Bali & Nusa Penida, Dec 2000 / Jan 2001

Relative Cost at the time of writing
1US$ = Rp 9,0000, McDonalds Big Mac: Rp 13,000
>>> to determine prices at a later time, base on inflation against US$ or Big Mac<<<
Airport Tax: Rp 50,000
Taxi from Airport to Ubud: Rp 90,000, metered Taxi for same distance: Rp 70,000
Meal at local restaurant: Nasi Goreng Rp 6000, Ikan Bakar w/ rice Rp 10,000
Meal at warung (Bakso + water): Rp 2,000 .. 3,000, touristic areas Rp 5,000
Bottle of drinking water at shop (1.5 l Aqua): Rp 2,500, touristic areas Rp 3,000 .. 5,000
Large beer at restaurant: Rp 8000
Rental Car (Katana, 1 day, w/ insurance): Rp 75,000 .. 150,000, at Airport Rp 150,000
Doctor fee at hospital: Rp 100,000, if visiting home or hotel: Rp 300,000
1-day bus tour from Rp 40,000, snorkeling tour US$ 40 / person
Budget accommodation in Ubud: Rp 30,000 w/ breakfast for 2
Mid-range accommodation in Ubud: Rp 70,000 ... 150,000 w/ breakfast for 2

General:
The Place
Green rice terraces, mountains with peaks covered in clouds, lush tropical vegetation with old tempels melting in. People are often dressed in colorful traditional clothes, ceremonies and processions are many. If you are lucky with the weather, you will need to buy extra film. Just driving around Bali for the sake of looking at everything is fun.
Bali offers opportunities for all sorts of activities from para-sailing to scuba diving, from shopping to opera. Given the compact size of the island, it's fairly easy to climb a mountain in the morning, have lunch on the crater rim, sunset dinner on the beach and spend the rest of the day at a mall.

The Balinese
Brochures from your travel agent will tell you that the Balinese are kind and hospitable people with a rich culture and traditions that are very much alive. Masters of all sorts of arts, their works are popular around the world.

The People You Meet
Well, all the above is pretty much true but as a tourist / traveller, you will naturally meet a lot of people who earn their money thru tourism. After a few hours on Bali, you might well get the sick feeling that modern Balinese believe in nothing but US$.
Whoever is working in the tourism industry will not feel bad about giving you wrong (or incomplete) information in order to sell you his taxi service, hotel room, tour or product. In tourist areas, items and services have multiple prices: Real price, backpackers' price, local tourists' price, international tourists' price, Japanese tourists' price. Prices eventually settle around what a majority of tourists agree to pay while bargaining far beyond that is sometimes understood as impolite.
There are two ways to deal with this situation:
a) You consider Bali one of the more affordable holiday places where your budget will not be a constraint: As long as things are cheaper than at home, don't drive yourself crazy, enjoy.
b) You travel on a tight budget and the sooner you run out of cash, the sooner you have to work again: Try to avoid touristic places and English-speaking people, have your own transport, learn the tricks of the touts, bargain hard where appropriate.

Getting around
This can be tricky. Whenever you try to catch a bus, someone will tell you that the last bus for today has just left and you either have to hire his van or check into his friend's hotel.
Public transport there is, but vehicles often wait to fill up and trips are cancelled when there are not enough passengers. The fare can be high and you may have to bargain hard, depending on your nose.
Again, expect to be given wrong information by people who want to steer you towards their hotels, shops, taxi services. You might be send to a place with no public transport out, so you have to hire expensive private transport.
If you book a tour, all transport is nicely taken care of. Depending on where you go, this can be cheaper than arranging for transport yourself.

If you are an experienced driver, renting a vehicle is an interesting way to move about the place. Car rental is real cheap, but expect some extra cost when things break down, accidents happen or police asks for a donation. When renting a car, check it properly before you sign the contract. Check brakes, tires, all lights, windshield wipers, spare wheel and toolset, the radio if you want to use it. Expect that some of the instruments lie. Most popular car is the "Katana" - driving this thing is an experience in itself.
Motorbikes and bicycles can be rented as well. Whatever the vehicle of your choice, it's not wrong to have a bit of experience in mechanical maintenance.
Caution is essential, when driving. Bali has a lot of traffic, many fearless drivers, mostly narrow roads plus some dangerous mountain roads.

Finding ones way is easy with the right map. A good and detailed one is the "Bali Pathfinder" (though they simply omit some important places!). The Nelles map is more expensive and not bad, either. If you are lost, it's relatively easy to ask locals for the way. GPS-owners can download my Bali waypoints and tracks so that getting lost becomes difficult.

Food
In tourist centers, there is almost nothing you can't get, and it's often very nice: Indonesian, Chinese, Japanese or Western food (Pizzza !). Mostly very affordable, as well.
In towns and along mainroads outside touristic areas you will find the regular restaurants and roadside stalls. Most popular streetfood is Bakso and Nasi Campur. Markets sell cheap and OK food as well.
In remote places, let's say in the hills of Nusa Penida, there are no restaurants. The few shops in small villages stock very little. Worst case scenario (bisquits sold out): Beer and dry instant-noodles eaten from the pack, energy drinks for your onward journey.

Now more specific:

UBUD
..is excellent value in accommodation. There are countless hotels, guesthouses and homestays, many of them exceptionally beautiful, clean, friendly and offering good food. I checked just a few of these and will briefly list the info I gathered. Surely there are hundreds of other places that won't disappoint, but who can check them all...

All places have attached bathroom and breakfast. Mostly with fan and sitting area in front/outside of the room. "Single" means one person in double room. If marked "!", I've stayed there myself.

- Gongsai Homestay: Double Rp60000, Single Rp40000
-! DSK Putu Putera Homestay: Upstairs Double Rp70000, very clean, beautiful buildings and garden, friendly family, hot water, quiet environment, small but nice selection of food, can order all day. 20 min walk from Jln Monkey Forest. Br Tebesaya No 30, Tel. (0361)973204 or 081 239 78963
- Yuliati Homestay: Nearby DSK Putu Putera and similar in layout, almost as nice. Double Rp70000 upstairs, Rp50000 downstairs. Hot water only downstairs ('cause of water pressure) !
- Mama's Homestay: A bit down the hill from DSK Putu Putera, Double 30K, quiet, rooms a bit dark, along a narrow stairway that leads down into the forest. Rooms OK but not perfectly clean.
-! Srinadi Homestay: Single Rp30000..50000, rooms facing the garden / forest out the back, a stream running there. Quiet environment, still not far from Jln Monkey Forest. A small selection of food can be ordered, but haven't sampled it. Very friendly family, Tel 971034
- Nuriani GH: Double Rp70000. Staff can arrange tours. Some rooms with view of rice fields. Located opposite Ubud View.
- Ubud View Bungalows: Double Rp 60000..150000, the more expensive rooms have a nice view of the rice fields and a cool breeze. Cheap rooms rather unexciting. Hot water. Cool staff. Less friendly if you ain't cool.
- Tiing Gading Bungalows: Very classy. Staff dressed in traditional Balinese clothing. Beautifully architectured bungalows on different levels on a hillside in a nice and shady garden. Pool. Restaurant. Massage. Can arrange tours. Well-managed. Quiet. Basic rooms comparable to above Rp70000-places. Cheapest double is $65 (+??%). If no visitors, may bargain down to $35. Tel (361)973228
- Artini Cottages 2: Pool. Double $25..45 (+15%). When I checked, noisy construction work. Too many rooms packed into the area and more being added. Rooms not nicer / cleaner than Rp50000..70000 places. Mostly booked out, many visitors.
- Dewa Bungalows: Not far from Artini 2, other side of the road. As I see it, this is the cheapest place with a pool. Double Rp100000(downstairs), Rp150000(upstairs). Very clean, nice layout. Would be my prime choice if I wanted a pool.

Note: Due to the huge number of homestays, guesthouses and hotels in Ubud, taxi drivers don't know many of them. If you stay at one of the smaller places and plan to go home by taxi, you have to guide the driver.

Ubud has a good selection of restaurants. If you feel like Pizza, try Pizza Bagus. Spend Rp 10000 .. 20000 (+ drinks) for a truly Italian treat. They can deliver to your homestay.


LOVINA BEACH
A few km off the central Lovina Beach area towards Singaraja, is Bayu Mantra Resort ("Bayu Mantra Pondok Wisata & Restaurant", GPS waypoint BAYUMA). Tel (0362)41930. Double rooms (half a bungalow) are Rp50000/75000 (cold/hot shower). Two rooms share one bungalow. It's clean, and the bathrooms are particularly attractive: Half bathroom, half garden. The ceiling is open above the garden-area.
The compound has a parking lot, restaurant, garden. Breakfast included but not exciting.
Outside the compound are a few restaurants, these receive more visitors than the resort's restaurant.
Just outside is a black sand beach with lots of fishingboats and fisherfolks.
A very popular, simple but nice and econo-priced seafood restaurant can be found a few km further along the mainroad (GPS: SEAFUD).


MOUNT BATUR AREA
We drove up to the crater rim and parked in front of one of these superscenic lookout restaurants. View was great, staff friendly, buffet-lunch affordable at Rp20000 but not very special. Good if you are very hungry. Dessert only partly edible. Don't expect too much, you pay for the view.

People of Gg Batur area are much into making-money-from-tourists. Kids ask for small change, guys offer taxi rides or boat tours (and won't let you go without lengthy discussion), women sell Sarongs and Aqua. Most folks are just annoying, but a few are rude, in the attempt of making money.

Climbing Gg Batur:
When coming from Kedisan and going to Toya Bungkah, there's a sign on the left side of the road that starts: "Information: According to the Bangli Regent De Cree No 377A year 1999....". This is the start of the trail that leads up the mountain. During the day, there are guides waiting for business.

Info from one of the guides at the startpoint:
The trip up and down can be done in 3 hours (2 up, 1 down). Four hours would be very relaxed.
You need about half a liter of drinking water, rubber slippers, a jacket or pullover, maybe a raincoat and a hat. That is kind-of minimum-requirement, many visitors are better equipped.
The guides won't start if the weather looks bad.
The cost of hiring one guide is Rp 150,000 during the day, in the early morning it is Rp 300,000. One guide will take care of max 4 climbers.
It's possible to park a bike or leave stuff in the hut at the start of the trail, where there are people to watch over it - not sure if it's safe, haven't tried it.

Toya Bungkah, office of the guides' association:
They offer numerous climbs and treks all over Central and Eastern Bali. It's possible to call the office (51262), they can answer questions about their tours, weather, cost.
 
If you intend to climb Gg Batur, keep in mind: 
The guides organization HPPGB has the sole right to exploit this tourism object. They were bad enough to put the competing groups out of business and get the support of the local police, which comes not free. Be nice to them.
None of the guides can give you a discount, he would be in trouble with the group. An attempt to bargain shows that you do not respect the organization. This won't be appreciated.
If you're on a tight budget, call them on the telephone and ask the rates, then decide if you want to go or not. Don't go to the office or the trailhead to annoy the people.
If nowadays you try to climb Gg Batur without a guide, you kind-of violate the monopoly of the organization.


Toya Bungkah, Hot Springs:
The Tirta Sanjiwani pool cost US$5 entrance.
Just behind is the public bath which is free but busy with locals and far from clean. Most visitors go there not to bathe but to stare at the locals.
The lake is OK for a swim or for fishing.

Pura Ulun Danau Batur / Songan:
Lonely Planet Bali & Lombok (7th ed.) suggests a 20min climb from the tempel to the outer crater rim.
When I stopped at Pura Ulun Danau Batur, a guy approached me and offered to guide me around the tempel and up to the crater rim for Rp 100,000. He mentioned that it would be a pretty good price as the climb of Gg Batur costs Rp 150,000. Then he offered me a substantial discount as well, so it seemed like a real bargain.
Well, I said that this was not a dangerous climb and I wanted to go alone, but "his organization" would not tolerate that.
I left and shortly after came back, headed straight for the trailhead behind the tempel. A girl confirmed me that this was the trail up to the rim. A minute later this guy was there and appeared angry and very serious about what he said. I didn't give him much time to think, jumped on my bike and headed out. I doubt that he belongs to the guide association that has an office in Toya Bungkah.
 
Restiti Inn Homestay in Songan..
..is closed. A villager told me that it went bankrupt due to a lack of visitors. The owner lives in Den Pasar.
 
The road to Toya Mampeh:
The turnoff is in the center of Songan. The road is steep and bad, just wide enough for a truck. There are lots of trucks coming down.

Trunyan:
Boats from Kedisan (Terminal) to Trunyan cost Rp 160,000 return for one person, +2500 for each additional passenger, max. is 7 people per boat. They are operating from 8am to 5pm.
It is possible to walk (or cycle or drive) some km around the lake in a counterclockwise direction. Until Abang, the road is sealed though partially very steep (up and down). From there it is stony and bad and eventually ends at the water. Few and mostly local visitors make it to this point, however, villagers quickly turn up and offer to take tourists to Trunyan in their Stone Age canoes. The asking price for this service is very high (Rp100,000) but prices are not fixed and it's possible to bargain heavily.
It appeared to me that if one is ready to swim or wade a few meters, it's possible to continue on a trail and get to Trunyan by foot, but haven't done it.

END OF MOUNT BATUR AREA.


DANAU BRATAN
In Bedugul, they rent out jetski, do banana boat rides and para-sailing. There can be a lot of traffic on the lake. There's a large carpark, to cater for the many visitors that come on weekends.
The western side of the lake, around Pura Ulun Danau Bratan, is a lot less busy (and there's not much to do, either).


KLUNGKUNG
There are 3 places to stay in Klungkung (listing best to worst):
-! Ramayana Hotel (GPS: RAMAYA): Bungalow-style, garden restaurant, carpark, friendly and helpful staff. The cheap rooms at the back (Rp40000) are noisy and not very clean (kampung behind). The rooms near the restaurant / the front (Rp70000) are a lot nicer but it's not Ubud standard. Can bargain quite a bit.
- Losmen Cahaya Pusaka (GPS: PUSAKA) has small and unattractive rooms, the place is in need of maintenance. Rooms are Rp30000..40000. Cannot bargain a lot.
- Wisma Wisnu (GPS: WISNU) is the cheapest of all three. It looks like a youth hostel or a military installation, with several double-storey beds in one room, many rooms on one long corridor and at least two floors. It's not clean, but then not much worse than Cahaya Pusaka while you get a looong corridor for roller-skating. If everything in Bali is booked out, this place will surely have a bed for you. Rp20000 per person, cannot bargain much.
Klungkung has several markets. Ask for the pasar, pasar pagi, pasar malam. You'll be sent to whatever is on.


THE ROAD FROM KLUNGKUNG VIA SIDEMEN..
(GPS: XBA006 to XBA005, SIDEME) is nice and quick to cycle, but it's not free of traffic. Quite a few trucks and more rental cars make it thru there.
I met tourists on the road, they said that Sidemen had some very nice places to stay.


AMLAPURA
Ujung Water Palace (GPS: UJUNG) somehow reminds of the ruins in Angkor / Cambodia.
Some repair has been started and stopped again. People are farming inside the compound. If a visitor turns up, someone will appear to harvest a donation. If you feel it's not right, no need to pay anything.

CYCLING AROUND THE EASTERN TIP OF BALI (Ujung - Seraya - Lipah - Amed - Culik)
After Ujung it's fairly flat until the road climbs the mountain. Then it's a steady and never-ending uphill until Seraya. Fairly good road but continuously up, some parts a little steeper. Up there in Seraya you surely need a break, enjoy the cool breeze while you look around the temple at the top. Shops selling drinks and food.
After Seraya, things are not going easier. It's no longer up-and-nothing-but-up, it's up and down while the road is deteriorating with every km you go. Still there are plenty of villages along the road.
In several places, streams are running from the mountains and form natural baths. If coming at the right time, you can find half the village population there.
Yet before Lipah, one reaches a number of resorts. The first one from the south is..

-! Meditasi (GPS: MEDITA) on Aas Beach, Fax 0363 22244 (no phone). I stayed there one night and was really impressed, long time I have not seen such a place. I will tell a bit about it:
This resort is located near the sea, just a few meters from a sand beach with fisherboats and fisherfolks.
It's meant to be a quiet place without electricity (impossible to recharge a handphone battery, there) all built of natural materials. It borrows pretty much from Balinese style. One rents a small house with one large room, and a large balcony. Furniture and bed inside all bamboo. However, a very nice spring mattress on top of the bamboo frame and though there are no mosquitos, there's a mosquito net provided.
The walls on the front and rear of the house can be slid open, kind of huge doors.
Outside, on the balcony, another double bed, same like inside. Chairs and tables on the balcony are again bamboo.
In front of the balcony is the garden of the house, then some trees and the beach.
A fresh breeze is coming from the sea and at the right time, one can watch the fleet of fisherboats go out or come back.
Behind the house is a little backyard, where there's the (western-style) toilet, shower (bamboo pipe), washbasin with mirror. It's nicely done with plants and decorative stones. A high wall surrounds this area.
Access to the house is via this backyard. The door of the yard is narrow and high, and can be locked from inside with a wooden bar.
For lighting, each house is equipped with 2 petroleum lamps.
The restaurant building resembles a longhouse and people sit down on the floor to eat. At night, also petroleum lamps. Again very much back-to-nature. The food served is absolutely excellent. Quality of the materials, preparation and presentation (on banana leaf). Tea and coffee are free.
The sea nearby is said to have attractive, unspoilt areas for diving. Diving trips are booked in Amed, from where divers bring the equipment. Transport from Amed to Meditasi is by road, then by traditional fisherboats.
After dinner I came back to my house and relaxed on the balcony bed. It wasn't my intention, but I fell into a deep sleep and only woke up next morning. Breakfast again excellent.
The owner and designer of Meditasi, Wayan Lagoza (a social Indonesia-Ethno-Environmental-Hippie, a strong character) charges US$20 per house (one person US$14). Includes breakfast. It's possible to pay in Rp, then it's less. Can bargaining, if there are not many visitors.
One can call this a back-to-nature experience without the inconveniences. Simple with exceptions where comfort is affected, very clean and attractive. Know that as long as you stay at Meditasi, a god is inside you - at least this is what Lagoza says.
- Now I should say that there are several other nice resorts in the area, but I haven't checked these. Most likely they don't provide a free personal god.

The distance from Klungkung to Meditasi on the route described above is 66 km, a good share of tough kilometers, best done on a mountainbike.

From Meditasi, it's a few more hills to the Culik junction (GPS: CULIK). There you can either go north or back to Den Pasar (on an easier road). For me, it was north:

CYCLING ALONG THE NORTH-EAST COAST
It's a day's ride from Meditasi to Yeh Sanih, around 80 smooth kilometers, including a visit to the Les waterfall (GPS: WAFA1)

LES
If you like to visit the waterfall, turn left at GPS waypoint LES, then go straight up the hill to the public bath. Pass the bath on the right side, as indicated on signs. Next is an extremely steep hill. Up there is a restaurant and people will offer to guide you to the waterfall. You don't need a guide, but unless you have a vehicle, one (or more) will follow you. The path to the waterfall starts left of the restaurant - a motorcycle or mountainbike can go. About 1 km from the waterfall it's getting very difficult for a bike and it's possible to park it there. Follow the trail uphill over some rocks, and you will reach GPS waypoint WAFA1. Nice falls, falling from high and hit pretty hard, pool a bit too shallow for swimming.
As you come back and pass the restaurant, you'll be asked to enter your name in the visitor's book (for the sake of statistics) and give a donation (for the sake of the bridge on the trail). Most tourists seem to donate a heavy Rp20000..40000, no need to do that. The locals who actually use the bridge every day never heard about improvement plans.

Further north is TEJAKULA, the horse bath is GPS waypoint TEJAKU. Eventually you reach..

YEH SANIH,
a town with a few resorts and a nice public bath. The pools charge an entrance fee of Rp2000 (children Rp1000). This includes an insurance that will pay Rp 2,500,000 if you happen to die in there.
Inside the compound, along the beach, is a good selection of warungs.
I spent the night at..
-! "Tara Bar & Hotel". I believe it's the east-most place. Bungalow-style rooms along the sea (no sand but a dam), nice garden with coconut palms, rooms range from 35000 to 50000, including a mediocre breakfast. The name suggests it is a place with strong nightlife, but this is not the case. Very quiet.
- Puri Rahayu is overall a lot nicer, has a safe parking lot, more breakfast options, asking for Rp 50000 (non-aircon room) but can bargain. The place lacks the sea breeze. It's near the road, away from the sea. Probably OK for motorists.

PURA MADUWE KARANG
is west of Yeh Sanih. GPS waypoint KARANG is a must for cyclists.
When I was there, the front door was locked and someone showed up to bring me in thru the left rear door. It is a nice tempel, but one is not allowed to go up the main plinth. Note the dog to the left of the cyclist. Familiar ?
Again, you will be confronted with a visitor's book. Rp10000..20000 is what most people donate. Donations eventually earn more than fixed entrance prices.

Cyclists can catch a public bus to the crater rim of Gg Batur at Kubutambahan, turnoff to Penulisan (GPS: KUBUTA). Busses are able to carry bicycles on the rooftop (have to admit I was lazy).


BICYCLE DESCENTS FROM GG BATUR
If you are ready to spend a little money on motorized uphill transport, Bali's mountains can be a lot more fun. Assuming your brakes work well.

Descent from Gg Batur outer crater rim to Ubud: Start from the ticket box at the crater rim (GPS: TICKET). The road first looks bad but after a few km, it becomes pretty much OK. It's straight down, never ever turn left or right until you are in Ubud. You'll pass Talepud (GPS: TALEPU), Tegallalang(GPS: TEGALA), and later a public swimming pool (GPS: KOLAM2), that's almost Ubud. This ride is not steep and purely downhill. Traffic is not too bad.

Descent from Penulisan to Den Pasar, via Lampu:
This one requires some stamina and a good bike. First half of this descent is very scenic, with cool, green and misty valleys, a high chance of rain, virtually no traffic. The second half is fast and easy, with more and more traffic the closer you get to Den Pasar.
Start near Penulisan (abt 1680m above sea level), at the turnoff to Lampu (GPS: XBA003). Straight down to Lampu (GPS: LAMPU). Turn left / south and continue first to Lewak (GPS: LEWAK), then to a restaurant at a junction (GPS: BILOK). Eat well at this restaurant and turn right / west. It's real bad mountains until Plaga. In Plaga, you might want to do a quick excursion to Pura Puncak Tedung = Pura Gunung Payung (haven't done it).
From Pelaga again steadily down to Angantiga (GPS: ANGAN3) and Petang (GPS: PETANG). There the traffic starts to get more. Further down XBA004 and on to Mambal (GPS: MAMBAL), where you follow the signs to Den Pasar.
For GPS users, attached Bali.plt contains this and other trails.

BICYCLE SHOPS (apres-descent activity)
Basic parts like a 26" tire, inner tube, 26" x 36 rim, spoke, brake lever, brake cable, brake pad, a cheap Taiwanese derailleur can be found at most bike shops on the island. If however you need a chain for a 9-speed cassette, an XT shifter, special brake shoes, clipless pedals, an aluminium rim for 32 spokes, an odd-sized saddle stem, a Rock Shox fork, you'll most likely have to go to Den Pasar. Many of the bike shops there look like they don't have high-end stuff, but actually they have a few high end bits and pieces somewhere in the back. If you need exactly that 1998 LX derailleur, you might have to check a lot of shops, but it's not hopeless. One of the better Den Pasar shops is at GPS waypoint SPEDA2. The classiest shop I found is Rodalink in Kuta (GPS: RODALI).
A popular local mountainbike brand is "Polygon". They can last but are heavy.

BICYCLING IN GENERAL
Cycling is best done on Bali's quiet sideroads, because..
- There is a lot of traffic on the mainroads, while these are mostly narrow. Some drivers expect that you hear them coming and get out of their way in time. If you don't, a mirror could hit you (mostly Pertamina trucks).
- Mountain roads are not only difficult to climb, but hard-working trucks pollute the air with their exhaust fumes.
Expect the following nuisances all over Bali:
- At night, dogs run after cycles
- Motorcyclists do very "cool" things, like touching you, cutting across you, speeding up and down the road as fast as can to impress people like you.

So why cycle at all ?
- Above is not THAT bad, particularly if you take advantage of the many sideroads (or Nusa Penida, read on below).
- Bali is a real beautiful place and cycling is a good way to experience it in-depth.
- Cycling gets you away from touts and tours and brings you into contact with nice people.
- Independence. Go where you want to go, not where other people think you should go.
- Great descents from the vulcanos, motorized uphill transport cheaply available.
- Maybe you're cycling at home and never thought about NOT cycling in Bali.


TANAH LOT
A perfect tourist trap. Still nice to take photos.
Careful when you pose on that large rock near the sea. As I watched it, a slightly bigger wave hit the rock and all people on top were washed down.


PADANGBAI
There's an official ticket counter for boats to Buyuk Harbour (nr Sampalan) on Nusa Penida. The counter is pretty much hidden in a corner (GPS: PADANG). Before you find it, you've probably already bought your ticket at an elevated price from a tout who claimed that his office is the official ticket counter or that the official ticket counter is closed. Refer to my GPS waypoints and ignore the touts.
The large ferry to Lombok leaves as well from Padangbai.

KUSAMBA
This is another place from where you can get to Nusa Penida.
Boats from here cross to Toyapakeh and are similar in style and speed to the boats between Padangbai and Buyuk.


NUSA PENIDA
is only worth while with your own transport. It's a great place for mountainbikers, as hills and mountains are moderate and though some parts are steep, it's not so that they can't be done. Views are great and traffic is little, mostly motorcycles (in certain places at certain times, a noisy 2-stroke is passing you every 30 seconds).
I've done this by mountainbike, and that can take time if you look around a bit.

Accommodation is rare on Nusa Penida, I've spent one night in a village in the central mountains. Along the north cost, Toyapakeh and Sampalan have places to stay.

NUSA PENIDA, TOYAPAKEH
You can stay at
-! Losmen Terang (GPS: TOYAPA), friendly, half-clean, best place to catch a boat next morning. There are a lot of people around there as this is the beach where all public boats land, but can't say it's noisy.
- Mutiara Bungalows (GPS: MTIARA), from Losmen Terang a bit east along the beach. It's nicer and more secluded than Losmen Terang. Costs more, too. Before you walk there, ask at the restaurant of Losmen Terang if there is staff.

To catch a boat from Toyapakeh to Kusamba or Lembongan, be at the beach at 6am and expect the boat to leave at 7am. Ask many people for the boat to your destination, so that you are not told rubbish and miss the boat. If someone tells you there's a boat at 9am, he is probably counting on you to charter his boat after you missed the public one.

NUSA PENIDA, SAMPALAN / BUYUK HARBOUR
Accommodation:
- Batu Mungun Resort (GPS: MUNGUN), good location near the beach but several of the bungalows are in a bad condition. Seems there are not enough visitors to maintain all of them.
- Homestay Made. Looks very nice, but was fully booked due to a local celebration, when I was there. It's away from the beach, beyond the road.

Boats to Padangbai leave Pelabuhan Buyuk from 6am on. Last one is normally 9am, but depends on how many passengers there are. If you plan to go, be there early. Again, don't believe anyone who sais there is a 12am boat.

I came to Buyuk at 11 am, in time for that non-existing 12am boat, and around 20 boatmen were happy to explain me that the last boat had left at 9am and I must charter a boat to Padangbai. Some of these folks became very unfriendly when I was not at all in a hurry and attempted to bargain the price for a chartered boat from Rp 150,000 to Rp 40,000, while I insisted there would surely be a 12am boat and I just have to wait. After 1 hour the boatmen gave up and started messing with my bike, while one guy peristently explained that he would cut off one of his fingers, if there would still be a boat today. I don't understand why all these people cared so much about me, as I was just sitting there and waiting for a boat that would not come. At 1pm I eventually left, after I tightened back the quick releases on my bike.

NUSA PENIDA, GUA KARANGSARI
Nice stairs lead up to a temple, walk straight ahead where there are some rocks. Climb down a narrow gap between these and you're inside the cave. Electric light has been installed there, but it's mostly not lighting up the ground where there are many holes. Bring a strong flashlight and shine it on the ground ahead of you.
Walking thru the cave is not a big deal, once you have a proper light. The cave is quite deep and open at the end where there is a little altar. Nice place for a picnic, a cool draft from out of the cave and great view of the mountains.
Too bad that the guides there are such a nuisance, asking a high fee, not bringing their own light, stumbling over holes and slipping, more in the way than of any use. Bargaining with them for over half an hour got me nowhere near a realistic price. Then 3 of them wanted to enter with me, making it 3 times as expensive. I didn't bother and after we were back to the entrance, I just paid one of them very little, about double than what is written in the 1999 Lonely Planet.
They were upset but not aggressive, and explained that the Japanese tourists from the day before were a lot nicer. A passer-by adviced me that I should just ignore them.

NUSA PENIDA, SUGGESTED BIKE TOUR OF THE ISLAND
1ST DAY:
You arrive with an early boat at Buyuk or Toyapakeh. Cycle eastwards thru Sampalan and further on to Gua Karangsari (GPS: GIRIPU). Stop for a visit of the cave.
After the cave you'll pass a small shop where you can stock up on supplies. Beyond that, there is very little to be bought. The road climbs a hill. Soon you realize this is becoming a rather big mountain that will not end so soon. For your effort, you get a more rewarding view every turn of the road. Once you reach waypoint PEAK1, the worst is over. Pass Pejukutan (GPS: JUKUTA), rest under the huge tree at the junction until you feel fit to proceed to PEAK2. Then you're almost in Tanglad with its wind power generators.
Tanglad is a friendly and clean village, spread out amongst the hills, with some very narrow and steep walkways. It's nice to wander around a bit and enjoy the view while all the children of the place follow you. Tanglad has zero restaurants and 2 very small shops (if sold out, they are closed). It's one of those villages where you can't get a 10,000 Rp bill changed.
As you continue on the rather flat road to Batukandik (GPS: KANDIK), you pass a fairly well-equipped shop where you can buy anything a villager may need, from waterpipe to canned tuna. Villagers don't need toilet tissue.

At Batukandik (GPS: KANDIK), a turnoff to the left leads to a scenic cliff on the south-west coast. It's a swift descent through beautiful scenery. You'll pass a few villages until you eventually stop at the foot of a flight of stairs that lead up to a pump station. You can go up there for the nice view, but the more exciting views and the climb down the cliff lie straight ahead towards the sea: You'll find a path with occassional stairs leading down along the cliff wall. A waterpipe and some electric cables run along this path. The lower you get, the worse the condition of the stairs. They are suffering badly from the salty air. At one point, a steel bridge has collapsed and you have to climb along the cliff wall. Don't trust any steel beam, it could crack once you step on it. A bit further, and the dangerous steel stairs disappear, substituted by solid wooden stairs. These lead down to a little man-made reservoir beneath the sea (GPS: SPRING). It's supplied by several small streams, running from a cave. A pump is sending freshwater from this pool up to the villages, hence the waterpipe and electric cables along the path. Please don't bathe in the pool.
From the cliff wall, a bit of water is dropping on the ground, a modest waterfall.
Camping down there seems possible, with a slight chance of being hit by falling depris from the cliff wall. The top of the cliff is a better place for a camp. The nearby village is somewhat strange. People said I could stay there overnight, but had to rent a lamp for Rp70,000. Is this a tourist-rip-off or related to some real evil spirit that turns up when you don't use this lamp ? No idea.

The way back to Batukandik on the "island ring road" is hard work again. From the junction, it's straight north to waypoint XPE005 and XPE004.
The descent down to XPE001 is steep and offers great views of Gg Agung on Bali, but if done at night, it's no fun and not safe. 
At XPE001, you're back to the road along the north beach, 2km from Sampalan. Restaurants, accommodation, a bit of electricity (some days they direct it to Sampalan, other days to Toyapakeh).

WHERE TO SPEND THE NIGHT IN NUSA PENIDA, IF NOT IN TOYAPAKEH OR SAMPALAN
In case you can't make it back to the north coast accommodation by nightfall...
- you could continue thru the cool night with a light until you either reach the north coast or decide to go by one of the options below. If cycling at night, be prepared for dogs and snakes on the road.
- you could pitch a tent somewhere, away from a village to avoid the dogs.
- you could ask around for a hotel. You already know that there is none, so expect to be invited into someone's house. See the paragraph further down about being invited home.

That was the first day.

2ND DAY OF BIKE TOUR:
Wherever you spent the night, let's assume it wasn't far from junction XPE001.
From this junction, it's a nice road west which passes Pura Dalem Penetaran Ped (worth a visit). Breakfast is sold opposite the tempel (-> one of the reasons why it's worth a visit).
Further along this road is Toyapakeh, where you could gather some supplies before you climb the hills.
It's a moderate ascent to XPE003, the junction near Sakti village. Again there's a nice big tree that invites for a rest in the shade. Sakti itself is a bit down the hill and not too exciting.
Turning left / east at this junction brings you up to Klumpu, then it's down to XPE004 where you turn off to nearby XPE005 and Kutampe (GPS: KUTAMP).
From there it's straight north and downhill past waypoint PAIT, where it becomes really steep. During the descent, keep your eyes on the road and not on the amazing panorama ahead.
Back to the North Coast Road (junction, GPS: XPE002), you will find that you have half a day left, means you can safely complete this tour in 2 days, even if you shift some kilometers from the first day to the second day.
Extending this 2-loop, 2-day tour is always possible by adding visits to remote villages. As there are no hotels, you'd spend the night in people's homes or do camping.

If you plan to do this trip, download my Nusa Penida GPS waypoints and tracks.

END OF NUSA PENIDA BIKE TOUR



BEING INVITED HOME
If invited home, it's a great thing if you speak Indonesian. Most people in Indonesia are poor, so the chance of being invited by a poor family (who speaks not much English) is rather high. With Bahasa, you can avoid misunderstandings, say sorry or make your hosts feel more confident that you are fine.
The chance of being invited home is a lot higher if you can speak Indonesian. Eventually, people invite you not only because you seem to be lost and they want to help you, an important motive is that they want to ask the exotic foreigner sooo many questions. If your host can't communicate with you, he might invite a friend who speaks English and then the conversation becomes pretty much an interrogation.
When absolutely no communication is possible, people may attempt to teach you Bahasa. Alternatively, you could play games, sing, show photos or just fall asleep.
Note that villagers often go to bed as early as 8pm, and rise as early as 4am. When you are around, it may be such a special occassion that they stay up longer.

After you've read all the dos and don'ts that are written in your guidebook, you may be surprised that your host doesn't respect them. It's a changing world, but if you are a bit old-fashioned, that will not be a problem. A very important one is that you always stay calm and don't shout. Another one is that you don't wander into rooms where you have not been invited to go.

In most cases, you will be offered food. People have their own ideas of what foreigners eat. If you don't want instant noodles or bisquits, make it clear that you can eat normal food, spicy too. It is quite OK, often rice with fish and chili. Balinese cuisine has more exciting things to offer, and if your host has such, you will be offered to sample all sorts of things. Chances are that you learn to appreciate rice and fish and Mac Donalds.
The water that the people drink is OK for you as well, no need to consume bottled water. If their water was bad, they'd be sick all the time. If you ask, they will explain you how they get the water.
If wealthy people invite you, they often offer you a wide choice of nice food, and might even go out to quickly buy some beers. In a poor home, you may find that the family eats very little and lets you have most of the food. Means, there is not much and it's hard for them to quickly go out and buy some more. The rich won't accept that you pay them for the stay, since you are their guest. The poor however have not much of a choice. Pay them at least for what you eat, which is unlikely to be more than Rp2000 per meal. With Rp10000 (abt US$1) you're on the safe side. With the money that you give them, they will go to the market next morning and top up what they lost the evening before. If you like the people a lot and want to give them more, Rp50,000 are not a problem. Beyond that, they could react a bit strange. Never give money to children, always to the parents.

It could happen that some of your things disappear while you stay in someone's house. Stay calm and ask your host. A family with 8 children may not be able to control all of them so well while the children don't yet have the understanding that your things are not their things.

People will want to know your address but don't expect to ever receive a letter from them. They will leave you their address and ask you to send the photos that you took in their home. The photos will arrive, but don't expect them to reply. If you ever come to the same place again, the family will most likely remember your name.


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