BLACK LAVA CAMP

We begin our day by warming our engines and setting out from our home base in Canggu, weaving through both narrow village backstreets and rural rice field tracks, observing traditional morning routines of the local people along the way. The only passing toll here is a wave and a smile.

Around mid-morning we’ll stop to stretch our legs and enjoy a coffee or a cool infused refreshment at one of our favorite off-the-path garden cafe’s. Here we will enjoy a special sweet local snack of pisang rai (steamed banana with shaved coconut and palm sugar) while we take in a little of Bali’s warming spiritual energy.

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

As we begin our approach to Kintamani we will once again hop off our moto’s to take the opportunity to appreciate some truly artisan coffee bean roasting and have a smell and a taste of a few of the the local variety’s. Here we will enjoy a freshly prepared lunch and before we carry on be sure to pick up a few grounds of your favorite flavor.

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

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 sip 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.

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.

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 final 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 down the southern slope of Kintamani, enjoying the gentle roller coaster of twists and turns and scenic views.

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 an ice cold beer!