In Reply to: Ideas wanted for car trip posted by grapsta on Monday, 11. August 2008 at 23:10 Bali Time:
to Amed over the mountains and through some of the best scenery Bali has to offer.
Buy a map,and a guide book as if you are energetic you pass the Elephant cave and Bali's best kept ancient secret at Gunung Kawi. Mind you all those steps put a lot of people off.
Go up the Tampaksiring road, down to Bangli, across to Rendang and then through the selat (snakefruit)growing area to Amlapura, Tirtangga and on to Amed.
Stay a night - it's a great place.
Retrace steps but turn right at Rendang which takes you up the inland side of Mt Agung and into the forest near the top of Mt Batur. At the top the road winds round the crater rim towards Kintamani.
When you come out don't turn right to the most hassley hawkers around, but left down towards Tampaksiring again. Take the next right and then left into Taggallalang. This is the road where the woodcarving for export is done so you will want to stop here and there.
Did that drive last month for the first time in a year and had forgotten how good it was. There are a few sand trucks here and there but the roads are good and it's off the usual tourist routes.
Once you have done that you will realise how few venture off the beaten track and will want more.