Hi all! 5th trip to Bali, first time solo and first time visiting Ubud!
Booked as a 21st birthday present with my BF and parents to meet us over here on the 24th of Feb. BF started a new job and couldn't get the time off, so a solo trip for me! (For the first 8 days).
Day 1.
Flew virgin from Melb-Denpasar direct with many spare seats on the plane to spread out :) Arrived at 12.05pm bali time, just behind what seemed like a jumbo jet full of chinese (?) tourists with no clue as to how to progress to VOA, customs etc. Fun! Despite this, I was into a taxi by 12.45pm on the way to Ubud. Taxi was 220k.
Arrive at my hotel, Komaneka Rasa Sayang and immediately fall in love. Staying here was a treat to myself after 3 months of juggling 3 jobs on my uni holidays. The room is HUGE. The shower is bigger than my current unit and I could easily have accommodated the jumbo jet of chinese holiday-makers from the airport.
Komaneka serves complimentary afternoon tea from 3.30-5.30pm but at 3pm I am already hungry so I venture out into the unknown Jl. Monkey Forest to find somewhere to eat.
Ubud Homemade Resto: Prawn cocktail (entree) and a Lime squash for about 60k. Nice start before I make my way to the afternoon tea which includes tea/coffee (perculated coffee and a range of herbal teas), fresh squeezed juice or your choice and four different snacks, sweet/savoury. Happy times :)
Head on up towards the palace to have a look around and follow a sign saying 'rice paddy view'. Walk for about 20mins and come to the breathtaking rice paddies, not a tourist in sight. Hear a friendly hello and I meet 'Wayan Coco' who is an organic farmer (coconut, ginger, vanilla etc...) Arrange to meet him again on Monday (today) to take me for a drive up through 'real ubud', for 125k (for 3hours).
Dinner first night at Fair Warung Bale which I wanted to try after reading about on TA, as it is rated No. 1. This place would not be everyone's cup of tea, but it definitely is mine. The concept is great, the people are lovely and I had a beautiful red fish curry, an iced coffee and nutella crepes for a crazy 75k.
Arrive back to my room to find it made up ready for my 'bed time'. Slippers and pajamas laid out, a bed time story on the bed, remotes on a tray on the bed. Just the little things that make you never want to return home!
Day 2.
Up at 5.30am (no idea why!) so I head for a walk down Jl. MF (opposite direction to the palace. No one around, bliss :). Walk past the monkey forest and actually feel fearful at the free roaming monkeys making the most of the quiet time. Head up to Jl. Hanoman to find 'KAFE', a place I wanted to go for a coffee after reading about it of TA. Closed at the early hours of 7am so I find Atman Kafe further up. Thank god! As a barista, coffee lover and skeptic I was really hoping to find a great place for a coffee. Atman is amazing! For those who really know coffee, they used what is called the 'naked basket or grip handle' which is often only used in high quality coffee shops. It makes brilliant coffee so after seeing this I was very excited for my coffee. Coffee was BEAUTIFUL and cost 23k (incl. tax). Wish I could take this place to Kuta with me!
Find a not to shady massage place and have a facial (1hr), honey scrub massage (1.5h), manicure and pedicure for 290k. Lovely girls and very well priced compared to other places I have walked past in ubud.
For lunch I head up towards the palace again in search for Seniman Coffee Studio (another TA read). Walk up the wrong street, with no luck, and get so hot and bothered that I decide to eat back at Tropical (seafood grill) and use the Wi-Fi to locate Seniman. Order Linguine Prawns (59k) and am so disappointed. Pasta not cooked and only got 3 prawns. Never mind.
Finally find Seniman. What a cool place! Totally different take on coffee. I get a beautiful Affogato (coffee shot on icecream). Coffee is served on a paddle with a sweet and a jar of water. 20k. Really interesting place, must try for those who like coffee (particularly black coffee).
At this point I am yet to have seen any Australians apart from a couple staying at my hotel. I think this is a good thing before I head down to Kuta ;).
Dinner at NOMAD as recommended by aunty. Not too hungry after a late afternoon tea, but I order the tapas (3 choices for 29k). Flavours just beautiful!!!! Wish I was hungrier so I could try more!
Total bill for tapas, diet coke and aqua is 59k. Unreal :)
Downside of Komaneka is the limited TV channels. The only non-indo channel is Fox Crime which only seems to show Law and Order: CI. There is really only so much of Goren I can handle.
Day 3.
Up early again to make sure I get my Atman coffee (again delicious) before I head up to meet Wayan in the rice paddy for our trip. Breakfast at Komaneka is lovely you basically choose a menu you feel like (please ask if you want me to explain!).
Trip with Wayan was great, tried Luwak coffee and was not put off by the concept and unable to enjoy it. It is very nice despite coming out of an animals pooper!
Lunch at Komaneka. Starving and enticed by the Greek Moussaka (eggplant lasagne). Really disappointing (not having much luck with lunches). 70k.
Not sure on where to go for dinner tonight, it is my last night in Ubud. Thinking either Ibu Rai (nice and close) or Warung Saya.. any suggestions?
I have loved Ubud so far and will definitely be returning. Off to Kuta tomorrow (5 nights at Satriya Cottages) and then 4 nights at Kuta Seaview where I will be meeting mum and dad and celebrating the big 21!
Thanks for reading! Will write again from Kooota.