Ngurah Rai International Airport - Bali Indonesia

Visa on Arrival & Departure Tax

Tight Arse Travel was fortunate to travel to Bali for a Mountain Biking tour with Bali Trailblazers.

We'd like to pass on some tips which may make your arrival and departure easier.

Most nationalities can purchase a Visa on Arrival (VoA) at the airport, but it is always worth checking before firming up your travel plans.

When we travelled in July 2013, the 30 day VoA was $25US.

This could be paid in US$, A$ or by credit card.

There is also a departure tax levied by the Indonesian Government on all tourists leaving the country of Rp200,000. This is also payable at the airport.

http://www.ngurahrai-airport.co.id/home/eng/index.php

http://www.baliairport.com/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ngurah_Rai_International_Airport

Bali trailblazers

Tight Arse Travel toured with Bali trailblazers in mid 2013.
If you are looking for a great mountain biking holiday in a tropical paradise, check them out; they put together a great tour for us.

They've also published part of our blog on their web site.

http://www.bali-trailblazers.com/tour-de-bali-pre-tour/

What's the best passport in the world for travellers?

Even though Australia came equal sixth with Greece and Singapore with 167 countries allowing our citizens in without a visa, it is not bad compared with Afghanistan - 28!

That said, you can still probably get into other countries, you just need a visa.

The other good news is that India is reviewing its visa policy, and may soon allow Australians to purchase a visa-on-arrival (VoA).

http://bit.ly/1bYV2ZC

Why don't some airlines enforce their own carry-on baggage limits?

This is something which makes Tight Arse Travel cranky.
http://bit.ly/1apdf5o

QANTAS trials 'all day check-in' for international flights

QANTAS is trialling all-day check-in for international flights out of T1 at Sydney International Airport.

After reading one of the conditions, it begs the question "what rules currently apply to checked-in passengers at other Qantas terminals?"

After checking in at Tullamarine Airport in Melbourne, there is nothing to stop you going outside the building for some fresh air. While there you may spy the Park Royal Hotel across the road, and wander over for a pre-flight Scotch.

No harm done...

Free voice calls from your mobile

Do you want free voice calls? Try iOS7 FaceTime over WiFi.

http://bit.ly/18osXbt

China Bird Tours Travel tip

Thanks China Bird Tours

Travel tip. If you are wandering on your own, take a few photos of landmarks and street names to help you find your way back.

Google makes QuickOffice free, gives away 10 GB in Drive storage

This could be great for working on docs while travelling - http://bit.ly/157u16J

Air India resumes direct flights to Australia

For those of you with a penchant for the sub-continent, travelling from Australia to India just got a little bit easier, and quicker.

Air India are flying direct to and from Australia again - http://www.airindia.com/announcing-australia.htm

For all the trainspotters out there, check out the Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner landing - http://bit.ly/14s3n2O

and taking off - http://bit.ly/1a7Xc8n
from Sydney International on September 4, 2013.

2013 Tour de Bali - Post tour

Seminyak

Hotel Puri Wisata

With the tour over and four days left before I head home, we base ourselves at the Puri Wisata hotel on the border of Legian and Seminyak.
A quick internet search and access to a reasonable Indonesian dictionary help me understand the meaning of 'Puri Wisata'. Puri means castle, palace or place of worship, and Wisata means journey. So I guess they named the hotel to mean 'A palace at journey's end'. In reality - but keeping in mind you only get what you pay for - in this case Puri means 'Moth-eaten, worn out, run down, and in need of some serious renovations', and Wisata means 'Can I drag your bag to reception!'

But seriously folks, it is in a great location. There is a pub and a Circle K next door, and it is adjacent to a major intersection, so there are always plenty of taxis available; the airport is a lazy 30 minute drive away. Even though the streets are crazy busy, it is a cool, calm oasis from the hot and noisy world outside. Yes, it could do with a good lick and spit to tidy up the rough edges, but with free Wi-Fi and breakfast, a large cool, shaded pool, and friendly staff, $15 a night for a twin-share room is not to be sneezed at.

Although this is not my favourite part of Bali, it does make the last few days of the trip easier in terms of finding a variety of food to eat, access to ATMs, ubiquitous free Wi-Fi, Internet cafes, and the ability to do some last minute shopping.
We are about a 10 minute walk from the beach, which means that the hotel is quite a bit cheaper than those with an ocean front view. Although I like beaches - and there is nothing wrong with this one, it is a very nice beach, world famous in fact - it is not the beach per se to which I am not enamoured. It is what the beach has become - a 24 hour party zone. That, and the fact that you become a sitting target for touts attempting to sell you paintings, watches, sunglasses, wooden elephants, massages and the like which make this a type of living hell for me.
The cheaply provided umbrellas, and access to cool refreshing beverages do afford a level of luxury and comfort, but this is generally not what I look for in a beach.

That said, it has been observed by me and pointed out by others, that this is all highly concentrated in the Kuta-Legian-Seminyak area. Although some people who have not been to Bali - or who have, but have not ventured any further than this tacky tourist strip - may have a vision that this is all there is, or that all of Bali must be the same. 

They are wrong.

The first two weeks in Bali were spent 'On tour', an organised mountain biking trip over 14 days. Eight riding days were broken up with a couple of rest days, one of which was used to access amazing snorkelling. The other non-riding days were filled with a climb up a volcano to watch the sunrise, river rafting, and canyoning. We found this a good way to do it for a number of reasons. There were no more than 2 riding days in a row - giving us a rest from the bikes. We saw a great deal of Bali - parts of which I'm guessing most westerners would not otherwise get the chance to see, and we spent time with two awesome locals - Ketut and Made.

Ketut - our riding guide - is a wiry mountain biking machine. If he can't climb up it, it can't be climbed. If he can't ride down it, it is probably a wall! He always warned us of tricky sections of trail, made an amazing clicking noise with his mouth to warn others of our approach, and was helpful in explaining Indonesian words, phrases, history, culture and geography. He is also a bike nut - he owns 10 bikes - so he is always up for a chat about bikes and parts.

Made was our soigner; he drove the team bus, set up and broke down the bikes for transit, organised lunch and other refreshment breaks, and was always ready to help in any other way. He was always cheerful, and constantly smiling.

These two made the trip. If Isabelle is the brains, these guys are the heart and soul of the operation.

During the tour we only had two days when it rained, and then not enough to spoil our fun. One riding day started with some light rain, but it soon cleared, and left the trails nice and tacky.
We saw cows - Indonesian cows are very short haired, rust coloured, and when young look like fawns - goats, pigs, chickens, ducks, herons, fish, water buffalo, snakes, geckos, lizards, cats and dogs. Most of which we ate at some stage.
We rode through jungle, vegetable fields, fruit orchards, cashew and clove groves, coffee patches, farmer's yards, lava fields, and streams and of course - rice paddies. We rode on or through dirt, rocks, mud, sand, concrete, tarmac, lava, and all the afore-mentioned animals manure (Hello AQIS!)

We had only one mechanical - a flat tyre on day three - and one stack each, neither of which required medical evacuation.

For me, this is one of the best ways to really see, and hopefully start to understand a place. Rather than stand there and look at it, do something in it!

For those playing at home we rode 280k in 27:26, ascending 3590m and descending 9792m

http://app.strava.com/activities/72498714

2013 Tour de Bali - Stage 8

Belimbing to Tibubiyu

From rice paddy to rice paddy

Stage 8; the last stage, the ultimate stage, the one after stage 7, the end of the tour. At the end of this stage we will be delivered to our hotel in Seminyak, where we'll say goodbye to Ketut, Made and the bikes which have served us so well over the past two weeks.

After a few team photos for posterity we start riding amid the beautiful rice paddies of south-central Bali. The first 11 kilometres take over an hour of ride time. We follow Ketut down though rough, almost invisible jungle tracks. I look for the flattened foliage left behind hoping there are no hidden surprises. At the bottom we cross a small boulder filled creek, the first of many. On the other side we push our bikes up a steep slippery, sometimes overgrown and almost indiscernible track. I follow Ketut hoping he has not lost the trail. How he remembers not only this trail, but all the others, some of which he does not ride for a year or more is beyond me.

In between dropping into creeks and hauling our sweaty, muddy arses back out again, we are rewarded with sublime, almost endless views across terraced rice paddies. At lunch we both agree that although the scenery has been fantastic, the reward for effort ratio is definitely in the negative. (I'm not sure if ratios can be negative, but go with me!)

The location Made chose for our lunch break is the best so far. Shaded by small trees, we sit on the side of a small broken tarmac lane. In front of us the ground drops away, and on the other side of a small stream rises in steps carved into the rich, pliable earth, and each one covered in a bountiful rice crop. A few workers ply their trade, planting young rice plants while we soak in the view. Above the paddies the ground is steeper and reverts to dense jungle. This is the archetypal view of rural Bali.

Made has gone above and beyond for today's last lunch. He has obviously noted my comments about how much I like sate, and especially sate kambing (goat), and I was touched by his gesture. Steamed white rice (Nasi putih) and the sate are individually wrapped origami style for take-away. As I slide the gristly, sauce covered meat off the skewers, I have no qualms discarding them into the undergrowth as they will be quickly reclaimed by nature. Unfortunately, many Balinese use this same method with all types of waste. We have seen many vacant blocks, roadsides, and waterways fouled with plastic detritus; the worst was disposable nappies in a creek we had just crossed. I fail to understand why they would choose to do this, and live amid such non-biodegradeble detritus, especially when they are in such a paradise.

Sorry, rant over - back to the tasty lunch with sublime views.

After finishing the meat, I poured the excess sauce onto my rice so as not to miss out on one mouthful of the peanutty spiciness. That was first course; second course is hard to describe. Nestled in a plastic take-away cup is a gelatinous mass of fruit seeds, cubes of jelly, and chunks of fruit, all swimming in a coconut milk slurry. The textures are unusual to the western palate, but the flavours were subdued and well blended. There were also rice cakes, flavoured with palm and coconut.

As usual the post lunch riding started uphill. Too much of my blood supply went to my stomach, employed in digesting the mini Balinese feast. Unfortunately, I am also asking it supply oxygen to my legs to get me over the next crest of the roller-coaster concrete double track. We bust a lung climbing, then recover and cool down bombing along country lanes hemmed by forest and fruit trees. The countryside is dotted with rustic houses and farm buildings. We scatter the ubiquitous mother hen and chicks in our wake, are howled at by grumpy moth-eaten dogs, and are waved to by small children. We pass the deer and fawn like local cattle tied in their stalls, slowly munching the fodder cut and delivered by the farmer. Occasionally we hear the grunts of, and smell the unmistakable odour of pigs. As we leave the forest, we are again surrounded by rice paddies. As we cruise on slightly downhill flowy double concrete tracks, we can see the ocean in the distance indicating we are close to the end; the end of stage 8, and the end of the tour.
As we turn the last corner Made is smiling and waving to us. He and the vehicle are ready to take us away from all this.

For those playing at home we rode 26k in 2:04, ascending 389m and descending 883m.

http://app.strava.com/activities/72498714

2013 Tour de Bali - Canyoning

Gitgit

Part three of our gravity fed non-cycling adventures

I have a healthy fear of heights, and having tried rock climbing - both indoor & outdoor - I know that I can be easily scared into a semi-irrational quivering mess. I can get to a point in a climb where I fear going on and can't return, swearing to myself that I will never again willingly put myself in a similar situation.

So why am I canyoning? Well, I thought it would be a merry jape, shits and giggles, akin to a child playing in puddles. I thought there would be a bit of swimming through deep, cool, crystal-clear pools, mixed with a bit of sliding into the next pool, maybe a little jump from a rock ledge a few metres above the water to add a frisson of excitement.

How wrong I was.

As we were introduced to the guides by the maniacally laughing Mika, soon to be named 'The Crazy Frog' - they were using this trip as an assessment to qualify for the next level in canyon guiding - I realised that my expectations were far from reality. The guides - a Balinese whose name I have unfortunately forgotten, and a Jordanian called Bashir - were both young, keen and professional as they explained the basics of our gear and how to attach to, and descend the abseiling rope.

When we entered the canyon it was a relief to get wet, wading and splashing though cool pools before the first 'feature'. This is what I had been expecting; a small chute maybe 3 metres in length, which we slid down into a very deep accommodating pool below. Next it was time to put all that extreme abseiling training into practice; a 4 meter drop over slippery, smooth worn volcanic rock, a bit tricky, but no real problem. As we progressed down the canyon the features became more challenging, until after a short break for a cup of sweet tea and some cakes, we were faced with a sheer 25m drop - with a waterfall.

At this point I was thinking back to those times where I promised myself never to do this again. My emotional brain was saying 'stop, this is crazy', and my logical brain was saying 'the gear is safe; the guides know what they are doing'. My logical brain won.

Onward.

The roping up and preparation were the worst, it was sphincter tightening territory. Once I was abseiling, and getting closer to the pool below I felt much happier. Or should I say, less unhappy.

One more 19m abseil and zip-line later and it was over. I can't say I was disappointed. I let my fear wash away, safe in the knowledge that I had survived. 

It was not what I had expected. It was far more intense and adrenaline pumping. I may not do it again, but I'm glad I did it.

Oh … by the way, the canyon was beautiful; the black-green walls worn smooth by eons of rising and falling flood water. At times the whole sky was covered by an umbrella of green foliage, cracked open by shafts of bright sunlight. Where the walls were soil, layers of geologic strata were laid bare, dripping profusely and losing groundwater in veils of diamond droplets. 

For those playing at home we canyoned for 3 hours and I peed in my wetsuit 3 times!

2013 Tour de Bali - Stage 7

Danau Tamblingan to Seririt

From mountain lake to infinity pool

We start this stage on the crater rim of Mt. Bratan - with views inward to the three lakes; Danau Bratan, Danau Buyan, and Danau Tamblingan - and outward into the clouds obscuring the north coast.

We dropped quickly on tarmac then slippery concrete and clay single track through clove groves. The tracks are partly moss covered and as slippery as greased ice because of the unseasonal rains.

As we leave the forest and slip through small villages, men are building bamboo ladders beside the road to harvest the cloves. 
A clove harvesting ladder is a work of genius and art. It consists of a single bamboo pole up to 15 metres long, into which the builder cuts rectangular slots at regular intervals, and then hammers bamboo pegs through to create the rungs. I saw one roped upright to a tall clove tree. Because the trees are not pruned or controlled in any way, the crop is small and sparse. A lot of work goes into harvesting this valuable crop.






We continue to contour around the hill on narrow tracks beside irrigation trenches, and as we bomb down country lanes, the heady odour of cloves drying on the side of the road greets us at every corner.


After a lunch with the additional pleasure of a spicy sate ayam, (Thanks Made) we have a few small climbs before some insanely steep concrete path drops. These lead onto silky smooth brown clay sinews of single track, which have us grinning like idiots. The ride concludes with a Euro smooth tarmac descent into Seririt. This gives us time to enjoy the views, relax a little and 'hallo' the locals.




I think we are the only people staying at the Bali Hotel Nibbana Resort, a compound of terraced bungalows leading down to an infinity pool overlooking rice paddies below and the ocean in the distance - sublime.

For those playing at home we rode 32k in 2:04, ascending 256m and descending 1509m

https://www.strava.com/activities/69880291

2013 Tour de Bali - Stage 6

Bedugul to Wongaya Gede

From red strawberries to red rice

Leaving Ubud behind, we drove north to Bedugul. It is uphill all the way, and we pass through rice paddies, sleepy villages, vegetable fields and forest. We check out a market which is obviously homogenised for the tourist trade - nearly every stall holder is selling the same products at over-inflated prices. We are offered watches, which if taken at face value must be some of the best in the world; they come with a 100 year guarantee!

The riding started on single track down through plots of carrot, spring onion, garlic, chilli, potato, cabbages & strawberry, then into classic dark, moist rainforest with soft deep soil, interspersed with roots and small drop-offs. Magic stuff. This was followed by big concrete and tarmac descents 'till we arrive at the recently proclaimed UNESCO area; a subac to control the irrigation system. Even though this is the same system used all over Bali to control the water as it gravity feeds through various farmers’ fields, this is one of great beauty and magnificent views.

We lunch on local delicacies; Balinese chicken, red rice, steamed spicy greens, stir fried vegetables and coconut, and Balinese sate.

After lunch we ride broken tarmac roads which contour around and then bomb down through farms and villages. Our hotel tonight is peaceful; villas placed within red-rice paddies. It is like being in a large terraced garden. The pool is fed from the paddies above, and drains into the ones below.

Our room has an outdoor shower which soothes as it massages away the pain of the road. It is cool up here on the side of the mountain, so there is no need for air-conditioning or fans in the rooms, and as we drift to sleep safely shrouded by our mosquito nets, we are serenaded by a symphony of frog calls.

For those playing at home we rode 28k in 1:55, ascending 357m and descending 1165m.

https://www.strava.com/activities/69880298

2013 Tour de Bali - Rafting

Ubud district

Part two of our gravity fed non-cycling adventures

We are picked up from our hotel and deposited at the top of a massive canyon. After being introduced to our guides, we are fitted with helmets, life jackets and paddles, and then descend the near vertical canyon on slippery moss covered concrete steps. The sound of the river below increases … and increases.
I estimate we walked down stairs for about 10 minutes, I wish I had recorded it on my GPS unit.

At the bottom we huddle on a rickety, rusty steel platform as the guides inflate the raft and go through a safety drill. This seems somewhat pointless, as they use an electric air blower plugged into a socket to inflate the raft. All the while we are sprayed by mist from below, and dripped on from above. Electricity, water, and steel don't usually combine well in any WH&S manuals I have seen!

This point is as high as you can enter the raging river; 50 metres upstream the river drops 20 metres between narrow vertical rock walls.

The guides are muscly and lean, and as the raging river below could quite easily crush the unwary or ill prepared, I have a quiet confidence in their abilities. Besides, what choice do we have?
The first fifteen minutes are the best, bouncing and rocking between vertical rock walls, dropping over large rocks, half filling the raft with water. It is dark - the colour palette ranges from black to dark green. Not much direct light penetrates the steep canyon walls. Moss and small ferns cling to the slick volcanic rock, worn smooth from years of abrasion.

The guides reverse us under a waterfall to be pummelled by the white water falling over 100 metres. Eventually the rock walls widen and give way to a narrow, jungle covered valley. It is very steeply sided, and I wonder how the vegetation clings to it.

As the rapids begin to reduce in ferocity, we begin to see other rafting groups join the river, and then more, until it becomes a procession. At some rapids we wait our turn to descend.

At this point I'm done - over it. What once felt like a potentially dangerous pursuit in a remote location has become another crass over-commercialised, touristy enterprise. The other boats are mostly filled with giggling young women with inappropriate footwear.

Where once we were required to help safely convey our craft - albeit under instruction from our expert guides - we are now merely passengers in a theme park.

For those playing at home we rafted 10k in 1:31, descending 302m

http://app.strava.com/activities/72500372

2013 Tour de Bali - Stage 5.1

Ubud

Through good luck and good fortune, the team have left our bikes with us 'till the next riding stage. We aim to take full advantage as they will afford a level of freedom not provided by the 2-hourly hotel shuttle bus into town.

After resting poolside post lunch, we saddle up and sans padded shorts and helmets, venture forth to search for good food and cold beer. Within 1 kilometre I spy what I have been looking for since we arrived, sate kambing (goat). The refrigerated, pre-skewered meat is quickly marinaded and then cooked over coconut husks reduced to charcoal by a swiftly turning fan. The chef - for this is a skill not learned overnight - then deftly wraps them, with an accompanying sauce, in grease-proof paper. Stapled shut, the neat little package is ready to take away for consumption. But I'm in no mood to take this anywhere; I'm in a mood to consume this straight away. The cooking smells have my juices flowing, and I will have my way with them; right here and right now!

Next stop is a taco restaurant - my travelling companion has a hankering. He says they are the best he has ever had - anywhere.

For old time’s sake I want to find a little warung makan I frequented on my last trip to Ubud. Although just off a busy street, it is just far enough for a little peace and quiet. I'd sit here in the afternoon, slowly sipping a cold beer and reading a book. Balinese life would play itself out on the street, kids coming home from school would reappear to kick a ball, or play chasey; people would park their scooters while they waited for a take-away meal; women passing would stop and chat with each other. To really observe, you need to stop and let the world spin around you.

It is just as I remember: only a few tables, a bit grimy, but the owner / cook is as always, cheerful. And she makes the best Nasi goreng this side of Jakarta.

Good times.

For those playing at home, we rode 7k.

2013 Tour de Bali - Stage 5

Ubud

From the luxurious to the luxuriant

This stage was different to the others; no heart-in-the-mouth slippery single tracks with vertiginous drops on at least one side, no tarmac broken to the size of cats heads bounce and skittle descents, or reach for a third lung bursting climbs. This stage was all about showing off the countryside to the north of Ubud.

After leaving the trendy art galleries and day spas behind, you enter in the bosom of the bountiful rice paddies on the edge of town. The landscape slopes slightly uphill toward the three volcanos which dominate the north of the island, allowing the irrigation system to gently drop the water from one paddy to the next.

Although the volcano's fury can be devastating, the Balinese owe the magnificent fertility of their fields directly to the fiery furnaces. They periodically spew forth the inside of the planet, bringing with it fresh minerals and trace elements, enough to sustain many harvests. They both destroy quickly and violently, and then provide slowly and gently for many years to come.

Last night it rained heavily, and as we cycle between the verdant paddies we are reminded that it is not just the soil, but the abundant water which sustains this crop. It fills not only the paddies, but the irrigation ditches, drains and streams. We ride along a ridgeline. Between us and the next ridge is a steep gully filled with coconut palms, fruit trees and jungle. The other ridge is just like ours, covered in rice paddies of various sizes, shapes, and stages of rice production. We pass farm workers who look different to the other Balinese in the villages and towns. Whereas the townies wear clean clothes and don't look worried about their next meal, these workers look harried, weather beaten, wiry and filthy. They carry a small handled sickle and a confused look as we pass by.

At the 'top of the ride' we are met by Made with refreshments, we then continue on by slipping through farm yards and fields of vegetables, every now and again we transfer from one dirt section to the next with a quick foray onto tarmac.

As we nip back through Ubud, we play dodgems with the tourist buses and local traffic, breaking all the rules and using footpaths to get around the jams. When we arrive at the hotel, Made gives us our lunch which he picked up from a local warung. We juxtapose the insane luxury of the swim-up bar with a cardboard box of local food.

For those playing at home we rode 32k in 2:29, ascending 456m and descending 456m

https://www.strava.com/activities/69130565

2013 Tour de Bali - Transfer day

Candidasa - Ubud

It is time to leave the coast behind for the hinterland; we may not see it again until we finish the tour. After Made picks us up in Candidasa, we are on our way to Ubud accompanied by a light rain.

Ubud has long been a centre of arts and culture, and as such has been an attraction for westerners for as long as they have been coming to Bali. We'll be staying here for three nights and using it as a base for more adventures. Our digs are a few kilometres from the centre of Ubud, but the hotel runs a regular shuttle service; we indulge their hospitality after checking in, and grab a lift into town.

We've heard about the famous Babi guling (Suckling pig), and as it is already lunch time, decide what better time than now to check it out. The restaurant has moved since I was last here, and is now reminiscent of the food court in a shopping complex - devoid of all authenticity. It is now a "Get 'em in, serve 'em quick, and get 'em out again" deal. The meal was no better, actually, not as good as many pork roasts I've had at home - two out of five stars.

After lunch we wander along Monkey Forest Rd., and I muse on how much busier it has become since I was here 3 years ago; more traffic and more construction. I used to enjoy staying here, and maybe the outskirts of town are still as beguiling, but the inskirts have become tragically over-commercialised. Tacky souvenir shops, western sports outlets, and over-the-top restaurants serving western style 'cuisine' are squeezed between traditional Balinese temples, houses and rice paddies. I fear that development will over run what once made this a special place to visit.

Be careful Ubud; don't shit in your own nest!