Bike tour Ubud: cycling through Bali’s rice fields

Welcome to this article about cyclin in Ubud, Bali. Have you seen ‘Eat, Pray, Love’ where Liz Gilbert cycles through the Bali rice fields? It’s very romanticized and I figured it would be hard to find such scenery when in Bali. I had heard that the Ubud area has changed a lot over the years and that I shouldn’t expect too much of it. However being Dutch, I figured that exploring Bali by bike would be a fun activity. I looked around for a bit and eventually found a Bali bike tour that I really ended up enjoying. Here’s more about it, enjoy reading about my experiences on this Ubud bike tour!
 
Also read: Bali on a Budget: money saving tips!
 

The start of my bike tour in Ubud

I had been in Bali for three days and didn’t do a whole lot. A bike tour through the rice fields around Ubud seemed like a fun thing to do. The tour started with a visit to the Tegalalang rice fields, just north of Ubud. Upon arrival I almost had to cry, what a tourist trap this is. It’s not as authentic as people want to make you believe it is. I took a few quick shots and got back onto the van. The next stop was at a Luwak coffee place but I didn’t find it interesting at all, it kind of felt like it was a compulsory thing to do.
 
After being on the way for an hour I still hadn’t seen a bike. As I started to wonder if I hadn’t made a major mistake by joining this tour, we continued our journey. Soon after we reached Kintamani village from where we had stunning views of Gunung Batur, the Batur volcano. Here we exited the van, were given some food (a banana pancake, what else?) and assigned a bike. Plus a helmet, of course. Our guide Stone explained to us that cycling around Ubud can be pretty dangerous and that we’d be on the main road for the first part of the bike tour. Eventually we would reach the country side to continue our journey and from there onwards the ride would be easier.
 

 

Ready to ride!

I was quite ready to set off and got on my bike in good spirits. In all honesty, the way down was pretty dull. Basically, it was just rolling downhill alongside the road. After about fifteen minutes of rolling, we turned left and finally accessed the Balinese country side. We cycled through small villages with temples, old houses and rice fields. Girls with braids in their hair and in school uniforms waved ‘HELLO!’ and every now and then a farmer would take a glimpse at us.
 

Bike tour Ubud: off to the temples

Soon we made a stop at some temples. It was my first temple since I arrived in Bali a couple of days earlier. In all honesty I’m not a really big fan of temples and so I decided to leave the group and take some photos of the area instead. I’m not sure if it was much appreciated but I really wanted to soak up Balinese countryside life where possible.
 

Cycling in Bali through the Pupuan rice fields

We got back on our bikes and eventually arrived at the Pupuan rice fields. And guess what? There was no one there. NO ONE! We got about 15 minutes to walk through the rice fields and take photos. After this break we continued pedaling and the landscape became more and more green. There were no more tourists here and small children continued to wave at us. As the sky became darker we prepared for some rainfall but eventually it stayed dry. The plan was to visit a wood carving factory but as it turned out, there was nobody there and since no one in the group felt like waiting, we decided to continue the last part of our journey.
 
The last bit was a fun bit. There would be two big hills in it and figuring that since I’m an experienced biker being Dutch and all, it wouldn’t be too hard. How wrong I was. Those two hills turned out to be major and I had to get off my bike both times as it simply was too steep. As had everyone else so it wasn’t just me …
 
Eventually we arrived back in Ubud half way in the afternoon, where we handed in our bikes and were treated to an amazing Balinese buffet. Afterwards we were dropped off at our hotels and a fun adventure bike riding in Bali came to an end.
 

Bike tours in Ubud

This was the first tour I made in Bali and even though at first it didn’t look too good, it turned out to be a fun day. Especially the part on the countryside, which eventually was the part where I came for. We had a small group of 8 and two guides with us, one in front and one at the back of the group. In addition a van with spare bikes and parts followed us. We could leave all our things in there. The guides were extremely professional, helpful and friendly. Go here and book your Ubud cycling tour now to ensure you have a spot:
 

Where to stay in Ubud and more Ubud tips

Looking for a nice hotel in Ubud? Then make sure to stay at Inata Bisma Hotel, my favorite Ubud hotel. Other great Ubud hotels can be found in this blog.
 
Are you planning to stay in Ubud for a longer period of time? Then also check out my blogs with other fun things to do in Ubud, such as The Bali Swing and the Campuhan Ridge Walk.
 

Conclusion and disclaimer

Being Dutch, I figured I couldn’t go to Bali without riding a bike. It turned out to become a fun and informative day. I wouldn’t really rent a bike in Ubud just like that because the traffic is ultimate chaos, so this Ubud bike tour was a great alternative. This blog contains affiliate links, meaning that if you make a reservation or purchase through my site, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.