Wild and Stunning are the two words that spring to mind when you hit the top of the mountain ridge along the Twin Lakes in the North of Bali en route to Munduk.
Living on the wild side in Bali to most means hitting the endless bars in Kuta or Seminyak, or living it up as a cool surfer dude in Uluwatu or Canggu. Except for nature’s waves, none of those places have anything to do with the real Bali.
Having spent a lot of time in Bali during the last four years, I’m grateful to have found the “real Bali,” and I much appreciate it. My wife and I make a point of exploring the hidden gems of Bali most every weekend.
When I arrive in those unique places, I always think about how sad it is that 90% of Bali’s visitors don’t ever see them. My second thought is, lucky us, we are alone, in nature and can enjoy it in peace!
The Ride.
The scooter, or rather, an automatic motorbike is the best way to get around in Bali. Beware though, bikes in Bali are not like scooters in London, New York, Paris, or Milan. These babies have power, with 125cc being the smallest engines on the road. If you don’t have experience riding a real motorbike, please be careful!
I love riding my Honda PCX 155cc and escaping out of busy south Bali. Up, up and away, you go into the mountains in the North. As soon as you cut past the Canggu area, you hit 📍Tabanan, where you get your first glimpse of natural Bali. The roads open up to nature, with vast rice terraces and palm trees surrounding you.
Pit Stop.
It’s a three-hour ride to where we are going, way up in the wild mountain area of 📍 Munduk. Scheduling pit stops is essential, especially if you are riding a motorbike. Riding is far more taxing on your body and brain than driving a car. Be wise; take frequent breaks, save your life and others’!
I’ll never ride longer than 1.5 hours before I take a 15-minute break to stretch, do a few push-ups and squats, and fill my tank with awesome coffee and chocolate at the best kept secret in Bali!
📍Pod Chocolate Factory.
Can you think of anything yummier than chocolate and coffee? Alright, maybe some things come to mind that can’t be mentioned here… I’ll leave that to your imagination!
I’ve been living the Keto life for over four years, so I avoid sugar like the plague. That doesn’t mean chocolate’s off the menu, though, as long as it’s dark chocolate. The problem with dark chocolate is that it can be bitter and not particularly tasty.
Hello, Pod Chocolate. These guys have come up with the absolute best dark chocolate, using only local natural and organic ingredients. They make numerous flavors, ranging from 60% to 90% in dark chocolate. Their collection and selection are fantastic. The best part? You can taste as much as you like when you visit their factory. Go there or be square!
📍Buyan and Tamblingan Lakes.
They are known as the Twin Lakes, nestled next to each other in North Bali. The ride up and around until you hit the mountain ridge is stunning, and the views from the top spectacular.
It gets nippy up there during the rainy season, with the temperature dropping to the low ’60s in Fahrenheit, around 15 Celsius. This place is where you start to let go of all worries, and you begin to feel the positive energy of nature!
Micro-Workout Time.
Check-in at📍
Instead of flopping myself onto the bed, I get right into my Micro-Workout. Why not just relax? Here’s why:
I’ve been riding a motorbike for three hours, I’m tired, my body is stiff and achy, and my head feels
It Stinks!
Durian, that is! A so-called fruit. I don’t eat much fruit these days, being Keto, I stay away from the fructose in fruit as it’s sugar. There’s so much craze around these ugly looking things; I never understood why. I hadn’t tried Durian until now, following my dear wife! Not only do these things stink to high heaven, but to me, they also taste like manure. Yuck!
My wife is Indonesian, and she loves Durian. It’s one of those odd things, I guess, some people love them, and others hate them. Try them when you are in South-East Asia, and see for yourself. Good luck!
Happy Pigs & Goats.
I love to see farm animals that are living a decent life. As I mentioned, I’m Keto, and I do eat meat because I know it’s good for us. At the same time, I will say there is nothing worse than mistreating animals, as they do in the big industrial farms. I always try my best to stay away from factory-farmed animal meat.
It’s great to see this farmer caring so much for his animals. I ended up petting and feeding the pigs and goats. That was fun, and real nature!
Trekking while Fasting. The Ultimate Fat Burn!
The📍 Munduk waterfall trek takes between two to four hours (depending on your speed). It leads to 3 different waterfalls – Laangan Melanting Waterfall, Red Coral Waterfall, and Golden Valley/Munduk Waterfall.
We walk pretty fast, so this is a serious but super fun workout for us. We practice Intermittent Fasting, using the 18-6 hour method. Meaning we have a 6-hour eating window, with the rest of the time spent fasting.
Water and coffee are all we have first thing in the morning until our first meal of the day, which will usually be around 1 or 2 pm. Most people would load up on food before going on a long trek like this, but for us, it’s easy to exercise seriously without having any food.
The Point: Fat and Ketone Burners are Energy Efficient.
Being able to exercise on an empty stomach and burn your internal fat and ketones for energy is an amazingly liberating feeling. We don’t feel hungry when doing this, nor are we low on energy. On the contrary, we are full of energy and focus.
Burning fat and ketones for fuel, instead of ingested food, create a caloric deficiency, which results in a lean, fat-free, and strong body. Along with eating the right food, this is the secret to weight-loss and weight maintenance for life.
Insidious Weight Gain?
Weight gained over time and as we age is known as insidious weight gain. Unfortunately, health experts, even doctors, accept this concept generally “normal.” Trust me; it’s neither normal nor necessary. Staying healthy, fat-free, and lean can be maintained for the duration of your life.
Coffee & Tik Tok at this Amazing Spot.
After arriving back at our hotel, we enjoyed a lovely omelet and bacon brunch as our first meal of the day, before hitting the road again.
On our way back, we found the coolest spot with the most amazing views over the whole Munduk area and out to the ocean!
📍Ngiring Ngewedang Resto & Coffee
This spot is a must-visit if you are in the area. They also make the famous Bali Coffee, Banyuatis, which is delicious. Sipping coffee at this magical place is pure happiness. That can lead to a bought of silliness in the form of an attempt at the Tik Tok! Please view our video and let us know if we
Why you must Visit the Munduk Region!
The Munduk Region is one of the most beautiful and spectacular mountain areas I have come across, and I’ve done a lot traveling in my time. The people are very friendly, helpful, and genuine. The air is fresh and clean, and the wildlife, as well as the lush tropical forests, are amazing and inspiring. Spending time in the Munduk Mountains will relax your body and mind. Hopefully, if you hike or trek as we do, you’ll get an excellent workout along the way!
Safe Travels!
Rob & Mariyam
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Rob Hourmont
Former Olympic Athlete & Certified Health Coach.
“It is my mission to educate people on how to lose weight, how to build a healthy, strong heart, body, and mind, supporting a longer life.”
rob@robhourmont.com
IG: robhourmontcrunch
IG: robshealthcrunch
