We arrived in Bali in the wee hours our first day. We got a killer deal on airline tickets. The savings were well worth our late arrival and red-eye home.
I was relieved when we arrived at the airport and found it was very easy to get our visas. About 10 minutes and $50usd later we were cleared to stay in the country for up to 15 days. I was relieved a second time when I saw a guy holding a sigh with my name on it. With some of the language barriers, I’m not always 100% confident our arrangements will follow through. We had a short car ride to our hotel, Tony’s Villa. We absolutely loved Tony’s where we enjoyed our own private bungalow villa for $67usd per night including a nice breakfast. A bargain! It was our home away from home for the next 4 nights. The grounds were beautiful and well kept. It felt like you were in the jungle but we were really tucked away in from the city. It was a great location as well: 5 minute walk to the beach, convenient store close by for bottled water and such, and it also had a burrito place across the street. I know what you’re thinking…Burrito’s in Bali? Two words – Mojo Burrito! We dined at Mojo’s about 3 times during our stay in Seminyak. I’m not ashamed of it either. They had good food and even better margaritas. We made the “mistake” of getting a pitcher to share our first dining experience there….tipsy travelers! It turns out you really only need 1 glass to do the trick. It took us back to some fabulous Sugg family vacations in Cabo San Lucas, MX!
In our first day in Seminyak we slept in a bit and had a delicious traditional Balinese breakfast to start the day. Breakfast included really strong local and fresh coffee (yum), and some fried yummy rice with a fried egg on top. This was also served with fresh fruit (papaya, pineapple, watermelon, and banana) and fresh fruit juice. We also learned the best trick ever. Squeeze fresh lime juice on the fresh fruit, the papaya and lime were especially delicious.
We then made our way down to the beach. The water was a bit rough that morning, but there were still safe areas to swim. We walked up and down the beach just to scope it out. We eventually settled on some lounge chairs right on the beach for rent by a few locals. It was about 10usd for 2 chairs and an umbrella for 2 hours. Of course Chris got us a bargain price as usual! It was heavenly to relax and listen to the sound of the waves hit the beach. There were some hawkers on this beach, so every 20 minutes or so a local would walk by trying to sell us a hat, sunglasses, sarongs, or jewelry. If you smile and shake your head no they go away without hassle. Chris and I played in the waves and cooled off in the Indian Ocean. We took the umbrella down after our first dip (big mistake!). Even with sunscreen on, we both got burnt to a crisp just being exposed to the sun for a short amount of time. I guess that’s what happens 8 degrees below the equator! Good thing I packed aloe vera gel for us. So we spent the rest of the trip lathered in spf 50 and tried to find shade when possible.
We moseyed back to our hotel later that afternoon. This is when we discovered Mojo’s Burritos and fell in love. That evening we took a taxi down South to Jimbaran Beach to enjoy the sunset and some fresh seafood on the beach. We had a grilled lobster and more prawns than we could eat, rice, water spinach, and a few Bintang beers for $40.
Since we had such a relaxing first day we decided to go for some adventure the next day. We found some flyers at our hotel and decided to do a 3 hour downhill cycling trip down from a nearby Volcano, Mount Batur. I was super nervous about the downhill part because I’m crazy and prefer the challenge of an uphill. I don’t like going fast downhill on a bike, skis, snowboard, etc. It ended up being a wonderful trip. We got picked up bright and early and headed out on a 2 hour drive north to the volcano. We stopped about half way at a “coffee plantation”, which really turned out to be a place you drink and buy coffee…It was still beautiful regardless. Then we arrived near the volcano where we would start our ride. We had a great view of the volcano and enjoyed a late local breakfast. I had banana pancakes which were like a pancake with whole chunks of fresh banana and some sugar (delicious) and Chris had banana bread which was similar but more like bread. We both tried some hot ginger tea. It was great, but I’m pretty sure was loaded with sugar. It did have chunks of fresh ginger in it, so it must be good for you, right?! Then we started out on our 3 hour (about 30K) bike ride. I had to walk down a few hills that were too steep for me, but I’m glad I pushed myself to go. The scenery for the next 3 hours was absolutely breathtaking. We rode through many small villages with each village having numerous small but very cool Hindu temples. We saw beautifully green rice fields and also rice terraces.
The deep green against the bright blue sky was gorgeous. For one of our breaks we stopped at a local farmers field to check out the irrigation and how they care for the rice. Unlike most climates Bali is special because they are able to grow rice year round. They harvest their crops every six months versus once per year. Our trip was at the tail end of the rainy season and many of the fields were ready for harvest. The Balinese irrigate and store water which allows them to grow all year. The Balinese believe in many gods. They pray to the water god for enough water for everyone in the village to have enough water for their fields. They also believe in a volcano god. If the volcano erupts they believe they did something to aggravate him. Don’t worry the volcano hasn’t erupted since 1992, so we felt pretty safe.
We ended the tour at our guide’s home for a traditional lunch that was prepared by his wife. His family lived on a large property that was shared with his family and extended family. They all seemed to be healthy and happy, but there living standards are much different than ours. I went to use their bathroom and caught a glimpse of their bedroom and it appeared to be a large room with 3 mattresses on the ground with no sheets. Ketut’s family and his brother and sister’s family all shared this “house”. I’m guessing they all (appox 6 adults and 5 kids) slept in this room together. Everyone in the family contributes. Ketut’s family was all busy at work while we were there. Several other family members were making “handy crafts” while others were working around the property.
Our lunch was served traditionally. We took our shoes off and sat on the floor and ate at low table outside. We had just finished riding bikes for 3+ hours outside and I was dying for some air con, but it was pleasant after we rested a bit. The plates were like a woven paper plate holder, but instead of a paper plate they use a thick piece of paper. It worked fine and uses less paper. We had white rice, chicken satay with peanut sauce, a bean patty thing (sounds gross, but it was good), cooked vegetables, a spicy chutney type thing, pork, and fresh fruit for dessert. The kids in the village were super cute and I got some great pictures of them. I would take their picture and then show it to them on the camera screen and they would go nuts with smiles and laughter.
We got back to our hotel in time for showers and then we hit the beach to catch another great sunset. We stopped at a hotel called The Samaya with beach access and had a drink and a snack there. They had wagyu beef sliders with foie gras mayo and black truffle cheese. They were to die for! After this indulgence and the sun setting we went for a more local meal nearby to have more inexpensive Balinese cuisine. We liked the local food, but didn’t love it. They had a stir fry ramen type noodle dish with vegetables, steamed fish, morning glory/water spinach, rice, and some a pork dish. It hit the spot, but we didn’t like it as much as the food in Thailand or some places in China.
We had another relaxing day on our 3rd day. We slept in, had a big breakfast, napped, went for burritos again, and then we went for super cheap massages. We each had hour foot massages, I got a mani pedi, Chris got an hour body massage for $50usd. The place was super cute and clean. The staff were very skilled and friendly. We ended the afternoon with a long walk on the beach. It started raining about 10 minutes into our walk, but we didn’t let that stop us. We walked in the rain for about an hour before returning to the hotel. For our last night in Seminyak we tried to get reservations at Sarong, but they were fully booked. We walked down to The Living Room hoping to get a last minute booking. They were able to squeeze us in and we had a really nice dinner. It has western food mostly with some Asian-fusion. We decided this would be our 2nd wedding anniversary dinner and celebration. Since this trip was just one month shy of our anniversary.
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Ubud & Around
On day 4 we headed up to Ubud. On the way to we stopped at the most photographed temple in Bali, Pura Tanah Lot. It’s a large temple literally in the ocean. The tide was too high to go out to the temple, but we got lots of great photos! We then headed to our hotel just outside of Ubud. The hotel we originally wanted to stay out was booked and that hotel referred us to the Bumi Ubud Resort. At first glance we were really happy with this choice, but once we looked closed the place was a total bust. We just spent minimal time there and were very glad we only had to stay 1 night there.
Our first night in Ubud we went to watch the traditional Balinese dance the Kecak and Fire Dance (please see video below). It was very cool to see. I think the building we were in was a temple but we were still able to buy beer. I thought it was a bit strange at first, but about half the audience was enjoying cold Bintangs, so we followed suit. We got some good photos and video of this ancient Balinese dance. After the dance we went for dinner at The Dirty Duck restaurant that was recommended by a friend. The restaurant was undergoing a renovation and we think the head chef must have been away, because it wasn’t anything to write home about. So we ate light and called it a night.
Then we returned back to our not-so-nice hotel where I managed to have a terrible night’s rest. I was worried about bugs crawling on me and then woke up at 3am to a scratching noise that seemed to come from our headboard! Eek! I woke Chris up and made us sleep with the light on for the next hour or so just in case a friend tried to come out and visit us. On our way to the room that night we noticed there was like only one other room being occupied at the hotel. Not a good sign! We had prepaid for the hotel online and were just staying one night so we decided to deal with it. When we woke up that morning we skipped the complimentary breakfast mostly out of fear and headed to the Monkey Forest and Craft Market. We grabbed iced coffees at Circle K since it was already about 80 degrees out and set out to see the Monkey Forest. There were 2 local ladies selling bananas at the start of the forest that you can buy to feed the monkeys. Chris thought it would be a good idea to get some. He made the mistake of giving them to me. Within 30 seconds of buying the bananas a large monkey ran up to up to me, jumped on me and stole all the bananas! I screamed of course and let the bananas go. He grabbed one and started eating, so I tried to get the others back and he lunged at me and tried to scratch my leg. Chris got this on video as well - please see below. It was totally embarrassing and the other patrons were laughing at us.
We had a nice walk about the forest to see some temples, a small stream, and of course, monkeys! There was a proper coffee shop at the end of the forest so we popped in for a real cup of Joe. On the way back in Chris decided he would give the bananas a try! Thinking he was cooler than me of course! Again, within seconds of walking in with the bananas an even larger monkey jumped on Chris. Chris quickly ripped off one banana and threw it on the ground hoping the monkey would chase after it. Well, this was a smart monkey. Why chase after one when you can have five from this nice tourist?! The ladies that sold us the bananas started yelling at Chris to just give the monkey the bananas. I’m sure this was for safety purposes, so I also started yelling at Chris to give up the damn bananas. I didn’t want to try out Balinese doctors or the hospital because my husband was attacked by a monkey. Finally, Chris gave in and the monkey strutted away with his fat breakfast. The ladies then warn us to watch out for our coffees because the monkeys also like plastic. Oh great! My friend had her camera stolen by a monkey in this same spot a few months prior. I was scared for the rest of our time in the Monkey Forest. A little guy monkey did come after my coffee, but no one gets between me and my morning coffee!
The rest of the day we spent browsing the many shops along Monkey Forest Road. We stopped for a breakfast of banana pancakes and fresh fruit at one of the cafes along the road. We made our way down to the Craft Market where we made many purchases and ended up having to make a trip back to the hotel to drop off our loot before lunch time. We bought 3 traditional masks of characters from the Kecak story we has seen the night before, 2 other wood carvings, 5 dresses for me (ranging from $5-$20), some Bali coffee, and some other cool things. We then had a great lunch at the famous Ibu Oka restaurant. It was made famous by Anthony Bourdain for saying it's the best roasted pig he's ever had. We agree that it’s wicked good! It was a little hole in the wall place for sure where you also had to sit on the floor and it was packed with tourists and locals. We would totally go back.
To finish off our last day in Bali we went for more cheap massages, walked around to more shops, and just hung around town. Our last dinner was at a restaurant with some great barbeque. We cheated and had western-style food, but it hit the spot. There was a lot of dining options in Ubud. We just walked around to look and menus and randomly picked this place. We were very happy with our choice and last meal in Bali. We left the magical little island a couple hours later. The red-eye to Taiwan, then Hong Kong actually wasn’t bad. We slept most of the flight back and then we both had that day off to pull ourselves back together!
Our review of Bali, one of our favorite places thus far. The people were very friendly, we felt safe, the scenery was breathtaking, there was so much to see and do, the food was great and diverse, it was pretty affordable, etc. Overall, two thumbs up!
Our first night in Ubud we went to watch the traditional Balinese dance the Kecak and Fire Dance (please see video below). It was very cool to see. I think the building we were in was a temple but we were still able to buy beer. I thought it was a bit strange at first, but about half the audience was enjoying cold Bintangs, so we followed suit. We got some good photos and video of this ancient Balinese dance. After the dance we went for dinner at The Dirty Duck restaurant that was recommended by a friend. The restaurant was undergoing a renovation and we think the head chef must have been away, because it wasn’t anything to write home about. So we ate light and called it a night.
Then we returned back to our not-so-nice hotel where I managed to have a terrible night’s rest. I was worried about bugs crawling on me and then woke up at 3am to a scratching noise that seemed to come from our headboard! Eek! I woke Chris up and made us sleep with the light on for the next hour or so just in case a friend tried to come out and visit us. On our way to the room that night we noticed there was like only one other room being occupied at the hotel. Not a good sign! We had prepaid for the hotel online and were just staying one night so we decided to deal with it. When we woke up that morning we skipped the complimentary breakfast mostly out of fear and headed to the Monkey Forest and Craft Market. We grabbed iced coffees at Circle K since it was already about 80 degrees out and set out to see the Monkey Forest. There were 2 local ladies selling bananas at the start of the forest that you can buy to feed the monkeys. Chris thought it would be a good idea to get some. He made the mistake of giving them to me. Within 30 seconds of buying the bananas a large monkey ran up to up to me, jumped on me and stole all the bananas! I screamed of course and let the bananas go. He grabbed one and started eating, so I tried to get the others back and he lunged at me and tried to scratch my leg. Chris got this on video as well - please see below. It was totally embarrassing and the other patrons were laughing at us.
We had a nice walk about the forest to see some temples, a small stream, and of course, monkeys! There was a proper coffee shop at the end of the forest so we popped in for a real cup of Joe. On the way back in Chris decided he would give the bananas a try! Thinking he was cooler than me of course! Again, within seconds of walking in with the bananas an even larger monkey jumped on Chris. Chris quickly ripped off one banana and threw it on the ground hoping the monkey would chase after it. Well, this was a smart monkey. Why chase after one when you can have five from this nice tourist?! The ladies that sold us the bananas started yelling at Chris to just give the monkey the bananas. I’m sure this was for safety purposes, so I also started yelling at Chris to give up the damn bananas. I didn’t want to try out Balinese doctors or the hospital because my husband was attacked by a monkey. Finally, Chris gave in and the monkey strutted away with his fat breakfast. The ladies then warn us to watch out for our coffees because the monkeys also like plastic. Oh great! My friend had her camera stolen by a monkey in this same spot a few months prior. I was scared for the rest of our time in the Monkey Forest. A little guy monkey did come after my coffee, but no one gets between me and my morning coffee!
The rest of the day we spent browsing the many shops along Monkey Forest Road. We stopped for a breakfast of banana pancakes and fresh fruit at one of the cafes along the road. We made our way down to the Craft Market where we made many purchases and ended up having to make a trip back to the hotel to drop off our loot before lunch time. We bought 3 traditional masks of characters from the Kecak story we has seen the night before, 2 other wood carvings, 5 dresses for me (ranging from $5-$20), some Bali coffee, and some other cool things. We then had a great lunch at the famous Ibu Oka restaurant. It was made famous by Anthony Bourdain for saying it's the best roasted pig he's ever had. We agree that it’s wicked good! It was a little hole in the wall place for sure where you also had to sit on the floor and it was packed with tourists and locals. We would totally go back.
To finish off our last day in Bali we went for more cheap massages, walked around to more shops, and just hung around town. Our last dinner was at a restaurant with some great barbeque. We cheated and had western-style food, but it hit the spot. There was a lot of dining options in Ubud. We just walked around to look and menus and randomly picked this place. We were very happy with our choice and last meal in Bali. We left the magical little island a couple hours later. The red-eye to Taiwan, then Hong Kong actually wasn’t bad. We slept most of the flight back and then we both had that day off to pull ourselves back together!
Our review of Bali, one of our favorite places thus far. The people were very friendly, we felt safe, the scenery was breathtaking, there was so much to see and do, the food was great and diverse, it was pretty affordable, etc. Overall, two thumbs up!
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