Water is the organising principle of Bali, and the subak is how people organise water. A subak is a farmers' cooperative that manages irrigation for a group of rice fields, with its own rules, its own officials and its own temple, and the system has been working for roughly a thousand years. UNESCO listed the Subak Landscape in 2012, with the temple of Pura Luhur Batukaru on the slopes of Mount Batukaru, the terraced fields around Jatiluwih and the lake temple on Lake Batur among its elements. The philosophy behind it is called Tri Hita Karana, harmony among people, nature and the divine.
Mount Batukaru, at about 2,276 metres, is the second highest peak in Bali, and its forested slopes catch the rain that feeds the rivers and canals below. Pura Luhur Batukaru, set in a damp, mossy forest at the foot of the mountain, is one of the island's most important temples, and a quiet, rather mysterious place with tiered shrines under tall trees. The rice terraces below, in the area of Jatiluwih, step down the hillside in great curving contours, and you can watch farmers tending the paddies, with the sea faint in the distance.
Local rice varieties, including a red one, are grown here, and cooperation among farmers decides when to plant and when to release water. The cycle of planting and harvest is tied to religious ceremonies, and offerings of flowers and rice are left at small shrines beside the fields. It is a landscape that is as much cultural as natural.
Riding in Bali needs a few precautions. Traffic is on the left, roads are narrow and often crowded with scooters, trucks and dogs, and the surface can be broken, wet or covered in leaves. In the mountains the weather changes quickly, with mist and heavy rain, especially in the wet season from roughly November to March. You will need a valid licence that covers a motorcycle and, for foreigners, usually an international permit. Dawn is the best time for the terraces, with soft light and cool air.
Munduk, ten kilometres north, is the nearest sizeable village and has fuel in small roadside stalls and a few cafés. Fill up in the larger towns when you can.