Apologies in advance if I ramble too much.
Will split report into 3 JBRs as we stayed in 3 locations.
Family of 4 including 2 young teenagers.
Ubud -Alam Shanti = AMAZING
This was our first time staying in Ubud. We stayed in the Yamuna Room at the Alam Shanti. The Yamuna room has a private pool that is shared with upstairs Gangga room. We were lucky on our stay as the upstairs guests didnt use the pool. For those who are thinking of staying at this Alam property you need to know that it is a little out of Ubud town but you can walk along the path next to Monkey Forest which is only a 5 min walk and takes you to the bottom of a very long uphill Monkey Forest road. I was a little apprehensive about doing this walk as I was a bit scared of the monkeys but they were fine or perhaps my power walk past was too quick for them!! The Alam property offers a complimentary shuttle service which we used quite a bit. If you are in Ubud town you just ring them and they collect you.
One morning whilst eating breakfast on the verandah we were lucky enough to see up to 50 monkeys from babies to adults playing through the coconut palms for up to an hour before the staff sent them on their way via a ging! It was just magical watching their antics. One adult monkey decided to come via our verandah and the kids and I ran for our lives.
Restaurants
We ate at the Laka Leke on the same street as Alam Shanti. Disappointed as it cost over 400,000 and all of our meals were tastless and dry - oh well.
Chili Cafe across the road from the Alam Shanti had a small menu but something for everyone and was a great place. Service was very slow but the meals were worth waiting for and probably our most enjoyed meal in Ubud.
Cafe Wayan on Monkey Forest Road was enjoyed on a couple of occasions. Main Meals and drinks approx 350,000.
You could just spend hours and hours walking up and down the streets in Ubud with all of their homeware, clothing, souvenir shops.
Shopping
You could just walk for hours and hours through the streets looking in all the homeware, clothing, knick knack, jewellery shops.
Fixed price shopping
Silver ornamental trees 100,000 each.
Handmade earrings 30,000
Yoga shorts 42,000
Ceramic lotus incence holder 2 for 65,000
Dream catcher 25,000
Ceramic Buddah 15,000
Ubud markets were great and although they have a lot of what kuta markets do they also have a lot of other interesting bits and pieces and have learnt if you see something in Ubud you like buy it because I didnt come across certain things again at other markets. Lesson learnt.
Had organised for a driver to take us to a Barong dance before visiting bali reptile & bird park.
Barong Dance 100,000 each and show lasted about 45 mins
Entry to reptile and bird park 2 Adults & 2 Children 700,000rp
Photos @ Reptile park 100,000
Photos @ bird park 158,000
Although the prices for photos were a bit expensive decided on buying them anyway.
Round trip with driver 200,000.
Hope I havent bored you too much.
Will do a JBR Sanur tomorrow.