BLACK LAVA CAMP

After a short safety briefing we’ll begin our day by warming our engines and setting out from our home base in Canggu. As we weave our way through both narrow village backstreets and rural rice field tracks we can observe traditional morning routines of the local residents along the way. The only passing toll here is a wave and a smile.

Now feeling warmed up and well adjusted to our machines we’ll make our first stop to stretch our legs at our favorite off-the-beaten-path garden noshery. Here we’ll have some time to enjoy cool refreshments while we take in a little of Bali’s warming spiritual energy. We highly recommend the pisang rai, a special sweet local favourite of steamed banana topped with coconut shavings and palm sugar.

After a quick recharge we will continue upwards, enjoying the breathtaking views along the gentle winding roads and forested ridgelines towards the Plaga region, popularly known for it’s local wine production. This part of our route gives us a similar feeling to riding through Bali’s own version of the Tuscan hills of Italy.

As we near mid-day we’ll once again hop off our ponies to take the opportunity to appreciate some truly artisan coffee bean roasting and have a smell and taste of a few of the local varieties. Before we carry on be sure to pick up a few grounds of your favorite flavor to savour at home. Then, after an informative stroll through the lush garden plantation we will enjoy a freshly prepared lunch from the local menu.

As we drop down into the caldera we will be rewarded with breathtaking views of Gunung Batur and we surely wouldn’t dream of missing a photo opportunity with her as our envy inducing backdrop.

Our greatest challenge awaits us as we reach the black lava, but make no mistake, this off road section is no match for our prized ponies! We will surely and steadily navigate the twisted track of boulders and volcanic aggregate while we soak in the other worldly atmosphere.

Around mid afternoon after enjoying the view we’ll once again ready ourselves to continue on our journey. From here we will emerge from the caldera and ride just a short distance to our evening’s accommodation which is situated right on the crater rim and offers the most incredible panoramic views of Mt. Batur. We will now have some free time to relax and soak in the scenery.

As the sun sets and the temperatures begin to cool off we will grab our blankets and make our way to the firepit where we will each have our own personal barbecue and fresh grillables waiting for us. They say everything tastes better when you cook it yourself and after this we’re sure you’ll agree. Following dinner we will sit and warm our toes in front of the campfire, roasting marshmallows and sharing our own adventure stories.

As the sun begins to rise so will we and we wouldn’t dream of missing the show. Grab a cup of hot cocoa and enjoy the vast views over Mt. Batur in the still morning air as the sky is painted with vibrant color.

Where there’s a mass of thermal energy percolating under the earths crust there’s sure to be a steamy outflow and the region arount Mt. Batur is no exception. After our dust up through the black lava playground, a relaxing soak in the pools of Batur Natural Hot Springs will be the perfect way to sooth our hard working joints and muscles.

Around mid-morning, after absorbing plenty of Kintamani’s thermal energy we’ll once again prepare ourselves for the next stretch of our journey. From here we will continue up over the ridgeline, riding along the crater rim through the evergreen pine forests, then gradually back over the Northern slope of Kintamani, enjoying the gentle roller coaster of twists and turns and scenic valley views.

Eventually we will once again find ourselves back on some smooth cruisy highway and before long will be greated with an amazing panoramic view of Bali’s twin lakes Buyan and Tamblingan. After capturing a quick Kodak moment we’ll make tracks down to take a closer look at the impressive ancient Balinese Hindu temple which as legend has it was an important site for sacred healing practices. Here we will enjoy a relaxing picnic lunch by the lakeside.

As we touch down back to Tabanans coastal farmlands it will be quite evident that there is certainly no end to the jaw dropping panoramas, even as we near the end of our journey. Here we will gradually make our way back into civilization through the bustling network of villages and traditional markets.

We will arrive back to our home base in Canggu just in time to enjoy sunset at the beach accompanied by a refreshing young coconut or a delicious, ice cold victory beer!