|
Horse Riding
| Elephant Riding
|
Camel Riding
Camel Riding
Sudan
and Sahara are two of the seven camels owned by Bali Camel
Safari's, which is runout of the Hotel Nikko Bali in Nusa
Dua. Introductions were made as these single-humped, 10
year-old camels knelt on the sandy white stretch of beach
that fronts the hotel.  These
two noble creatures greeted me with a severe lack of interest
and a refined air of sophistication, seeming to regard
the world around them with a sense of patient contempt
and entrenched snobbery. Admittedly, it is not fair to
make such assumptions based on looks and first impressions.
In the end they did seem to appreciate a pat on the nose
and some of my innocuous small talk and proved to be gentle
and engaging companions in the time we spent together.
With their legs tucked ingeniously beneath them, our first
meeting was eye-to-eye. The guides, Komang and Nyoman,
helped us settle into the firm, worn leather saddles,
slipped our feet into the stirrups and commanded the animals
to rise. Sahara, the lead camel, waited patiently as Sudan
unfolded his legs and stood at full height.
 When
Sahara did stand, the feeling was comparable to riding
a roller-coaster — a quick, rolling backward swoop that
made my stomach instantly leap to my throat and produced
a pleasant bout of giggles. From atop the camel’s back,
I looked down on the top of my guide’s head, easily two
feet below my own, as he took the lead rope and prodded
the camels into motion. The camel’s moved in a casual
saunter that triggered a comfortable swaying for the riders
up top. The trek proceeded along the beach for a short
distance from where we could see the thriving sea grass
beds, which are cultivated in the area. We turned inland
and into the dry bush land that dominates this stretch
of the Southwest coast. Here, the flat coastland lies
submissively at the foot of a towering escarpment with
a craggy, wrinkled gray face. The sandy trail is hemmed
by gnarled trees in which gray monkeys cavort freely in
the protection of a designated monkey temple. The trip
passed through the sea grass processing area, a jumble
of bamboo shacks and sandy spaces where piles of multi-colored,
gelatin-like substances are separated and dried before
being exported to Japanese cosmetics and food manufacturers.
The
trek continued through the bush land to arrive at another
collection of bamboo buildings where the camels were commanded
to see-saw roller-coaster to a kneel and riders dismounted
for a quick pit stop. Soft drinks were served inside a
small warung where some standard tourist wares
of sarongs and woven baskets were on display for
sale. Once a month, the shade of a nearby juat tree serves
as the ring for one of the island’s favorite (if illegal)
pastimes – cock fighting. We just happened to be out camel
riding on such an auspicious day and stayed long enough
to see two rounds and two deaths. This is definitely a
blood sport and serious business, at least for the cocks.
Personally, I found it hard to watch, but felt compelled
to finally witness what is a common element of the Balinese
culture. After the rest stop, we remounted the camels
and retraced our steps back to the beach. The trek, which
lasted about an hour, was a fascinating exploration of
this isolated part of Bali and Sudan and Sahara were the
ideal guides.
Bali
Camel Safaris offers four trips per day, at 9 and 10:30
a.m. and 3 and 4 p.m., seven days a week. They provide
a free transport service for the Nusa Dua and Kuta areas.
With seven camels they can accommodate up to 14 people
per safari.
Click Here For Reservation
|
