dgunbug, I know you have more to offer about Vietnam...everyone sees things differently and has different likes and dislikes. I'm looking forward to what you thought about things. I know what you mean about Bob's report...it takes awhile to find the meat...no fault of his own!

Our first morning at Komaneka at Bisma found us delighted by the breakfast balcony seating overlooking the pool, rice terraces and surrounding forest. The best things about breakfast here are the pain de chocolat and croissants....warm and flaky, right from the oven. The rest of the format I didn’t really care for. They had several menu options that you needed to order, and then wait as they served several courses, which took too long when you’re anxious to get out touring. Their fresh fruit juices were too watered down, with the exception of the banana juice, which was good. The cooked egg or pancake options weren’t very good. As a result, we never ate lunch or dinner here. I finally got them to give me yogurt, muesli and fruit, which they thought was odd that I combined them all together. The servers were friendly and anxious to please. There is something wonderful about the Balinese people we came in contact with. They have such a calmness and gentle friendliness about them.

This was a day on our own, so we began with a visit to the Neka Art Museum, which was offered by the hotel...shuttle to the museum at 9am and free admission. It was scheduled for two hours, but since it was just us I asked the driver to come in an hour, thinking that would be plenty of time. Wrong. The museum was housed in several lovely Balinese style buildings connected by landscaped courtyards. The wonderful collection of Balinese artwork included old, whimsical and contemporary styles, with an interesting gift shop. We easily could have spent two hours there.

The shuttle driver dropped us off near the market area of Ubud. We tried to shop through the claustrophobic, several storied market..but it was so hot and sweaty and I really dislike the hassle of market shopping. All the pleas to “come look
into my shop” and you can’t just look in peace. So, only got a few things and beat it.

It was lunch time and I decided I wanted to eat at the Four Seasons Resort at Sayan overlooking the Ayung River gorge. We couldn’t afford to stay there so we could at least check it out for lunch. Plus, the most recommended shop in Ubud by the Luxe guide, called “The Shop” was located just outside the resort. So, grabbed a taxi for a beautiful ten minute drive to that area. Shopped first and got a colorful gauzy top and a purse.

Walked into the Four Seasons, past oozie toting guards, and a golf cart whisked us down to the Riverside Cafe, a casual outdoor cafe overlooking a pool, where we ate just up from the teeming, winding river, occasionally hearing the screams of white river rafters below. It was a lovely setting surrounded by all that river gorge greenery. Had one small wood-fired pizza, one salad, & two drinks plus water...$70. Glad we weren’t staying there. Checked out the extensive & expensive gift shop without succumbing.

Back at our hotel, we sampled their lovely long rectangular pool that overlooked the spa area. They offered a free afternoon tea, with little delicacies, but it wasn’t that good.

Then, we dissolved into bliss as we both enjoyed hour massages that were complimentary since we stayed 6 nights (after I requested them). We could have had them as a couples massage, but I requested separate rooms. (Hey, when it’s just the two of you for five weeks, you need a little alone time....and he likes to talk during a massage!) It was a lovely spa setting, with one wall open air facing a little brook backed by a stone wall. I really like how they have the frangipani and rose flower petals artistically arranged in a bowl on the floor that’s just below your head opening on the table. After the massage, she told me to shower, then put me to soak in a claw footed multi jet, multi colored light tub experience that was next to the gurgling stream. Lovely. I did worry a little bit about mosquitoes (dengue fever) since it was dusk but no problem.

Komaneka offered a very convenient free shuttle service where they’d take us anywhere in Ubud for dinner and then come pick us up when we were ready. So, we capped off the day with an excellent dinner at Terazo. Seated at a window table enjoying the balmy night breeze and looking across the street to the lit up Ubud Palace.
I should mention that G had a lot of trouble at night with the burning...from the cooking with wood fired stoves to trash and field burning. Took an antihistamine & it helped.

To be continued:

The next morning, our guide, Putu Aranawa, picked us up promptly at 8:30am on a lovely warm, sunny morning. First, we stopped to see one of the largest banyan trees I’ve ever seen...three main trunks and many rooting below.

Then, on to Lake Bratan to visit the temple Pura Ulun Danu Bratan, located at 1200m above sea level and one of Bali’s most photographed temples with it’s scenic lakeside location with Gunang Katur mountain rising behind it. Built in 1653, it consisted of several shrines, some on little islands, and an 11-roofed pagoda dedicated to Wishnu and meant to evoke Mt. Meru, the center of the universe.

We were lucky to arrive just as a procession of mourners passed by as part of a cremation ceremony. We watched enthralled as the Balinese people passed by and entered the temple complex dressed in their colorful finery. The women wore close fitting white lacy cotton or pastel stretch lacy blouses with 3/4 sleeves, colorful sarongs wrapped twice so they walked “femininely” with small steps and sashed at the waist with a bow. Many wore flowers in their hair and carried baskets of offerings on their heads, fruit, flowers, etc; while holding the hand of a small child, dressed similarly. The men wore their sarongs only folded once, with a sash, and a light colored buttoned down shirt and a uniquely tied batik cotton headdress called a “udeng”. When G saw those headscarves, he said he had to have one, and we put it on our shopping list.

This visual treat was accompanied by the slightly discordant sounds of a typical Gamelan orchestra, which includes a variety of instruments such as xylophones, drums, gongs, bamboo flutes, string instruments, and metallophones, which are tuned metal bars struck with a mallet.

This group of mourners gathered on the banks of the lake, where they chanted, sang and prayed while several small wooden boats rowed back and forth. This ceremony was to help the recently departed on his journey to becoming a god and is repeated at several temples throughout the island.

This beautiful morning was one of my favorite travel experiences on our 5 week trip through SE Asia. The beauty of the mountain backdrop, hazy from clouds, the glistening blue lake, the arresting architecture, and most of all, the fascinating people engaging in one of their ceremonies all came together in a sublime moment.

After that, we drove up the mountain and along a road that ran along the spine...with lake views on either side. Now, it was starting to cloud up and become cooler. We stopped for lunch at a small local restaurant “Warung Kopi Bukit Hexon” where we had lunch outside Indonesian picnic style....a covered wooden raised platform with a low table where you remove your shoes and tuck them under the table. We tried their fried noodles with chicken and the vegetarian stir-fry...both excellent. They grow and roast their own coffee here and it was served free...very good and I bought some to take home. No, it’s not the civet poop coffee...no desire to try that.

Here, I digress to discuss the typical roadside restroom situation. The first one I went to was a ceramic hole in the floor squat variety (like I’d encountered in Vietnam) with a trough of water and ladle next to it that you pour in to “flush” when you’re done. When I went outside to use the sink, I saw that they also had two stalls with western type toilet seats. However, I haven’t figured out why the seats were soaking wet. I think the people use the water trough and ladle to wash off the seats after use? I should have asked Putu to clarify the toilet mystery.

We kept driving along the ridge to the Monduk waterfall. Putu said this one had less steps than the one he originally planned to take us to (G balked at 500 steps), but believe me, this one had it’s fair share. I loved walking through the thick jungle forest as it started to drizzle. When I worried aloud about my 35mm camera getting wet, Putu broke off a huge leaf and gave it to me...worked perfectly to shelter the camera. The waterfall was a decent size, but we elected not to swim under it like some others.

G and I both fell asleep as Putu drove us to see the extensive terraced rice fields of Jatiluwih. He wisely told us to get out of the car and walk along them up a slight hill where we’d meet him at the top in about 15 minutes. It was so pleasant to walk and absorb the green panorama of terraced fields stretching all around us. We were particularly impressed with the strength of a tiny wizened old lady who carried a huge basket filled with rice stalks upon her head.

By now, we were tired and ready to go back, but Putu said we really must the the temple in the jungle “Pura Batukaru.” Bali has four main directional temples and this is the West one. It’s located in a high plateau, backed by Mt Batukaru, and surrounded by tropical rainforest. It was more peaceful and serene with no hawkers and crowds of tourists. I think we would have appreciated it more had we not been so tired. It seemed a long drive back, and we returned to Komaneka by 6:10 pm. Putu’s charge for 10 hours of touring (including gas)... about $50.

We finished this very long day with an excellent dinner at Nomad...great value too.

To be continued:

Barefoot, I've been enjoying your commentary. I'm actually at the Legian right now, looking out at a beautiful morning on the beach and mountains. They're having a big ceremony here today for the rededication of their temple.

To clear up your toilet mystery: many Indonesians, both Islamic and Hindu, prefer water to toilet paper. Traditional facilities have a cistern and ladle; Western style a hose and spray. In the process they often wash down the seat, the floor, the walls etc so the whole area is good and wet. It's one of those cultural divides -- toilet paper is generally considered unsanitary, and the sluice and spray method more civilized.

Barefoot - I'm enjoying your report once again. I meant no offense towards Bob and I realize that the banter is just fun between comrades. I will try to get around to my own report soon.

loved this section.... i always love reports from newbies to areas because they are so meaty...

i can think of other reasons for wet seats....

we still love alam shanti as one of the best hotels in ubud...

marmot, thanks for enlightening me on the toilets...why do they have seats then when you can't sit down anyway?

dgunbug, looking forward to your report

rhkkmk,
Wish we had checked out Alam Shanti when we were there...think it was close by.

One hint is to get a Bali Pathfinder map (about $5) from the Tourist Office in Ubud, which is across the street from the market. At first I thought we were getting ripped off because I thought they could give us a free map of the area. But, its a great map with shops and restaurants in it and shows the surrounding areas. You also can grab a taxi from here. Again, I thought the charge to the Four Seasons was high, but when we returned it was the same standard amount.

Eureka! I finally figured out how to share my Bali photos....here's the link to the photos that relate to my trip report so far. When I finish the rest of Bali trip report, I'll post those as well.
Please let me know if you have any trouble viewing these.

http://barefootbeach.smugmug.com/Tra...02822485_Yo948

The next morning dawned sunny and warm for our big white-river rafting expedition along the Ayung River gorge...about an 11km trip. Our driver from Sobek Expeditions picked us up at 9:45 for the 1/2 drive up the river. They have quite an operation there, and the place was packed with different groups going out.

We were given our helmets, life jackets and paddles and started down the 500 steps to the river with a honeymooning couple from North Carolina and our guide. When we got to the bottom, my legs felt like jello. After a quick safety instruction, the two men got in front, the two women in the middle and the guide in back. He either yelled “Forward” when he wanted us to paddle hard through the rapids or “Stop”. The problem was that he had a soft voice and the men in front couldn’t hear (especially since they were talking non-stop). So little Miss bossy kept relaying the commands and fearing that we were going to capsize because they weren’t paying attention. We survived but there were a few hairy moments and we were thrown out of our seats a few times and beached the raft on a rock another time. This was a Class II & III rapids, but it was scary enough for me. (We read in the paper that night that a Chinese tourist had drowned doing the same trip a few days before us when her boat capsized....had used a different tour operator)

This trip was another of my highlights. The scenery was stunning....looking up through the steep, twisty, sides of the gorge thick with luscious vegetation. At one point, the guide steered us right under a huge waterfall and we got soaked. Since it was warm, no one minded. At another spot, you could get out and play under the waterfall and then swim a short distance to the end of the trip. Since these waterfalls are runoffs from rice paddy fields, we declined. About 2 hours later, the trip ended with a lunch buffet at river’s edge. At least we only had to walk up 250 steep steps to the shower and changing area....that was enough. Got back to Komaneka at 2pm.

That night, we had an early dinner at Ari’s Warung....very good food if a little pricey. Right across the street, we heard all this discordant noise and it turns out it was an orchestra practicing for an evening dance concert. It really sounded bad though.

We then went to see a Legong palace dance at the Ubud Palace. What a beautiful setting with the temple gate backdrop lit up and the graceful dancers with their expressive eyes and intricate and synchronized hand movements. The two dancers are supposed to be pre-pubescent, but the ones we saw were not. We enjoyed the dance very much (with the exception of the King who moved SO slowly), but it did seem too long at 1 1/2 hours.

The next day, Putu picked us up at 8am because he wanted to take us to a local ceremony at a temple in Bedalu. We had to dress in sarong and sashes.
It was a large ceremony lasting several days but because we got there by 8:30am, it wasn’t too crowded. The temple wasn’t very exceptional, but the main interest was to see the local people up close. Mostly, we saw a procession of old ladies walking around raising and lowering their arms. I did get a chance to take more pictures of children and babies. By 9:30, I was ready to move on...I had enjoyed the temple setting and ceremony at Lake Bratan much more.

From there, we went to Putu’s family compound in the village of Tanggayuda. We walked around and saw the family temple, a ceremonial pavilion where we met his aunt, cousin and little nephew, and saw their kitchen with open-fire cooking and storage area, and different sleeping buildings. About 35 people live in this compound and in the back are garden areas.

Then, we drove to Guning Batur, an active volcano where the “north” temple is located. It’s a very important temple that honors the goddess of the lake who controls the irrigation systems. However, he didn’t take us up there...instead to the smaller one on the lake because he said it was quieter. Yes, but not very interesting either. So, we didn’t see any more of the volcano, although it was clouding up by now.

For lunch, we went to the Kedisan Floating Restaurant on Lake Batur near Kintamani. Their specialty is freshly caught Tilapia fish, known locally as Nila, from their fish farm in the lake. They have two floating wooden rooms, with windows all around, set out on a dock with panoramic views of the lake and Mt. Batur that would seat about 10-12 people. We had the room to ourselves. Since I’m a squeamish eater, I declined their specialty, which comes as the whole fish either grilled or fried, and you pick the meat off with your fingers. I chose fried noodles again, and they were excellent.

By now, the clouds obscured most of the mountain and the lake had a gloomy cast, which fit my mood. I hadn’t slept well the night before and was tired and grumpy, which may explain why I didn’t really enjoy this whole day, but my husband did.

From there, we stopped at a coffee shop that overlooked an impressive view of rice terraces, and then on to Celuk, the silver village, where Putu took us to Prapen, a shop recommended by many on this site. I didn’t think I was going to buy anything, but perked up when I got into their welcoming showroom. G bought a clunky lapis lazuli ring and I got a “John Hardy” style coil type necklace chain and red coral earrings and pendant...all for very good prices.

That night, we ate dinner at Cafe Lotus, on the main road in Ubud. This was our least favorite dining experience. Yes, the setting is beautiful, overlooking a large lotus pond with a backdrop of the lit up Temple Saraswati. Our concierge at the hotel asked us if we wanted to watch the Barong dance performance while eating, and we said yes. We told the hostess that, and she placed us at a table at the edge of the pond but very far back from the Temple stage. We could see that there were raised low platforms for dining Indonesian style along the sides that extended much closer to the Temple stage. When we finally determined that we had to buy a ticket to sit that close (we thought they’d add the charge to our bill) we changed to those platforms. However, it was still too far away to really see the dancing, and the food was average at best...the service worse. This was the first restaurant that the servers weren’t very friendly.

Our five week SE Asia trip was drawing to a close. We had wanted to take the 2-hour rice paddy walk on our last full day, which others have recommended, but we really wanted some unstructured time and didn’t want to leave at 7am. And, I hadn’t really gone shopping in Ubud so wanted to see the stores. It was a good call because the skies opened up about 8:30am at breakfast and we saw the first rain (except for drizzle in Hanoi) in 5 weeks.

Armed with umbrellas, we took to the shopping streets and quickly became drenched in the heavy rains. G bought his “udeng” , the traditional Balinese headscarf, and our waiter at Cafe Wayan delighted in showing him how to tie it. By the way, the Cafe was delightful for lunch sitting back in the covered garden setting, and the cakes and tortes are amazing. Well, proudly strutting his udeng down Monkey Forest road, G became a “rock star”...startled glances turned into giggles from the women and smiles and encouraging shouts of “Balinese!” from the men. If you are seeking friendly attention from even the jaded locals (taxi driver hawkers), wearing an udeng (if you’re a foreigner) will surely attract it.

Overall, I was disappointed with the shopping scene but gave it a valiant effort, even with the constant rain. I did find the most beautiful, unique hand made pendant, set with several small stones, from Seraphim, an exquisite jeweler on Monkey Forest road. The owner/designer was in the store and while they had set prices, he did accept one third less with cash.

I had read about an inexpensive reflexology spot called “Touch” on Monkey Forest Rd. I decided to try a 1/2 hour foot reflexology session for $3.00 while G had a mojito at a cafe nearby. The place was spartan with five beds next to each other but well worth the price.

We finished our last day with an excellent dinner overlooking the rice paddy at The Three Monkeys restaurant.

The last morning dawned clear and sunny, and we went out for an early walk along Bisma road to see the Monkey Forest before it opened. We had beautiful mountain views and watched several people work the rice paddies. We ventured into the Monkey Forest and saw many busily eating their morning bananas. A woman who worked there was sweeping and kept asking me something in Balinese. I finally understood that she wanted money for the monkeys’ food. I didn’t take any on our walk, and I told her I didn’t have any money. So, she angrily swept dirt in my direction. Not the usual Balinese friendliness.

Bali Discovery came through with our transfer to the airport from Ubud at no additional cost from the botched (my fault) Seminyak transfer. An uneventful flight home on Cathay Pacific via Hong Kong and we were back in the States full of memories of gentle, friendly people, luscious countryside and a culture rich in artistic expression. A successful trip without illness, theft, or injury and with our marriage intact. What more can you ask for?

I will post the photos from this section of the report shortly.

I forgot to give more information about the temple we visited: Pura Samuan Tiga, which means Meeting of the Three...it's dedicated to the Hindu trinity of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. The ceremony was for the Temple's anniversary where they rededicate the temple.

great report....bali is a wonderful place...

i don't think we ever met a "mean" balanese person, but i am sure there are plenty of them....

we too had a less than good experience at cafe lotus....better to just look at the view and move across the street to ari's warung...

prapen is the best....karen bought a number of items there this time and is very pleased with them all. the prices are very low and the quality high... the showroom buildings in themselves are works of art....just a visit is worthwhile.

i look forward to more pics..

bob

Great report. Enjoyed reading it. So where is your next trip to?

dgunbug,
well the "next" trip is to Oregon in Oct. but somehow that doesn't sound too exotic!
Next year, I'm ready for a European fix so would like to go to Corsica, Sardinia & Sicily. Not sure though.

If you'd like to view the photos that accompany this trip report, please follow this link:

http://barefootbeach.smugmug.com/Tra...02822485_Yo948

Let me know if you have trouble viewing!

This is a great report! I am going to Bali - Ubud and Jimbaran for 4 days at the end of July and I hope to check out some of the places you mentioned. Do you think a tour guide is necessary or can we explore these temples etc ourselves with taxis? Typically we prefer to travel on our own schedule rather than with a guide but I don't know what works best for Bali.

you can explore on your own but you must find a way to get to each of these sites and a guide is a very good way as taxis are in short supply...

I agree that a guide is most useful because not only does he take care of the transportation (and where to park), but he also knows where the ceremonies are being held, where you can go and not go, and general etiquette issues. If you just want to go shopping, then you could just hire a driver to take you around. We should have done that for one day.

I'm sorry but I realized that I misspelled Putu's last name...it should be Arnawa and he can be reached at [email protected]

we have had putu on 3 different trips to bali.. his skills, enthusiasm and personality remain high and we enjoy every minute with him...

gpanda says that putu is the best guide that he has ever come across with just the right amount of every attribute that you want in a guide...