Tag Archives: Ubud

From Ubud to Lovina: back to summer.

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Early wake up!

We have many things to do today!

But first, breakfast!

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Sara enjoyed a dragon fruit, while I ate a weird banana flavoured sweet we bought yesterday from AlfaMart (local market).

Checked out from our to-do list breakfast, we rode the scooter to the city center. Next stop was a music instrument shop where Sara wanted to buy a Hang.

Unfortunately the shop was closed and, despite we passed there also later, we found it closed again. So no Hang…

As it was still quite early we went to visit a temple inside Ubud we didn’t manage to visit the day before. This temple entrance is located next to the only Starbucks in the city, and they basically share the entrance… Weird.

Panorama of the temple entrance

Temple Gate (closed)

The temple was closed to visitors, like all the other temples here in Ubud. So annoying. So we just enjoyed the entrance, and went to grab a coffee in Starbucks.

Starbucks Breakfast!

After this we took back the scooter to the rental, got back our 500 thousand deposit, and walked to our villa where we were to meet with the owner for the checkout.

It took us 20 minutes, and Sara fell in love with a strange kind of Palm…

Palm Lover…

As we got home we found the owner already there cleaning the swimming pool, and found out he already called a taxy to take us to Lovina. Such a resourceful guy.

We shook hands and left with the taxi.

The driver was a nice guy, spoke a fairly understandable English, and had zero driving capability. I mean, he survived the previous years driving in Bali, and that is quite astonishing, but he didn’t like at all the 3rd and 5th gears. He just went from first, to second, then run like hell and changed in 4th, but not before passing with the stick on the 5th without leaving the clutch. I seriously had no idea what the hell was going on in his mind, but I was too scared to ask, despite every time he was doing that my heart was sinking a bit.

Somehow we reached the Danau Beratan lake, where the homonym Indu temple is based.

Pagodas on the water

Temple Gate

The entire temple area was crowded with tourists, despite the chill temperature (chill for Bali standards. It was no less than 21º).

In the temple we also found something made from the same matter as the nightmares are made, pointing at the exit…

Sponge Ducking Bob?

From here to Lovina it took us another hour, as we took a detour to see a waterfall but too late realised than Sara would not be able to walk the path to it.

With our super skilled driver behind the wheel,the road to Lovina was a nightmare. I almost vomited but tried to smile all the way to the destination to not seem rude.

As we arrived, we found out that we made a small mistake booking this room…

We booked an entire villa. 2 floors, kitchen, living room, 2 bedrooms, and toilet. Of course, swimming pool outside. Ops!

Unpacked our stuff we went to see the beach, 3 minutes walking from the house.

Black sand beach

The beach is paved by black sand, meaning it has volcanic origins.

Dolphin boats!

We also saw many boats probably used to go watch dolphins in the morning. We’re gonna use one of those the next day!

Swing on the beach

We also found a swing hanging from a three. Sara couldn’t resist and went playing.

Was it windy?

There was also a small wooden pier covered by bamboo arcs, which made it peculiar.
Hungry we searched for a place where to have lunch.

Warung Apple (not related to the money grabber pricks making electronics) looked perfect to have a late lunch.

Beer and juice

We ordered something to drink, beer for the man, juice for the lady,and waited for the food to appear!

Glass noodles with pork and chicken salad

We took booth appetizer and main course, staring with meat and then fish.

Grilled fish. Dayum!

Satisfied we went back home to rest a bit. Here Sara fell asleep, victim of the lunch.

3 hours later she woke up and we went out for a walk on the beach.

Late sunset on the Bali Sea

Unfortunately the sunset was already gone,but the sky was beautiful nonetheless.

Like nothing happened just a few hours before, we went looking for a restaurant to have dinner 🤣

We found the best candidate 50 meters from our home, the JB Warung Makan.

We tried not to over order this time. We didn’t manage thought…

Strawberry juice to start

Chicken in lemon grass and rice for Antonio

Chicken in some weird kind of sauce and veggies for Sara

Home made lemon cheesecake.

We left the restaurant totaled!

We aimed for the beach to have a walk, but ended up lying on the pier, looking at the southern hemisphere’s stars and constellations. It’s amazing how many stars are visible when there are no big cities close by.

Relaxed and in full digestive process, we walked back home to end the day.

Ubud: Walk, Swing, Eat

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We overslept, but that’s ok when you are tired, on vacation and have no plans. So we went looking for a place in Ubud to have breakfast at 10:30.

We stopped at The Seed Of Life where we had a raw organic breakfast.

Banana Pancake

Breakfast bowl: jackfruit chocolate granola etc.

Some kind of organic drink

Some sweet weird organic beverage

With our bellies full we rode to Goa Gajah to visit the Elephant cave, a complex which dates back to the 11th century.

The entrance of the Elephant cave

One of the two twin water spring pool

Apart from the cave from which the place takes its name it has a water spring pool and some ruins washed by the spring water.

After this historical excursion, we decided to have give a visit at the Ubud best known trek: the Camphyan Ridge walk.

Sparse crowds, aesthetically rich vistas, and (maybe the only attraction in all Bali) free!

The walk consist in a 2km trek which brings on a ridge in the middle of two rivers with a great view on the jungle below.

Aerial view of the ridge walk

Despite her temporary disability, Sara was able to walk all the way up the ridge, and back down.

So proud of her.

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Exhausted by the walk under the sun we stopped on a restaurant close to the entrance of the trek for a quick snack. The name was Murni Warong.

Carrot cake.

The cakes were surprisingly good, while the yogurt wasn’t bad at all.

Yogurth with fruit

Home made cheese cake with strawberry

Despite Sara really enjoyed the drink, Antonio had to order a beer to wash the taste of that think from his mouth.

Rice milk drink with green pieces of rice sweets

The restaurant also offered a great view of the forest on its back. That’s quite surprising as the restaurant front door was on one of busiest road of Ubud.

As we were recovering from the cakes Sara expressed her desire to go on a swing. We looked for a near and not so crowded one. Hard to find but not impossible. We rode to Terrace River Pool Swing, a place that combined swings, luwak coffee, bamboo nest, and rice terrace.

The luwaks were kept in cages in couples and only fed coffee beans. I used all my will to not walk away from that place after seeing that.

Swinging from 50m, by two ropes knotted to two palms. What can go wrong?

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The rest of the place was fine. Sara had her swing, pictures in the nests, and we enjoyed the view of the terraces.

Suspended nest

Aerial picture of our love nest

On the way back to Ubud we stopped on a rice field to take some pictures and to fly the drone a little more.

Rice field on an unnamed road

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Once reached Ubud we had a walk in the market. It was almost 7pm so most of the “shops” were closing. That was fine as there were no tourist around,and the street vendors didn’t try at all to force stuff on us.

Done this other chore, we searched for a place where to enjoy our last dinner in Ubud.

The choice fell on “Balinese Home Cooking“.

3 starters, Sara’s fruit juice and my Bintang

And we were so happy we’d gone there. Friendly staff, amazing food, beautiful place.

Pork Ribs

Some veggies and chicken Balinese combination

At the end the owner came to greet us and ask if everything was ok: we were almost in a food coma… For only 300idr! (Barely 18 euros)

3 desserts…

Tired but happy we went back home to prepare the luggages as tomorrow we’re gonna move to another city!

Road to Ubud

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Last morning in our splendid villa here in Jimbaran
Better make the best of it… After all, what’s better than breakfast?

Benedict Egg & Ham

Rice noodles and chicken

All the rest!

While eating we found out there had been an earthquake close to here, in the near island of Lombok. Despite being quite strong, no alerts for tsunami had been issued.

When everything was packed and ready we checked out and waited for the taxi.

To book it we used BlueBird application. BlueBird is the main taxi company and thanks to the mobile app you can check the fare for a certain ride before booking, and see the position of the cab in every instant.

BlueBird taxi companion app

The ride to Ubud took almost 1 hour and 30 minutes, for the traffic, the morphology of the territory, and the conditions of the roads. It puts everything into perspective realising that to cover only 17km it’ll take more than one hour.

On the way to Ubud the view changed from city traffic, to less and less buildings until only few some constructions could be seen, leaving space to rice fields and pieces of jungle. At least for a while. Then the urban environment came back with shorts buildings, max two stories, and traffic. We knew when we were about to reach Ubud, as the taxi started going at walking pace.

The room we rented was a couple of hundred meters north the main road of Ubud. Not very fancy as the one we had in Jimbaran, but ok for a couple of days.

View of the room bed from outside

After unpacking few things we went out to explore Ubud.

We walked south to the monkey forest, Ubud main attraction.

Statue of the monkey king

The entrance fee is 50 thousand per adult, quite high considering that monkeys are basically everywhere here in Ubud.

Inside we met (unfortunately for Antonio) many little pests.

Mama monkey with baby monkey in her lap

Huge three with lianas

The park is basically a fenced portion of forest where humans can interact with monkeys following few simple rules:

  1. Never look the monkeys in the eyes. This may trigger an aggressive reaction.
  2. Don’t wear loose items or the monkeys will take them.
  3. Don’t feed the monkeys, or they will follow you. For ever!

Another mama monkey with her baby

View from an elevated platform of the jungle

While walking around you can see monkeys grooming, playing, running, feeding and doing other monkey things…

Tail Massage?

I tried to follow the rules but a little fella was faster than I expected.

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Apart for this little happy accident everything went smoothly. Just be careful when you walk under the threes. You may have something falling on your head. And you may not like it. 💩

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Once out we walked to a small cafe suggested by Dario to have a drink. We also enjoyed a little dessert. Absolutely refreshing!

Carrot walnut cake and local beer

Chia Bowl and something with dragon fruit and bananas

Walking back to the hotel we stumbled into the Ubud art market. Sara went crazy and on a shopping spree berserk mode.
I must admit that is quite easy to fall for it when you can bargain on the price, already low, and bring it to almost nothing, for Western standards.

As Sara calmed down we went back exploring the city.

We found many statues, almost fell in holes on the sidewalk, watched inside private homes (their open gates were like an invitation), and met a little furry rascal.

That animal is used to create a special type of coffee beans… eating other coffee bean and then pooping them out.
Disgusting, I know. But some people likes it.

We also found an Italian restaurant. In Ubud. Serving Olive Ascolane among other stuff.

Yeah.

Sure.

You go man!

Quite tired we walked back to our room. Here we found the toilet clogged, an ant infestation, and found out that all the towels were dirty as hell.

Promptly Sara called to get the hell out of here, a refound, and looked for other hotels in the area.

Unfortunately looks like we have to spend the night here.

Let see what the night will bring.