BIKE RIDE- batur trail with Sobek.
I had read on BTF a post by now forgotten poster that suggested doing one of the bike rides early in your trip, so we took that advice and booked it for 2nd day there- felt we had better do an "organised" tour as we were still in culture shock and we needed looking after! We had an early breakie at Puri Raja, then were picked up along with two other older guys and taken up to this HUGE restaurant over looking Lake Batur and Mount Batur- beautiful. Can't remember the name of it unfortunately. there we had breakfast provided- so yes, 16 yr old and i ate again!! Then off to where the ride commences, instructions from the guides, test the bikes, helments on, water given out. I have not ridden a bike for ages but it was no problem as the ride was almost totally down hill. Beautiful scenery, villages including visit to a family compound. As it was school holidays for some children while we were there, it was lucky I had packed a few tennis balls, as the kids in the home we visited loved them. I agree that doing this ride is a good idea early on, as you get an idea of the size of the island, where things you have heard about are, where you may like to visit again with more time, and that there is SO much more to Bali that Kuta/Legian, crowds,etc! (We are from a rural area, so admit we felt much more at home out of the tourist areas.) The guide rides out in front ( which is especdially good during the one time you ride through heavy trafic- man was that SCARY but we all survived) Riding through the back of Ubud area, a small boy lost control of his kite and it hit me, despite my attempts to dodge it as well as miss the drying rice on the mats all along the edge of the road and not run into the prize roosters, not hit motor bikes coming the other way and not e. nd up in the drain! Managed to gently come to rest on (in) a pile of dirt, but that was largely from laughing so much, along with the little boy (although at first he looked really worried.) Anyway, as I was the last rider at this stage, no-one had noticed me gone andthey had all kept going and I had no idea where! Eventually, they realised I was not there and the guide came back (note- NOT the 16yr old son!). I was very proud of the fact that i made it up all hills without having to get off!!!!
After the ride, lunch in another lovely place (in Ubud) if anyone knows the name of these two restaraunts I would love to add them to my info.
Opinion- definitely do early in your trip, just to help with bearings if nothing else; NEVER be the last in the group; don't worry if you are not that fit- the sore legs do not appear until the next day- and they weren't too bad!