Booked Quad Bike Riding with Bali Quad Discovery Tours through our friend Deden.
Five of us Departed hotel at 12:30 and then picked up a couple of other riders on the way up.
Drive takes about 1 hour and 15 mins through Ubud. You then arrive and you get greeted with a cold drink and the question "You ready to get dirty"?...and there's me thinking yeh sure how dirty can you get riding through a few rice fields and all?
hahahah yes you get very very dirty!!!! Sign away your life with the insurance paperwork, laugh at each other as you choose your helmets...you know the usual school yard giggle at how ridiculous you each look in your new helmet..
They have 6 bikes...all 250cc and one is automatic so no gear changes.
You then hop on your bikes, laughing your head off and do a lap of the training track...all well and good....
The guides...who I might add are great and good sense of humuour hop on their normal motor bike and all 6 of you tear off like your at speedway...wow this is such fun....
I was laughing my head off at my sister in front who had decided to come along and share the back of her daughters bike as she said she thought it would be a "spiritual" experience riding through the rice terraces, villages and local scenery...instead I see her on the back in front bumping from side to side, head flinging one way and then the other, dirt flying into her well made up face and her lovely manicured finger nails filling with red dust...all I could think of was the words "spiritual" and laugh so much I could hardly drive.
You get to one point and you stop and have traditional tea or coffee up high overlooking wonderful scenery.
You then drive like crazy for almost two hours...seeing the local children pop out and yell "hello"...as you hurtle past....you then slow down in the village and you see chickens, dogs, pigs and the kids then want to high five you as you drive past.....amazing to see how this noisy intrusion into their village is taken with a lovely smile from the locals...bless their little hearts....dirt is flying on their washing, they have to move aside when the bikes come roaring and they still manage the most wonderful endearing smiles.
I could only imagine what would happen if we decided to build a track for tourists through a local suburb...I doubt you would get the friendly "hello's" and high 5s here...maybe a few hand gestures but not high 5 ones ;)
You travel into jungle and through water....all a great fun experience.
At one point I go too fast down a hill and slide into the water....I notice the guide standing there and almost hit him as I was going to fast.....he waves me down to stop and I am thinking oh no I am busted for almost running him over and going to fast...he walks up to me with a big smile and says "wow you good driver....everyone else that has gone down that section that fast as fallen off...." hahahahah
I will say though at another point .....the guy behind me was travelling at really fast speed and a dog ran out in front of him and I had slowed down to avoid person in front and he rammed full speed into me....apparently I flew through the air off the bike...and onto the roadside...luckily I was only bruised...got back on and continued to have fun .
Despite falling off I still thought this was the best time of our trip...was like reliving my childhood...I am female and 33 by the way in case you wandering.
After you get back you get to wash off a bit then have a lovely buffett cooked lunch...when I read buffet was very skeptical having had the usual Kintamani Buffets in the past and lived to regret but this meal was wonderful....really really nice...more drinks, choccie bar and wonderful lunch.
Got dropped off at hotel around 7pm...told mum she was only having to babysit for couple of hours but left at 12:30.
TIPS:
DO WEAR OLD CLOTHES - you will get them filthy no matter how good a driver you are.
DO WEAR OLD ENCLOSED SHOES - dont wear your new Adidas as again they get covered in red mud....they do have some shoes there to borrow but only limited sizes and numbers
Do TAKE SUNGLASSES as you get dirt flying in your face so sunnies were a welcome relief
DO BE PREPARED TO HAVE THE BEST FUN
So if you are into fast bikes and having a laugh and getting dirty this is for you. Dont go if you think its a leisurely ride through the village and rice fields....its not its really quiet fast but great fun!
Apparently this company is bringing in a new concept called Bali Buggies in the next month or so so cant wait for that one!!!