Banyan Tree Bike Tours in Bali, Indonesia: ★★★★★

As the top rated activity for Bali on TripAdvisor.com, the half-day experience with Banyan Tree Bike Tours is one of the few things that lives up to the hype. The day starts off with breakfast at a hilltop restaurant with a spectacular view of Ubud. Participants chose between a Western style breakfast of banana pancake or an Indonesian style breakfast of nasi goreng, which is a delicious fried rice topped with an egg and seasoned with a little local spice to kick things up a notch. The carb-heavy breakfast ensures that everyone has enough energy to last through roughly a 15-mile bike ride.

Bagi, the owner and tour guide, started Banyan Tree with the hopes of introducing the "real" Balinese life to the many tourists that trickle through his town. The tour takes cyclists through village streets and vast rice paddies, with stops at a plantation and temple, where Bagi educates riders about traditional Balinese customs. Upon reaching the final destination, bikers are rewarded with a lunch prepared by Bagi's wife at his own plantation (save room for dessert!).



For those whose knees wobble at the thought of 15 miles, fear not; Bagi's gang of helpers are always nearby to help push your bike through mud and rice terraces. Also, there's an air-conditioned vehicle following each group to ensure an exit plan for those who do not wish to continue.

Banyan Tree Bike Tours allows vacationers to change it up a bit from the endless spa treatments and massages that Bali offers. In addition to the magnificent landscape, the connections that you will make with the fellow trekkers, villagers, and Bagi's team is what makes the experience unforgettable.

Tips:

- All you'll need is ample sunscreen, a camera and sunglasses. The tour provides transportation to and from your hotel, breakfast, lunch and water throughout the ride.
- As the genius who did the tour in sandals (who brings anything but flip flops to Bali??), I can attest that it can be done, but it is NOT recommended. Most of the ride is not strenuous, however, wearing sneakers will make things much easier on you, especially when you're schlepping your bike through mud.
- Be flexible with dates. Check the weather report to book a date without rain.
- Make sure you use the bathroom at the breakfast restaurant to avoid having to use nature's bathroom.
- If cycling isn't your thing, Bagi is available for custom tours throughout Bali, including snorkeling, hiking and white water rafting.

Banyan Tree Bike Tours
banyantreecyclingtours@gmail.com
www.banyantreebiketours.com/
★★★★★

additional photos:

Banyan Tree Bike Tours

Let's Redefine "Romantic"

With Valentine's Day just around the corner, many people are scrambling for last-minute plans and gifts. Images fed through media have brainwashed us with capitalism's idea of "romance." With Yelp invading my inbox today with it's own version of romance in this week's newsletter (chocolate, dim lighting, patio seating, overlooking beach, zzz), I decided to go to the press with a couple of my offbeat ideas of expressing your appreciation for one another.

Traditional gift: Flower Arrangements/Bouquets
Price: $50+
What it says: I'm unoriginal, quite possibly broke after the money I spent, and want to represent our love with a gift that has a fixed life span
Replace with: A potted plant, flower or spice
Price: $2-10
Not only does it live longer than a week, it continually gives a return.
Suggestions:
-peace lily, known to clean indoor air of contaminants ("I care about you.")
-jalapeños ("I'm hot for your lovin'.")

Traditional dinner: Prix Fixe at the City's Hot Spot
Price: $100+
What it says: I may be trendy, but I'm definitely broke after dinner
Replace with: Karaoke night
Price: $40
Rent a private room at the local karaoke bar, order some finger foods and booze (for the inhibited), and serenade each other with songs that remind you of one another.
My suggestions:
-Divinyls, I Touch Myself
-'N Sync, God Must Have Spent A Little More Time On You
-Madonna, Like A Virgin

Obviously, no two couples are alike; what works for some may not work for others. What is certain is that thinking outside the box creates a much more memorable experience. Saving money, which is something we all can appreciate, is just an added bonus.

7 Habits of Highly Healthy People

It's the time of the year where everyone's gung ho about self-improvement, and because we live in a superficial world, that generally means people are trying to lose some weight. Don't lie. You're not dropping poundage to benefit society by decreasing the pressure on our health care industry.

Speaking as someone who has had an ongoing war with this "weight" character, losing the Battle of 2008 with a BMI of 23.8, then winning the Battle of 2009 having slimmed down to a healthy 19.1, I am here to offer my words of wisdom.

Disclaimer: I do not have a science degree (bio, chem), nor I am not employed in the any field relating to nutrition.

First and foremost, one will never be able to lose the weight without recognizing that a lifestyle change is needed. People are tipping the scale because they have developed bad habits due to lack of time and energy, greed or sheer laziness; therefore, in order to re-tip the scale in the right direction, bad habits need to be minimized.

In its place, here are my suggestions for good habits (what has worked for me) in order of difficulty:

1. Eliminate sodas
If you need the extra kick of energy, try green tea. In addition to being tasty and versatile (iced or hot), some have argued that it has amazing health benefits, such as the potential to fight cancer and heart disease. Luckily my mother (who did major in nutrition science) brainwashed me at an early age to avoid sugary drinks, and I never developed a soda habit.

2. Drink more water
Sigmund Freud theorized that our oral stage of development occurs during the first 21 months of life, where an infant's pleasure centers are in the mouth. Anything that goes wrong during that stage can trigger a lifetime of oral fixation that can manifest itself as overeating. To satisfy said fixation in a healthier manner, consider drinking water, which is thirst-quenching, and who knows, just might be able to trick your stomach into thinking it's full. Whatever activity I'm engaged in (working, eating, exercising), I make sure to have a handy supply readily available.

3. Purge home/work of snacks
Fitting that this is point number 3, as there are 3 basic "C" enemies: candies, cookies and chips. High in sugar and grease, low in nutritional value. If you preemptively strike these enemies by eliminating their access to your body, then you're already halfway to winning the war. Instead, keep a variety of fruits and nuts to snack on when the urge comes.

4. Check scale daily
So many people I know are trying to lose weight and don't know their actual weight out of utter fear. Don't fear it! Embrace it. Use it as motivation. The positive stimulus that you'll receive from the decreasing number on your scale will condition you to keep up your efforts. Guarantee there will be days when the number increases, but don't panic. That's instant feedback to help you evaluate what you did that caused the weight gain, and come up with solutions to avoid it in the future.

5. Eat more fiber
My unqualified (see: disclaimer above) theory is that the faster you can dispel waste, the less unnecessary "crap" your body soaks in. To aid that process, add fiber to your daily diet. For those that absolutely refuse to eat naturally fibrous food such as celery, broccoli or grains, there's always the option to take fiber supplements. Personally, I eat a serving of oatmeal with brown sugar in the morning, and then follow with regular servings of fruits and vegetables throughout the day.

6. Stay active
I never could stay motivated to go to the gym or workout, so I had to brainstorm different ideas. I realized I spent roughly 2-4 days a week watching Laker games at home, so if I just spent part of that time doing physical activity (e.g., sit ups, push ups, jump rope, etc), I can better utilize my time, especially since most of the time, I'm jumping up and down screaming at the TV anyway. Couple that with occasional weekend social activities such as biking, badminton or hiking and I found myself a regimen that I enjoyed. Point being, everyone has different interests, so figure out something that works for you.

7. Keep dinner simple
It's end of the day, time to relax and enjoy, which for many means overindulging with dinner. Consciously control dinner portions and not only will it help with losing weight, it will keep you from feeling lethargic the rest of the night.

As an extra tip, if money is a motivator, Time.com recently highlighted a few websites that pay people to slim down without any financial obligation from you (article here). The websites make money from advertising and sponsorships from corporations looking to minimize their health care costs. You lose weight, companies save money and you make money: WIN WIN WIN. Safe to say, Michael Scott would approve.

Staying focused on a path of continued self-improvement is not easy, but a healthier you makes it easier to achieve your other goals. Of course, the compliments never hurt. Good luck!