrets of Bali

by Jonathan Copeland

with
Ni Wayan Murni

Treasures of Bali: A Guide to Museums in Bali

by Richard Mann

Murni's Review in the Jakarta Post

"I witnessed this book’s strange birth..."

Full Review

Sunday Mail, Australia

Brian Johnston
4 May, 2008

LIKE everybody else, I'm in central Bali to admire the lush landscapes. What I didn't realise is that it's just as worthwhile hearing them.

Monkeys chatter in the trees, ducks quack from the fields, and behind temple walls I hear the rhythm of xylophones that seem to be urging me onwards.

From the saddle of a bike I not only see the best of Bali, but also hear it. I'm pedalling along in the countryside beyond Ubud, a million miles from the spluttering traffic and cafe jukeboxes of Kuta, and it's as peaceful as can be.

Stone carvers sit by the roadside working on black volcanic rock, carving fearsome deities and pot-bellied gate guardians with a steady chip, chip, chip.

And as I pass through every village, children chirrup in the only English they know: "Where you from? Where you go? Why you bike?", until their questions begin to sound almost existential.

Why I bike? Because I don't want to grow fat and bored on a beach, and because I'm looking for a dose of Balinese culture.

I bike so I can wave at giggling women in brightly-coloured sarongs as I pedal past hedges of blue hydrangea and emerald rice paddies. So I can admire volcanoes strung along the horizon.

I bike to smell the incense drifting from village temples, and the scent of cloves wafting from plantations by the roadside. I'm finding all the senses come alive from the seat of a bicycle.

For even the moderately adventurous, Ubud is a great place to take to cycling, adding some fitness and wellbeing to any holiday and enabling visitors to explore stunning landscapes at a leisurely pace.

How else would you suddenly come across a temple buzzing with a Hindu village festival? Lean your bike against a banyan tree and be drawn in by the food stalls, musicians hammering away on xylophones and bells, and huddles of men throwing dice in the shade.

There are many adventure travel companies in Ubud that arrange cycling tours for between $60 and $90 a day but, if you're more independent, you can rent your own bicycle for less than $20.

To get into the swing of things, head out on the first day on an easy pedal to Goa Gajah, 3km out of town. This 1000-year-old retreat for Hindu priests has caves that are carved with impressive reliefs and statues of sacred elephants.

You'll also find rock carvings a little farther afield at Yeh Pulu, showing some 14th century hunting scenes and Hindu gods.

Another pleasant little local trip heads to the most sacred temple in the area, Pura Penataran Sasih, where you can admire a 2000-year-old bronze kettledrum, the largest of its kind ever cast.

With your cycling legs in gear, it's time to be more ambitious, although the endless ups and downs that make Bali's rice terraces so pleasing on the eye are also very hard on the legs.

You can join a cycle tour that will take you to high points around Ubud by van, from which you then freewheel back down again, beating both the hills and the heat.

Most tours will provide you with hotel pick-up, even from the beach resorts, so you don't have to stay in Ubud to enjoy a bicycle tour.

Breakfast and lunch, as well as equipment and insurance, are generally also included. A guide comes along to show you the way and inform you about local customs and agriculture.

Some trips end the day at one of the tourist attractions around Ubud, such as the Elephant Safari Park or Monkey Forest. These can also be seen independently.

You're better off taking one of the cycle-only tours, which are better value and show you more of everyday Bali away from the tourist attractions. Probably the best excursions are those that take you by van to Kinamani to admire spectacular views of Mt Batur's crater.

Then you're deposited on the hilltop at nearby Seri Batu, from which you take the 20km ride back to Ubud, punctuated by stops at temples and a leisurely lunch. It is downhill nearly all the way, with plenty of encouraging breezes.

The interior of Bali moves at an entirely different rhythm to the tourist resorts of the coastline and soon you'll be stopping to admire an ox ploughing a field or a stone deity at the entrance to a village.

Drift past farmers raking rice out on the road to dry -- local lifestyles come alive from a bike, too.

Of course, there are some drawbacks to cycling in Bali, especially if you decide to do it yourself. Don't head in the direction of Kuta, as the whole road from Ubud is lined by concrete buildings and crowded with trucks and motorbikes. Head towards the north or east, and stick to rural roads.

The main disadvantage is the heat and humidity, so wear a hat and drink lots of water.

Even the smallest village in Bali has a grocery shack where you can rest and buy water and snacks to keep you going. "Hellooooo! Hellooooo! Where you go mister? Why you bike?" comes the refrain.

If your courage fails, you'll probably be able to flag down a local bemo (minibus) and sling your bike on the roof among sacks of bananas and trussed chickens.

Chances are, though, your holiday mood will have you sailing onwards soon enough. The surrounding scenery is so beautiful you'll have little time to feel weary.

Don't worry about the rain either -- late afternoon showers are sudden and spectacular, but usually brief. Simply follow local custom and stand by the roadside with a banana leaf over your head until the rain passes, leaving a coolness and moist, rich smell.

Chat to the local kids, who run about giggling in amazement at your eccentric mode of transport, and run behind you, waving as you depart.

Later in the day, sunset is a spectacular time to be on the road. The Balinese light becomes yellow as honey, and coconut trees darken the sky against an indigo horizon.

The temples turn to gold, the sky to pink, and the stars come out as you spin along back towards your hotel, feeling fantastic. Holidays don't come much better than this.