TRANQUIL TEJAKULA

We begin our day with a short safety briefing before starting our engines and setting out from our home base in Canggu. As we weave our way through both narrow village backstreets and rural roads lined with beautiful rice rice field views, we can observe the 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.

After lunch we’ll once again ready ourselves to continue on our journey. From here we’ll continue the gentle increase in elevation, passing orange groves and strawberry farms before making the steep descent from sky to sea towards our evening’s accommodation which is situated right on the black sand beaches of Bali’s north coast. After arriving at our destination we will have some free time to kick off our boots, lean back and just enjoy the tranquility.

As the sun starts to set behind Bali’s northern crest we will make our way to the beach to catch the last rays of sunshine. By now dinner preperation will be well underway and on the menu will be fresh local fish grilled over glowing hot coals right on the black sand beach. 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. Our local fisherman will be waiting to take us out on the water for front row seats and with a little luck try to spot some of Bali’s famous spinner dolphins. These playful marine creatures are well known for their high-flying acrobatic displays and close, yet friendly encounters.

After enjoying a divine seaside breakfast we’ll once again prepare ourselves for the next stretch of our journey. After checking out and bidding a fond farewell to our new Bali family we will saddle up and roll out, riding along the gentle curves of the northern coastal highway and then back up through forested mountain roads where we must overcome a few steep incline sections with some tight twists, turns.

Upon reaching our half-way point we will be greeted with cool towels and welcome drinks before we take a rest and enjoy a freshly prepared lunch. Our hosts here maintain a beautiful property amongst the rice fields and we can be sure to enjoy the private view while we dine.

After lunch we will prepare for our next activity and commence on a short trek to one of Bali’s best kept secrets, a local waterfall which is seldom visited by your average postcard seeking tourist. Here we will spend some time splashing in the cool waters and basking under the afternoon sun.

After enjoying a nasi bungkus picnic lunch by the lakeside we’ll jump back on our ponies and prepare for the long way back down. Our scenic route will take us through a few interesting sections featuring lush green tropical rainforest and along sweeping roller-coaster ridgelines on some pristine tarmac. Undoubtedly our favorite part of the ride!

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!