In Reply to: Tegal Sari Ubud posted by dazza_a on Wednesday, 15. June 2005 at 07:18 Bali Time:
We are booked into one of their new Super-Deluxe wooden rooms on July 28, and the email suggests they are completed now. We found thre breakfasts pretty standard Bali breakfast fare, but I did not enjoy the pancake as it was not what I expected to get based on what we have had elsewhere. We were impressed, however,by the mini-bar prices last year.
Here is the JBR info I posted on the forum way back then about Tegal Sari and our Ubud trip. I should mention that the price for the SuperDeluxe Room that we are paying (we did not try to haggle it down) is 45,000 rupiah (that is for 2 people) per night.
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Tegal Sari is magnificent! I especially chose the Deluxe room (17) at the far end, beyond but beside this delightful pool. It was not even the most expensive option, but was wonderful luxury and cost just 300,000 for the two of us per night, so 600,000 in all. This included a basic breakfast.
I just can't describe how amazing it is to wake and look out at rice fields beyond your balcony. We loved it. Being at the corner of the property we had a small shrine at the edge of our deck too.
I lay on the bed the second day feeling unwell but totally relaxed as I watched through the big glass sliding doors a man bent over quietly working in the fields. We also sometimes saw children scampering along the edge of each field looking for something. When I asked they explained they were looking for fish, for aquariums. I watched as a lizard as long as my hand wandered into our room and out again too!
We used the complimentary transport service of drop-offs and pick-ups to central Ubud several times. They also have an internet connection and small lending library. There is even an outdoor gym! They only supply bath towels, not hand towels, but I had no trouble requesting and getting an extra pillow.
The big surprise was their mini bar price list...so good and reasonable we used them! Bintang large 12,500, small 7,500. Diet coke 6,500. Bottles of sprite, coca cola, fanta, 7up and pepsi were 3,500. Large water was 4,500 and small was 2,500. We would definitely go back here!!!! The driver told us they are starting cooking classes there too.
Ate at Bumba Restaurant, Money Forest Road for lunch the day we arrived. Great food. I had some yummy satay as I recall.
Tama's Bar and Restaurant, Monkey Forest Road.
This place we happened on as we were out walking. It is down a lane, visible from street, and the lights enticed us as it looked cosy and friendly but smart too. The food was exquisite! Service was great. I will tell you what we had as I have the bill. 2 pork pandan entrees (meat mixture wrapped and steamed/baked in leaves) @ 12,500 ea. 1 chicken lemper 30,500. 1 funky/sungky(?) rasance(?) 31,500, 2 large beers 12,000ea, 1 black rice pudding @ 8,000 and one coconut pei @ 13,500. Plus the 15% tax and service it came to 152,000. (About $26 NZ)
Café Lotus on Jalan Raya.
A little more expensive than we usually eat at but worth it to see the temple and lotus garden lit up with little flickering candle lights. We got a table right at the front by the garden. Spring rolls entrée 16,500. Mushroom soup 17,000. Crispy duck (half a duckling I think) 51,000, 1 fish (something) 44,500. 2 draft beers @ 14,000 each but Bruce thought they were not as cold as they should be so we got a large bottle of bintang as well for 23,500 and it was colder. Coffee was 17,000 for two. With 10% tax the bill came to 215,000 (about $36 NZ) Amazing!
Went to the Ubud Palace to see the Legong and Barong Dances. This starts at 7.30pm each Wednesday night and costs 50,000 per person. (What an angel I married! He swore after his first Barong dance the first time we came to Bali that he never wanted to sit and watch another one, but he relented when I pleaded!) They have abbreviated the dances down for tourists so that both dances take only about an hour and a half in total. Sit near the front if you are short. We were impressed with the quality of the costumes and I thought the little legong dancers were particularly good...excellent expression.
Neka Art Museum
If you have any interest in art at all, or are even considering buying a piece of art while in Bali then please do go visit this art museum in Ubud. It costs 20,000 per person, and children are free. They looked at my 23 year old daughter who was with us and did not charge us for her! (She gets asked her age at home when buying cigarettes, though.) It was fascinating to see the transition of art styles from the first artists of Bali, especially as contemporary events and people became included in the work, and the influence of impressionism had its impact. The work by contemporary Balinese artists was very interesting. I looked at my art purchases with new eyes after being there.
Casa Luna Cooking School
Well, when I booked our places for this class by email I said that I had read of classes being more than the 8-15 advertised number of people, even 21 in one case, and if the day we wanted was overbooked could they let us know as I am short and would prefer to rebook the day in that case. (Also as we were booking two nights in Ubud for the nights before and after our class we wanted clear info). They replied "Actually we try to limit our class but we also can't refuse the additional booking as often they say they just come to Bali for this and will be so disappointed if we don't take their booking. We asked our staff to strict with the limit booking now".
So we took pot luck, and sure enough the class had 19 people in it! Also Janet was away helping with a family wedding, and we were not told this when we emailed to confirm our places just a few days before the class. We would have like to know so we could rebook. We had read her book and really wanted to meet her too. The man who took the class was good, but it was not the same. The class was very worthwhile and we learned a lot and got some lovely recipes in a booklet. Some aspects of the class bothered me, though. Firstly, there were too many people to see clearly. You do have to spend quite a lot of time standing, so if you are not well, or can't stand for a long time, it would be tough. At one stage everyone was invited to peel snake beans open, but no-one washed their hands first, so I did not risk eating those beans later on! We were later invited to wash hands at a tap outside before each of us shaped meat onto satay sticks, but with no cloths to dry hands on people either used their clothes or did not dry them. I worried the tap water was not safe, especially as the satay sticks were all combined for the meal at the end. (I had no worries about staff handling food, but when you combine 19 tourists whose tummies are susceptible to incubating unfamiliar organisms...welllll!) I decided to play Russian roulette and risk eating some satay sticks later on, and as my stomach cramped that night and I started to feel very unwell I regretted such foolishness, though in all fairness it is hard to pinpoint exactly when you ingest the 'nasties'. At least I knew from the lesson that ginger tea would aid digestion and the next day all I could (eventually) eat was bananas and drink ginger tea. I must say, though, that the hibiscus tea that was provided was very delicious, and the meal was served beautifully at the end. The staff were lovely too.