I’m still breathless
We’ve been cycling with Exodus for 10 years or so and the last couple of trips have disappointed but this one restored my faith. It’s pretty full on, with a varied program, and we were pretty exhausted by the end, but happily so. Bali has a reputation as the Aussies’ Blackpool and certainly the areas around the airport and Ubud are choked with traffic and full of tourist tat. The great thing about this trip was that we ventured into areas where westerners rarely go - the central mountains and the north coast were particularly quiet and gorgeous. The east of Java was, possibly, even lovelier.
Most Inspirational Moment
I loved the day climbing up to Batur’s caldera and then descending down to the crater floor where we crossed an old lava flow. The snorkeling was also awesome. I even enjoyed the night at the homestay near Ijen, though don’t forget to bring a sense of humour in view of the paper thin walls
Thoughts on Group Leader
Wira is probably the best leader I’ve met on Exodus trips. Very calm, very organized. He was aided by his crew- I’m not sure how many of them there were but we always had three guys marshaling us on the rides and we also had our own chef who provided some super picnic lunches. Nice guys particularly Aan who always had a smile and learnt our names instantly.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Another review has mentioned the traffic. Most of the time we rode quiet lanes but there certainly were some busy stretches. Indonesian drivers are a more tolerant bunch than their equivalent in the UK. There were no two finger salutes or obscene hand gestures or verbal abuse. Stick close to the left side of the road and you will be fine
