Cycling at Jatiluwih rice terraces

Your journey to the hamlet of Jatiluwih, located approximately 20 kilometers north of Tabanan in Bali's western area, will begin this morning with a two-hour drive through picturesque Balinese cities. Translating to "really, really beautiful," Jatiluwih is a town in Bali that has become famous for the breathtaking view of its rice terraces.

While your friend sets up your bike, why don't you get a coffee at a nearby cafe? Before you go off, however, make sure you're delighted with your bike. The route you pedal will include both paved roads and dirt tracks and pathways through rice paddies. Small settlements dot the landscape, and it is here that you will find locals going about their daily lives, from drying coffee and grains in the heat to keeping cages full of fighting cocks. Feel like you've left the bustle of southern Bali behind as you take in the breathtaking panoramas of the surrounding paddy fields. There are several temples along the route; if you plan on visiting any of them, you'll need to cover yourself, so be sure to pack a sarong (or let your guide know before you go off, and he'll be able to locate one for you to purchase in the village for very little money). Additionally, you will ride by several unusual hot springs to visit if you remember to pack your bathing suit.

After finishing your bike ride, you'll stop for lunch at a restaurant with a breathtaking view of the region before continuing your journey into the heart of Bali. Pura Batukaru, one of Bali's most beautiful and spiritual temples, may be found hidden in the trees on the slopes of Gunung Batukaru. Due to its distant position, Mount Batukaru receives fewer tourists than its more famous neighbors, Mounts Batur and Agung. Surrounded by woodland and the sound of falling water from a nearby stream, this is a gorgeous location for a temple devoted to the mountain's guardian spirit — it was also previously the state temple for the region when Tabanan was an independent kingdom.

The fitness level needed for this cycle is moderate. The day's heat may require pushing your bike up a few shorter inclines. These segments seldom exceed fifty meters in length. There are some rough patches, and you'll be cycling along little streams used to water the rice fields, so you'll need to be relatively stable on your bike.