The start of a new day heralded the start of a new exciting adventure. UBUD is my happy place and is a real feast for the eyes as well as the belly :) The greenery is so calming yet reenergising for me. Ubud is also full of artistic treasures, charming people and wonderful views. I love the walk up and down the busy main streets lined with shops despite of the intense heat you never know what you might see.
We were very pleased with ourselves for finding BRIDGES RESTAURANT without too much difficulty. It had such a unique feel to any place I had come across before. We felt very special indeed. It is a great place to cool down and escape the busy road and feel like royalty. We had a lovely peaceful time here and enjoyed our Funky Monkey cocktails and crème brulee dessert. (Surprisingly my fish starter was a little dry and the small scallop was sliced.)
We also managed to make a pit stop at for a refreshing cocktail at CAFE WAYAN. It looks so different in the light of day and is another great place to have some quiet time:)
It was jaw dropping to see the progress made at the renovations at the Ubud markets. I was shocked to see that so much of it had been torn down. There are some stalls still operating which is enough to satisfy most people's market needs. Check out the photo link below for more details. If I was not standing right near the palace I would not have recognised the place!
After a lot of toing and froing I finally decided on the SAREN INDAH as my choice of hotel in UBUD for this trip. The proximity to town, the positive reports of the kind staff over many, many years and of course the monkey magic, without being too intense finally proved to be irresistible. The low price with hot water and air conditioning also was a primary factor. Having Laka Leke restaurant practically next door (but not too close) with its night time dancers was also a bonus even though unfortunately for me we arrived on a non dance night :( Ah well next time.
The moment we walked into the Saren Indah lobby in Ubud you could feel the positive energy unlike our last hotel which was three times the price. The large room is amazing with windows on both sides with views of rice paddies with a romantic mosquito net:) The staff also went above and beyond to help us out especially in a moment of crisis. Cocktails by the pool were a fabulous delight. It actually reminded me of the pricy MF Komaneka but without the infinity pool.
Apparently it is a 20min walk to the Ubud markets through the monkey forest. It was a real surprise to see a monkey in the driveway of Saren Indah. We never saw one within the walls of the hotel but they would often hang out down the street a little which I loved. You could always count on some great entertainment from the monkeys across the road. It was like watching a Cirque du Soleil performance :P Their balancing act and jumps were incredible.
Further along the road is the MONKEY FOREST. We always enjoy our time here but on this particular day many visitors were commenting on being bitten. The monkeys did seem quite frisky in more ways than one... :P
I have never seen a monkey bearing its teeth at tourists before. Since we did not have a guide with us this time we tried to keep our distance but one cheeky monkey managed to jump on me without warning.
... What do you do when a monkey jumps on you when you least expect it? After hearing about so many people being bitten I screamed and then ran for my life. However, I suspect that wasn't the right thing to do. Previously I would have sat still and really enjoyed the special moment. Now I have monkey guilt :( So sorry little one:( you really did take me by surprise and your cousins were being particularly naughty that day.
For newbies I suggest that you visit the monkey forest in the late afternoon during their siesta when the monkeys are too hot and tired to terrorise too many unsuspecting tourists. Do NOT feed the monkeys unless you are looking for trouble. They do bite. Watch your children carefully. We nearly accidentally stepped on a few long monkey tails :(
After our awe-some Kupu Kupu Barong infinity pool dinner last year I have always been on the look out for ways to top it. I came across the RICE PADDY ROMANCE DINNER that was on offer at the classy CHEDI HOTEL. The setting of our platform right in the middle of a vast and lush rice paddy with fire flies, frangipani flowers and candle light was absolutely mind blowing and absolute perfection.
Unfortunately we got off to a frustrating start as their transportation was significantly late. Even after ringing them it took them quite some time to find our booking which was surprising given their high reputation. Eventually they did discover our booking and send their driver but I was so disappointed to discover that I totally missed out on seeing the extraordinary lush rice paddy in its full glory in the day light and our photos which are our lasting memories suffered from a lack of golden light of the sunset. It also meant that our sugar levels were low and combined with the effects of the heat while we anxiously waited for transport it was sadly a definite romance zapper ... to say the very least :(
Once our dinner was finally underway in the darkness the sounds of ducks, frogs and other enchanting beasts in the peaceful and otherwise silent rice paddy was magical. This was the first time I had laid eyes on some fire flies:) The waiters and waitresses were absolutely lovely and the chef really did kindly go out of his way to accommodate our special diet. The purple basil cocktail was interesting and had a positive surprising flavour.
If you do go there organise your own transport, go before sunset, carry a hard copy of your booking, take a woolen jumper (or borrow one of their lovely warm pashminas) and you will have the most spectacular time.
Anyway, I could go on and on about my favourite things in Ubud but as they say a picture tells a thousand words so check out this link to our photos. Bear in mind that even pictures do not do Ubud justice :D
http://smedley.id.au/bali2012/Ubud
Semoga harimu menyenangkan :D!!