Second Stay in UBUD, BALI
We left Ubud for Aas, a tiny village on the far Eastern unspoiled shores of Bali in the biggest sh*tbox car from 1981 I've ever seen... am going to regale you with that whole adventure next week! After limping back into town in our vintage Suzuki for three more nights in Ubud before heading home, we managed to navigate ourselves successfully (a major challenge in Bali!) to Bambu Indah, the hotel that would be our swan song this trip.
Bambu Indah is a really unique property made up of 11 100-year old bridal homes from Java, magnificent gigantic open air bamboo pavilions and a freshwater swimming pool that looks like a pond. All perched on the Sayan Ridge overlooking the river below and the stunning rice paddies that unfold before you. We stayed in Kuning House, one of the smaller houses, which was intimate, but extremely well appointed and had a perfect porch where we spent a lot of time reading, playing games, having meals and a few drinks in the evenings. You can get a private yoga class at the hotel for $25 for an hour and a half as well as massages for $30 an hour-- both of which I had planned to do and had to cancel due to the "Bali Belly" I came down with the night before. Ugh!
The hotel, owned by jeweler John Hardy and his wife Cynthia, is famous for being "green," which is great but also great that being green does not compromise the luxuriousness of the experience. They provide their own eco friendly products which smell great and work well-- you do need the insect repellent! In the jungle after all! They bring you breakfast (included in the rate) to your porch in the morning which was an array of fruit, juices, eggs, Balinese coffee- really whatever you want. We really loved this hotel and felt it was authentic and we were really having the experience of being in Bali. The only drawbacks are if the hotel is full, which it was when we were there, the open air bathrooms can get a little tricky-- they have curtains, but blowing in the breeze, you might create your own inadvertent peep show!
We also had an unfortunate duo staying in the little house adjacent to us. The first night, having not seen who was staying in the house, I thought a young child, a baby, was staying in the house and was up half the night cooing, screaming and crying. The next morning I waited for a child to emerge. No baby, just a Malaysian couple holding hands seemingly on their honeymoon. Hmm. Could that have been her? The next night, Napper and I were having a drink and playing Scrabble (how nerdy, I know!) on our porch. At about 9:30pm the honeymooners return from dinner and the noises that ensue were so absolutely ridiculous and absurd for HOURS, we actually made a recording. It was all amusing initially and then it got annoying and I was close to calling the front desk... so that was my only other complaint with the property. You are close with no insulation so if you have guests who don't know or care to keep their voices at a normal volume, it's a bit of a bummer.
Aside from enjoying Bambu Indah-- which is a great place to take a walk from (with a guide-- it gets tricky), down the steep ridge, through the river - the bamboo bridge was terrifying, and into the rice paddies!
We further explored Ubud having some delicious meals and finding lots of treasures.
For Lunch:
Bali Buddha
This is a happening multi-level spot that's still intimate. It's teeming with yogi-types, locals and well dressed expats. They serve all organic and healthy food and drinks. The tempeh club sandwich was really, really good. They have a tiny organic health food store on the first level.
Ibu Oka
I never would have ventured into this warung (cafe) if it hadn't have been highly recommended. Famous for their suckling pig, fight your way in, find a spot at one of the big communal tables, don't even look at the menu-- just order "the special" and something to drink. It was delicious-- a plate full of rice, pork, greens-- all mixed together. There was some sort of dark sausage on the plate that I did avoid....
Kafe
This is a fun spot for lunch or dinner. An upbeat energy with a great outdoor patio as well as good indoor space. Organic and healthy food with inventive cocktails, beer and wine. The crowd is attractive and a mix of the tourists (like me) reading their books about the "journey in," to the yogis, locals, expats-- a hot spot.
For Dinner:
Terazo
This is an upscale restaurant that is a bit of a breath of fresh air after you've been in Bali awhile. Open air, well lit, with white table cloths, rattan furniture with preppy looking cushions and a perfect fusion menu. My dinner here was one of the best I had while in Bali- rice paper spring rolls and a mushroom pasta with herb sauce that rivaled top notch Italian restaurants. They also have a good wine selection which is hard to find in Bali.
Lamak
Serving traditional and authentic food dressed up. This is a modern, dim space that is cool but was pretty empty when we were there. Our dinner was very good, however...
Cafe des Artistes
When you want a steak and a glass of wine instead of another Nasi Goreng (the Bali fried rice), come here. All outdoor, romantic, quiet.
We had another adventure with Putu and his wife Tomoko who took us through rice paddies to a little warung (cafe) smack in the middle of rice paddies for drinks one evening. Sari Organic is a large open air bamboo building that is the perfect place to have lunch or an early dinner -- if you're going to stay past dark, bring flashlights!
Going to a traditional Balinese dance performance is rather a tourist must. They have performances nightly right by the palace. It is unlike anything we've ever seem-- haunting repetitive music (played on the traditional gamelan), and dancers in elaborate costumes and make up with precise, sort of jerky movements. It was beautiful and unusual... They go rather long, so after you get your fill, you can sneak out the back curtain.
Ubud is such a bustling place with so much to offer. We can't wait to go back!