Not Without My Bike In Bali

Away from Ubud’s crowds, a bicycle ride through central Bail reveals lush rice terraces and a mighty volcano

- Anand Holla

I barrelled down the inner roads of central Bali as if my bicycle had been retrofitted with an aircraft propeller. Gusts of wind smacked my face. Stretches of mint green fields garlanding the route sweetened my sight. At some point, I surrendered to the quiet and closed my eyes for a fleeting second or two; the wheels carrying my body, my mind shedding all fear. Perhaps, I could have lived that moment anywhere. But it happened to me in Bali.

An hour-long drive east of Ubud had brought me to Bangli district in central Bali, a region lush with rice terraces and palm fronds. It is a far cry from touristy Ubud, where I was vacationing. Earlier that morning, Wayan Suardiana, the guide from Bali Eco Tours, picked me up from my hotel for the cycling tour I had signed up for. The 21-kilometre bike ride takes visitors through the heart of the region. Accompanied by two more riders— American travellers Kari Johnson and Priscilla Mok—we drove out of Ubud towards our bikes.