Bali Adventure Tours

On our second day, Justin, Laura, and I went on a full-day tour with Bali Adventure Tours and went cycling, rode elephants, and went white water rafting. We were on the tour all day with a family from Chicago who is currently living in Singapore – they were one of the only other American groups we saw on the trip, as most of the vacationers were Australian. This was a trip highlight for all of us. It is difficult to choose a favorite activity. We started out with a long drive towards the center of the island where we stopped and had a spectacular view of the active volcano and beautiful lake.

The active volcano

 

From there we began our 26km bike ride down the mountain. We stopped along the way to see hideously large, but non-poisonous spiders, a family compound where we tasted cocoa beans, marigold fields, and the first Hindu temple built on the island 1200 years ago.

Marigold field

This is a "medium-sized" spider

 

A family compound

Riding by a rice field

The first Hindu temple in Bali

We ended our bike ride at the Elephant Park where we saw a short elephant show, had a 30 minute elephant ride, played with our elephants, and had a delicious buffet lunch overlooking the elephant  park.

Riding our elephant - Ryan

After that we drove back up the mountain where wen went white water rafting for 2 hours. On our elephant ride, our “driver” kept calling our ride a bumpy taxi ride. When we told him we were rafting next, he goes “ooooh – big boom boom!” He was right! We had a blast with our tour guide and the two Germans in our raft, being tossed around. When our guide yelled “boom boom” we were to stop paddling and grab onto the ropes. When he said “BIG boom boom,” we squatted down inside the raft and held on as we went over meter high drops a few times. We had so much fun and would go again in a heartbeat. It helped that it was so hot and the cool water felt refreshing.

 

Philippians 4:13     I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.