Good morning! Waiting for our breakfast to be served outside the front porch. You can choose to have your breakfast @ anywhere in the villa - be it at the restaurant, swimming pool, inside the room or front porch.
Our breakfast spread was simply divine! The maggi goreng was finger-licking-good that I polished it off within minutes. Leecher was filled to the brim with his sumptuous Western feast, from cereals, eggs & bacon, sausages, bread & fruits/fruit juice.
Our view while we had our breakfast.
Time to head out for a lil walk.
Hand-in-hand :) I love taking pictures of Leecher holding my hand, lol! Next time, I should try to avoid taking his butt.
We had to walk quite a distance to reach city center. Wandering through the well-trodden path with the paddy fields at either sides of the road.
The steep road that made Leecher abandon riding the bike, for he wasn't confident of navigating through this road.
Happy like a lark!
Once we reached the bottom of the slope (where cars are able to access), we need to walk further out to reach city center. Along the way, we can see tiny canang - palm leaf trays containing flowers and betel - on the ground. These are simple offerings to the spirits, expressing gratitude to benevolent spirits and placating mischievous demons to prevent them from disturbing the harmony of life.
We noticed that the words were carved on the stone pavement, so it was kinda interesting to read what was written on the pavement as we walked.
The list of accommodation. Try spotting our villa!
When in Ubud, Ibu Oka is the must-try eatery for Bali Guling (Indonesian Suckling Pig). We missed our chance previously due to the 1001 activities that we did. Henceforth, this time round, it was a walk-eat-sleep-relax trip for us and we had all the time in the world to explore all the famous eateries in Ubud.
Chopping the meat into bits and pieces.
It was difficult to get a seat, for the place was crowded with tourists! Yah, tourist trap, since it was recommended by Lonely Planet and Anthony Bourdain. Menus were immediately shove in your face as soon as your butt touched the seat. Highly efficient, I must say. We ordered Babi Guling Special. Soup was served lukewarm, while the rest were served cold. Meat was tough and firm, coated with a layer of grease that proved too oily after several bites. I wonder why did this place even have a stamp of must-try in the 1st place? I had a totally bad experience lunching in this place, for the dogs were free to roam in the area, wavering between legs. Once, they even looked at my plate with pleading eyes >.<
Stray dogs feeding on the leftover bones outside the eatery.Ibu Oka
Jalan Suweta, Tegal Sari No 2, Bali
(Opposite the Former Royal Palace)
We crossed over to Former Royal Palace for sightseeing. This was the palace of the kings of Ubuds until the 1940s. This is also Ubud's best setting for dance performances, staged in beautiful surroundings under the banyan tree and followed by a fire dance. I was told that the fire dance at the end of the dance is very impressive, but I have yet to witness it myself.
Parts of the complex are off limits to the public, but entry to the rest is free.Puri Saren Agung
Jalan Raya Ubud
(Near to Ubud Market)
Opening hours: 8am till 5pm
Adjourned to Ubud market, a 2-storey complex selling all kinds of souvenirs aimed specifically at tourists.
Most of the stalls are bursting at the seams with batik shirts, sarongs, wood carvings and whats-not.
My shopping loots! Haha, I actually bought the same bag in different colours and sizes. Ended up with 6 of them! Use your bargaining skills here, as the stall owners will carrot-head tourists like crazy. We spotted a tray of decorated plates and the merchant quoted me 750,000Rp (approx 100 SGD) and we walked away. She immediately reduced her quote to 400,000Rp! Still, we didn't buy from her, as the plates don't fit the theme. Always have a baseline on how much you're willing to pay.Ubud Market
Located at the corner of Jl Monkey Forest and Jl Raya Ubud
"Swimming" time!
Famished after the swim - the staff brought our afternoon tea to the front porch for us.
We continued with our reading while snacking on cakes/biscuits.
When it was time for dinner, we decided to head to Naughty Nuri's Warung, which was located at the other end from where we were staying. So, we walked for close to 40 minutes in dimly lit streets & wondering if we were lost before reaching this place.
When you spot the fumes (from a distance), you know you are on the right track.
Huge bucket of ribs ready to go onto the BBQ pit.
The place was packed with locals and tourists that we had to share a table with others.
Tongue-in-cheek version of "Eat, Pray, Love"
We gave the thumbs up as soon as we sink our teeth into it. Meat was well-marinated and every mouth was absolutely delicious. I felt that the long walk to visit this eatery was justified by the tender ribs that we just tasted. Naughty Nuri's Warung & Grill
Jl. Raya Sanggingan, Ubud
Bali, Indonesia
We saved some of our stomach space to venture to the sister outlet, selling Mexican food, next door.
The place wasn't as crowded.
We had beer, nachos, grilled meat and sausages. They basically took their "stock" from Naughty Nuri's. Having tasted both eateries, I'll say stick to Naughty Nuri and stick to their ribs. Nuri's Mexican Bar & Grill
Jl. Raya Sanggingan, Ubud
Bali, Indonesia
(Next door to Naughty Nuri's)
We took a slow walk back to the villa - but before that, a quick stopover @ Starbucks for Leecher's daily dose of coffee.
Hot chocolate, latte and blueberry cheesecake :)
Extremely bloated after the meal, but nevertheless, satisfying!
