Travel for travelling - Bali - Naughty Nuri's Warung & Cafe Lotus & PUTRI BALI SPA

UBUD 20,3,2014

Beautiful countryside views in Ubud

March is the rainy season in Bali, but we were lucky as there was only one rainy day during our eight day trip. It was a sunny day so we decided to walk to Naughty Nuri's Warung for the barbecue pork ribs!

UBUD was one of the cities which still retained traditional Indonesian culture. We enjoyed the beautiful countryside views all the way to the restaurant. We saw rice paddies, tropical plants and the local style buildings. Their life was very simple and plain, and it reminded me of those days when I lived with my grandmother in the country 20 years ago in Taiwan. I miss that time so much!

Map of Ubud, Bali, including Putri Bali Spa, Naughty Nuri's Warung and Grill, Supermarket, Cafe Lotus and Ubud Palace

Walking from UMA MANDI Hotel to Nuri's Warung took about 30 minutes. There was a big supermarket and a couple of cafes on the way, so if we got tired we just stopped and rested.

Nuri's Mexican Bar & Grill front sign

Naughty Nuri's Warung also has two restaurants, and they are not far apart. The restaurant is a country American style - simple but lovely. They are famous for their grilled pork ribs, and it is indeed very delicious! They prepared the pork ribs with some herbs first, then covered them in their special sauce before grilling them. The meat was tender inside and crispy outside, and the homemade sauce was really tasty! I could eat two serves at one time ~ ha! They also had a variety of grilled meats, which I will have to try next time!

Nuri's Mexican Bar & Grill BBQ pork rib and the restaurant

Near the Ubud Markets, there was a nice Italian ice cream shop, which had a cute pink sign. The two flavors we chose the first time were rich and creamy, I think they were cappuccino and white chocolate. The passion fruit flavor seemed very popular so I chose it one the second visit, but I didn't like it, as the flavor seemed too light. Two scoops with a cone were about US$4.

Gelato Secrets Icecream shop - Italian style near the Ubud Markets

We had another afternoon tea at BreadLife bakery. Their decorating was quite novel, and we chose two different chocolate cakes. Both of them tasted not bad, but the took away milk toast was so yum! We went in to this shop for the free WiFi, but could't connect on it at all ...

BreadLife bakery in Ubud, Bali, Indonesia - nice chocolate cakes!

For dinner we chose the well-known Cafe Lotus restaurant - it was a magnificent place! Traditional style buildings, elegant pink lotuses and beautiful lake views. No wonder it is so popular! Our table was quite close to the lake, so enjoying the food while observing the picturesque scenery was just heaven!

Cafe Lotus and its lotus garden lake in Ubud, Bali, Indonesia

We ordered the Bebek Betutu and Nasi Goreng which were recommended by websites. After that we went to the garden and walked around the lake which was very relaxing. Most of restaurants in Bali were pretty. They used the natural plants and flowers to adorn the dinning environment, and kept their unique architecture style. So beautiful!

However, their meals were a little bit disappointing. It said on the menu that they stewed the duck for 12 hours but it was very dry actually. D said it tasted like canned tuna, and it was not cheap at around US$13. Nasi Goreng was fine, with the side dish of satay chicken on skewers which was pretty good.

Cafe Lotus and its Nasi Goreng and Bebek (duck) Betutu in Ubud, Bali, Indonesia

We were supposed to have massages on this particular morning, and the receptionist tried to book for us but they were full until evening, so we changed our visit to 7pm. At Putri Bali Spa they offered free pick up services, however it was only one way for the amount two people were spending on massages.

Putri Bali Spa - Massages

PUTRI BALI SPA was on the same street and very close to Naughty Nuri's Warung. Their furnishings were quite modern but still had their own Bali style, which made an interesting combination. Their service was great! The masseuse will ask how you feel during the process - whether they are too strong or not. My masseuse was a middle-aged woman, and she seemed very experienced and quite powerful. I was more than satisfied with her ability. D's girl was a teenager, and D kept saying that he liked harder if possible, so after 30 minutes she couldn't stand it anymore and just swapped with my masseuse... D was really treacherous!
They also prepared fragrant candles to help us relax, and each massage room was all decorated with beautiful flowers and plants. In addition, every room had a bathtub and shower facility so that we could totally enjoy the relaxing moments in such a private space. After the massage treatments they provided hot ginger tea with cookies as well. The full body massage was 80 minutes and only US$10, so very highly recommended!!

Putri Bali Spa - inside the lobby, free ginger tea and cookie biscuits!

Most big massage/spa shops and restaurants all can accept payments by Visa or Master Card. But besides the 2% to 3% fee for overseas transactions/foreign exchange fees charged by your bank or the card, some shops will charge an extra 3% to 5% fee, so it is better to remember to ask before checkout!

Travel for travelling - Bali - Ibu Oka Bali Guling & Bebek Bengil - Dirty duck

UBUD 19,3,2014

We were considering buying a local SIM card upon arriving in Bali. However, the receptionist of hotel helped us to book restaurant, massage or taxi all the time, and most of the restaurants and hotels have free WiFi, just not all are very fast. 

After the lovely breakfast, our very punctual driver was waiting in the lobby, who the  receptionist had called for us. From Uma Mandi Hotel to Ubud City is about 5 to 10 minutes by car, and after "communication" with the driver we got it at US$5.

We asked the driver to take us to the PT. Dirgahayu Valuta Prima first, it was a currency exchange shop, which has green signboard at JL. Raya Ubud road. D says this shop had the best exchange rate compared to the others, and they had security guard so it was quite safe.

Currency exchange shop - PT. Dirgahayu Valuta Prima

After that we walked along Jl. Raya Ubud toward Ubud palace. We were looking forward to going to Ibu Oka Bali Guling for lunch. They were famous for roast pork. It said on the website that every person who travels to Bali must try them!

Both of them are located on Jl. Suweta, but we went to the one opposite Ubud Palace. They didn't have many customers, probably because it was still early at 11 O'clock, so the meals were prepared pretty quick.

The large pork with rice meal was about US$7, the set included crispy pig skin, soft pork, vegetables, rice and a bowl of vegetable soup. The roast pig skin was very fragrant and crispy, the pork was tender and juicy, but the side dish was a little spicy therefore we ordered a coconut ~ the coconut water was not to our liking but the soft fruit inside the coconut was delicious. Soft but chewy a little bit like jelly!

Ibu Oka Bali Guling, grill pork meal and coconut water

Then we just crossed the street to Ubud palace. Although it was quite small and not as stunning or splendorous as old times, the building is full of Indonesian specialties. Every piece of gate, wall, and statue had beautiful patterns and delicate carving, and the stone statues were life like! Surrounded by tropical plants and amazing architecture, it was really worth the visit!

 Ubud palace

Indonesia is an old country with abundant history and unique culture. It was interesting to see they sometimes still carry goods on their head!

 Ubud palace

We kept walking to Ubud market. We noticed the shops there were all selling similar items, such as salon services, clothes, thongs, pottery and other accessories.

Bargaining skills are really important here! Upon asking, they always gave ridiculous price first (which might actually sound reasonable to wealthier foreigners). There was a lady who offered me a Sarong dress for US$30 and in the end she gave us a deal of US$5. I was very happy but just after I paid the money she immediately said 'only US$4 for the second one'!! When we walked out of the shop the next one offered me US$3 and another boss said US$2! At that moment I was really sad, and felt the businessmen were so sinister! Before we finished at the market, I went back to the Sarong shop and with D's help bought another one for only US$2.5, which made me feel much better, and happy ~ ha!

When we were walking along Jl. Wenera Wana toward the Monkey Forest, we received a lot of massage shops' flyers. One of them was only US$7 per hour, so we decided to give it a try because we were tired from walking whole morning. It was normal to be naked and only wear underwear for massage in Bali, but I didn't get used to it. Once they begin the massage, it doesn't matter whether you are naked or not. The only thing I cared about was to just relax and enjoy the beautiful feeling!

We didn't go into the monkey forest because we don't like monkeys that much and were afraid of being attacked. However, we could see a couple of monkeys playing on the street when we got closer. You really need to watch out for those naughty monkeys! I was carrying a plastic bag in my hand and suddenly a monkey ran to me and tried to rob me of it.  Maybe he could tell there was some bread in it!
Well, the local people helped me to scare the monkey away, so I had a chance to run!

Monkey forest

Cute monkey

We had dinner at Bebek Bengil - also known as "dirty duck". As before, the receptionist booked the table for us the day before. They had a large sign with a duck on it, and are located at the Jl. Wenera Wana and Jl. Hanoman junction, next to a large COCO supermarket (which is a great shop!).

Bebek Bengil - also known as "dirty duck"

This restaurant has a very beautiful Balinese style, and our table was in the middle of a garden, under an arbor. I liked it so much! D chose his favorite Fish & Chips, and I ordered Crispy Duck again and Lemon Tea.

Crispy duck was better than Kafe Batan Waru restaurant. Crispy but tender and delicious! The Fish & Chips was different from what we thought, but not bad. It was fairly small and simple, but not expensive. We were really happy to be in such a beautiful and quiet dining environment, and importantly there was free WiFi that worked very well. So D was also satisfied and very happy with this restaurant!!

Bebek Bengil - Fish & Chips, Crispy Duck and Lemon Tea

We were very careful about the water we drank here, and only consumed bottled water. We even used it when brushing our teeth. At the beginning we didn't know which brand of water is better, so we bought some of them to try, and I recommend "Club" brand. They had blue packaging and with a small handle for their large bottles it was easy to carry around and tasted pure and natural!

Travel for travelling - Bali - Kafe Batan Waru & Uma Mandi Ubud Hotel

UBUD 18,3,2014

Bali has left a deep impression in my memories of a great place for vacationing. Beautiful beaches, exotic gourmet, enjoyable shopping, and a place to discover more about myself, at peace in this heaven in the heart of southeast Asia.

Our flight was at 10 O'clock in the morning, flying with JetStar, and only took 4 - 5 hours from Perth to Bali! A German man in Bali said he was envious of Australians because Australia is one of the closest countries to Bali. How lucky they are!

Walking out from the airport, turning left, we saw one taxi station - the blue bird group. They offer transfers from the airport, at prices that are considered fair, but not the cheapest.

So we continued to walk until we saw another taxi station, while on the way several drivers offered us around US$40 to UBUD. We tried quite hard to bargain (ha, it's one of the must do thing here), until finally there was a driver willing do it at US$25!

English is an essential skill for service people in Bali, and this driver's English was very good and he chatted with us all the way. I quite enjoyed the ride and was not bored at all! Since he seemed very popular, we asked him to be our driver later however he had reservations already.

Probably because of the busy traffic, it took over 1 hour to get from the airport to our hotel in ubud. I was so hungry and tired, it was like torture instead of a holiday!!

Right after we lay down our luggage, we caught another taxi to Ubud city for dinner. The receptionist was so nice, he booked the restaurant for us after recommending the Kafe Batan Waru  ^ ^

Kafe Batan Waru restaurant in Ubud

Kafe Batan Waru restaurant - our first meal in Bali! The atmosphere was nice, with our table close to the sidewalk, where we soaked in the nice breeze amongst the flicker of candlelight. Enjoying avocado juice, it was beautiful! This is the sort of holiday I like!

Kafe Batan Waru restaurant, Avocado juice

We ordered the popular Crispy Duck and Nasi Goreng. The duck skin was crisp and very fragrant but the meat was a bit dry, and the Nasi Goreng was tasty - surprisingly delicious ^ ^

Kafe Batan Waru, Crispy Duck and Nasi Goreng

They had prepared lemon antiseptic for us to wash hands, so I could just use my hands to finish the duck and leave it without a bit of meat left ~ sweet huh!

We left the restaurant around 10pm, but there were more customers than when we arrived. A website said that they had been named the best restaurant in Bali in 2004!

Uma Mandi Ubud Hotel, Ubud

During the first three days of the trip we stayed in Uma Mandi Ubud, which was recommended by D's mom. The building was beautiful with local Bali architectural style, surrounded by rice fields and very quiet, but we needed to watch out for insects and mosquitoes.

When I woke the second day, there was a giant insect right next to my pillow! Glad it was not in my mouth! Soon we found it must have come from beneath the balcony door, and we filled the gap with towels...

Nice swimming pool of Uma Mandi Ubud Hotel, Ubud

Room facilities were mediocre. If you need a hair dryer just ask the receptionist, but they did not provide toiletries.

Uma Mandi Ubud Hotel, Ubud

This is the view from the balcony, we tried to keep mosquitoes and insects out of our room, so we only opened the balcony on the last day before we left. It was very relaxing and peaceful just observing the view from there!

The pool was not very big, but I think it was quite nice and pretty, and the staff also clean and maintain it everyday.

They made fresh breakfast every morning. There are all kinds of egg dishes, toast, juice, coffee, and milk you can choose from. Meals were not bad, and they cooked soft eggs professionally, but the milk was very weak and coffee was very sweet.
Otherwise the waiters were very friendly, and D ordered three boiled eggs and 8 pieces of toasts every day! We could tell from waiter's smile that they thought we  ordered too much!!

Breakfast in Uma Mandi Ubud Hotel, Ubud

Ubud is sort of a countryside compare to other cities, and people here were very passion and friendly. Especially the receptionist, because he helped us to book restaurants every day and called taxis. Before booking the room online, we emailed them to inquire (bargain) about the price first, and then we got it for about US$50 per night. 

Here is the link of this hotel - http://www.umamandiubud.com/