Ever the fans of Lonely Planet, we read about Banyan Tree Cycling Tours from our trusty guidebook, and decided to book a tour to go cycling through rice terraces in Ubud. Sounds relaxing, doesn’t it?
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To our surprise we were the only ones on the tour that day – I guess that’s one of the advantages of visiting in December – virtually nothing was fully booked. Anyway, we started our ride through the rice fields, which was relaxing and beautiful. Also hot. Extremely hot. Before we knew it, we were looking down a steep muddy hill with our guide happily sliding down before us, wondering what the hell was taking me so long. Guess that’s the downside of visiting during rainy season…
See also: What to know before visiting Indonesia
After sliding and skidding down the hill and peddling back up a steep hill we were suddenly exposed to a two lane road (typical in Bali) where we biked along the side exposed to tour buses and, of course, the thousands of scooters whisking by. Luckily, and to my great surprise, a tour bus didn’t hit us and we made it safely to our next stop – Luwak coffee (kopi luwak) tasting.
What is luwak coffee? Well, for starters is the world’s most expensive coffee, selling for around $500 per pound!
A civet, a small cat like creature, chews the coffee beans and poops them out, having removed the outside of the coffee shell. Or something like that. Haven’t you ever heard of a cat-poo-chino? Like so many touristic sights that include animals in Indonesia, there is some controversy over how civets are treated. I had no idea about it until starting to write this blog post, but in hindsight, I can see how this could be a an animal cruelty problem. I have to admit though, the coffee wasn’t so impressive to me – the tea tasting was far better!
Looking for more tips on Ubud? Check out my 5 things to do in Ubud
Where to stay in Ubud
We stayed at Pertiwi Bisma 1 during our time in Ubud, and we loved it so much we decided to stay an extra night! Pertiwi Bisma 1 is very affordable – I think we paid around $35 per night. Not only is it conveniently located just a short walk from all the best sights of Ubud, but it also has an epic infinity pool that looks out over the jungle. I never ever wanted to leave…
Planning your trip to Indonesia? Lonely Planet is my go-to for all my travels and I used it to plan and inspire all my travels in Indonesia
Gabby is a native (Northern) Californian who spent the majority of her 20’s living the expat life in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, exploring Europe and beyond. 27 countries later, she’s relocated back to her home base in California where she explores her passions for the travel and the outdoors.
