Bali Day Excursion

Here are some pictures from my day trip out to the North East of Bali.

Barong & Keris Dance at CV. Catur, Eka Budhi, Batubulan Village

The Barong play represents an eternal fight between good and evil spirit. Barong, a mythological animal represents a good spirit. Bali, unlike the rest of Muslim Indonesia, is predominantly Hindu and is steeped in mythology. Don't worry if you don't understand the language. When you buy your entrance tickets, you will receive a description of the various acts (available in multiple languages).

Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary at Padang Tegal

(Mandala Wisata Wanara Wana)

As the name suggests, monkeys are king here. Visitors can feed the monkeys with bananas and yam!

It is a peaceful sanctuary. The trees are really old.

The mythical stone dragon is quite amazing.

Ubud Palace

Ancient architecture

Funeral Pyre

The prominence and wealth of the person who passed away determines the height of the pyre. The richer, the higher. This picture was taken outside the Ubud Palace.

Padi Terraces in Tegalallang Village

In Malaysia, we are used to seeing padi fields on flat land. In Bali, due to the shortage of land, the villages plant padi on hill-side terraces.

Kintamani Volcano

Despite sunny weather at the rest of the Bali Island, it is usually cloudy at Kintamani Volcano. I enjoyed a cup of Balinese coffee at the Gunung Sari Restaurant whilst taking in the awesome scenery and cool weather.

Spice Village

On the way down from Kintamani, we stopped by one of the many spice villages. Above pictures - raw coffee beans and man roasting coffee beans over stove. Prices of the spices and coffee for sale are at a premium.

Balinese and Indonesian Cuisine at Made's Warung

Made's Warung (Pronounced as Ma-Day) was recommended to us by an Indonesian. When the locals recommend it, you can't go wrong. We went to the restaurant in Kuta. They also have a branch in Seminyak. Made's Warung was established in 1969 and started off as a roadside stall or warung. It has now evolved to a cosmopolitan restaurant serving local and international cuisine to cater to the international visitors to Bali.

The restaurant is spacious and airy, with both indoor and outdoor seating. We opted for local Indonesian and Balinese cuisine. We really enjoyed the sate at Bumbu Bali so we ordered the pork sate here. We were not disappointed. The sate was grilled to perfection - the meat was moist on the inside and golden brown on the outside. The peanut sauce was creamy and had a wonderful flavour. (You really must buy the roasted peanuts in Bali)!

Another winner in our books is the ribs in young papaya soup. The ribs were so tender. The young papaya tasted like Chit Kwa (Chinese cucumber).

We couldn't resist the Indonesian Nasi Campur (Mixed Rice). The white rice was served with an accompaniment of small portions of meat and vegetable dishes, topped off with sambal (chili paste).

And to finish off the meal, we had the Black Rice Pudding for dessert. The pudding was served with freshly grated coconut and was rich and creamy. Beautiful!

Fresh Grilled Seafood at Jimbaran Beach

No visit to Bali is complete without a meal at one of the restaurants in Jimbaran Beach. If you want to catch sunset, be there by 6pm. It also helps to go early as the restaurants are very popular with both tourists and locals alike.

We went to Menega Cafe, which was recommended by an Indonesian acquaintance. The wooden tables are set on the beach itself, lit by a candle in a jar. The gentle seabreeze provides natural air-conditioning, whilst the sound of the waves lapping the sand is the background music. Later at night, a trio of musicians will go from table to table to entertain the patrons of the restaurant (for a tip of course). They will oblige you with your choice of songs. All in all, an almost perfect ambience for relaxation and enjoyment of dinner with the exception of the smoke from the grill.

Ambience aside, the quality seafood is the reason why people come to Jimbaran. It's so fresh. Lightly marinated with Balinese herbs and charcoal-grilled to perfection! The sauces that accompany the seafood are excellent. I'll let the pictures do the talking. I was so engrossed with the food, I almost forgot to take pictures. Please pardon the half empty plates!

Lobster

CrabFish

Best Babi Guling in Bali - Bu Oka

I mentioned in my last post that Ma-de, the driver took me to the best Babi Guling (Roast Suckling Pig) in Bali. Bu Oka is a small shop or warung in Ubud, opposite the palace. The warung comprises of a stall up front where the chef prepares the food. Next to the stall, there are a few long tables with benches. To get inside the warung, you have to go up some wooden steps (per Asian custom, you need to take out your shoes). There are low tables inside and you sit on the floor.

The menu, which is on the wall is straight forward. There is babi guling, babi guling and babi guling. You would have figured out by now babi guling is their specialty. There are some variations (e.g. pork with/without skin, with intestine, with vegetables). Ma-de recommended that I try the Babi Guling Special (i.e the works with rice, veg, crispy skin and intestine). It was very delicious. The meat is so tender that it literally melts in your mouth. Ma-de explained that the suckling pig is stuffed with Balinese spices and then roasted in a pit on a roller. It then is turned slowly and roasted for many hours to get the meat tender and juicy. The skin is crispy, while the intestine taste similar to the Chinese "siu cheong" (roast intestine). The assorted vegetables were diced finely and cooked with Balinese spices. Topped with the Balinese sambal, it was an unforgettable meal!

Bali - Driver or Tour Guide?

Although Bali is an island, you would need to either hire a driver and a car or join a tour if you want to venture beyond your hotel and visit the different districts. We've tried both. Go for the driver option!

When we first went to Bali, part of the package were complimentary airport pick-up and a half-day Ubud tour conducted by the same tour company. We did not have a pleasant experience. The pick-up did not arrive (apparently there was a mix-up regarding our arrival time) and all we saw of Ubud were 1 woodcarving shop, 1 batik shop, 1 art gallery and 1 silversmith shop). The reason is that the tour guide gets a commission from these shops. When we wanted to add a Kecak dance to the itinerary, they charged us more than double the price of the ticket!

This time round, I opted to hire a driver and a car. The tour agencies also provide driver and car hire services. However, a friend recommended Ma-de Murtika (Pronounced as "Ma-Day") to me. She had used his services and found him to be reliable and trustworthy. I have to agree. I contacted him on his mobile (+62 081 23997613) and was glad that he was free the following day to drive me around.

Ma-de was waiting at the hotel lobby for me before our pre-arranged pick-up time. Based on tour brochures picked up at the airport, I had already decided where I wanted to go - Monkey Forest Sanctuary, Barong Dance, Ubud & Kintamani Volcano. I had a wonderful time chatting with him during the journey which gave me a chance to practice my Bahasa, which was rather rusty. (He can also speak some English, German and Japanese). I also had a glimpse of life in Bali as he shared about Balinese culture and history.

What I liked about Ma-de:
1) He did not attempt to persuade me to go to any shops for commissions
2) He did not try to hit me with extra charges (we had agreed on a fixed price for a day's services, which included petrol and parking charges).
3) He also agreed to extend to after dinner without extra charges (pre-agreed). Some drivers charge extra after 5.30pm.
4) I can decide my own itinerary!
5) He took me to the best place for Babi Guling (Roast Suckling Pig) in Ubud (watch out for this on my next post).

Meals and entrance fees were on my own account. I also gave him a tip at the end of the journey. I'm glad I opted to hire a driver as I experienced the "real Ubud" this trip instead of just going to designated shops.

BTW, "Ma-de" is a very common name in Bali. It means 2nd child in the family. So, usually, you would use the full name when calling a person.

Balinese Cuisine at Bumbu Bali

On our first night in Bali, we decided to have a Balinese dinner at the Bumbu Bali, located in Tanjung Benoa. Bumbu Bali claims to be the first authentic Balinese restaurant and was created following the principals used in designing a traditional Balinese home compound. Surprisingly, the owner of the restaurant is Heinz von Holzen, a Swiss, married to a Balinese. Heinz used to be the Executive Chef at the Grand Hyatt and Ritz Carlton Bali.

Having missed out on the Bumbu Bali during our first visit to Bali a couple of years back, we decided to make reservations for the night so as to not miss out again. It was also very convenient that the restaurant provides complimentary transportation to the restaurant from Nusa Dua hotels guests. The Bumbu Bali is so popular that the driver told us on the way back that it was his 8th trip to the Melia Bali that night.

At the restaurant, the kitchen staff greeted each guest with a cheery "Selamat Malam" or Good Night (which in Bali, is used as a welcome greeting as opposed to in Malaysia where it is used as a farewell greeting). The guests, both male and female are given a frangipani to be worn on the ear.

We opted for the set meal called the Rijsttafel (yeah, it's a mouthful, isn't it?), which means "Rice Table" (Indonesian dishes are always served in the center of the table surrounding a large basket of steamed white rice). We also complemented it with Hasil Laut Bumbu Kuning (Assorted Seafood in Yellow Turmeric Sauce), which was recommended by the waitress.

THE RIJSTTAFEL
APPETIZER

Sambel be Tongkol (Tuna Salad)
Sate Babi, Ayam, Lilit (Pork, Chicken and Seafood Sate)
Peanut Sauce
Lawar - Vegetable Salad

Verdict: The sates were absolutely delicious. The sauce was smooth and had a flavourful peanut taste (it definitely was made from roasted peanuts and not peanut butter). The lawar was fresh and crunchy.

SOUP
Cram Cam (Clear Chicken Soup with Shallots)

Verdict: The soup was seasoned with aromatic Balinese spices. Tasted quite similar to soto ayam.

MAIN DISHES
Ayam Betutu (Roast Chicken in Banana Leaf)
Be Celeng Base Manis (Pork in Sweet Soy Sauce)
Be Sampi Mebase Bali (Braised Beef in Coconut Milk)
Kambing Mekuah (Lamb Stew in Coconut Milk)
Ikan Bakar (Grilled Fish Fillet)
Pesan be Pasih (Diced Fish Grilled in Banana Leaf)
Sayur (Selection of Daily Vegetables)
Nasi Kuning, Merah, Putih (Yellow, Red and Steamed Rice)

Ala carte: Hasil Laut Bumbu Kuning (Assorted Seafood in Yellow Turmeric Sauce)
Verdict: Each dish was simply oozing with flavour. The lamb stew and braised beef literally melts in your mouth. The fish and seafood dishes were very fresh. The pork in sweet soy sauce tastes very much like the Chinese style dish we have in Malaysia.

DESSERT
Kueh Bali (Selection of Balinese Cakes)
Bubuh Injin (Black Rice Pudding)
Jaja Batun Bedil (Glutinous Rice Flour Dumplings in Palm Sugar Sauce)
Buah-Buahan (Seasonal Fruits)
Balinese Coffee or Tea

Verdict: At this stage, we were already quite full. But, we couldn't resist sampling the dessert. My favourite dessert is the Glutinous Rice Flour Dumplings in Palm Sugar Sauce. It was absolutely delicious and not-to-be-missed. The dumplings had a soft chewy texture and the palm sugar sauce was so fragrant. The black rice pudding is similar to what we have in Malaysia (not surprisingly since there are similarities in our cultures).

Final verdict: I'm glad we managed to taste the food at the Bumbu Bali this trip. Absolutely delicious!

Bali - Lazy Day by the Beach

When I travel, I usually like to move around, go sight-seeing, hiking, shopping, etc. I reserve lazing around when I'm at home. After all, if I'm going to spend money to go to another country, I should maximise my time there and see and do all that I possibly can, right?

So, in a very "unlike me" fashion, I actually spent half a day lazing by the beach in Bali, during my recent trip there. Because I live in sunny Malaysia, having sunshine is no big deal. In fact, a lot of Malaysians, especially women, prefer to stay out of the sun as they don't want to get tanned. Tha't why whitening skin products are such a hit here. For me, I am naturally tanned (thanks to my half Nyonya heritage), so I don't mind the sun as much.

Anyway, since I stayed at the Melia Bali on Nusa Dua Beach, I decided to take advantage fo the private beach on the resort property. Even though, I don't mind the sun, I don't intentionally go sun-tanning. So, I found a deck chair in a shady spot and settled down with a good book to read.

P.S. These weren't the Melia Bali deck chairs. It belonged to a nearby resort but I thought that it warranted a picture coz it was so unusual.

It really was very relaxing listening to the sound of the waves and the chirping of the birds. Occasionally, a tree squirrel would come down the tree, hoping for some nuts from the sun-bathing guests.

When I looked up from my chair, I could see the blue sky peeking out from among the tree leaves. When I looked out, I could see a boat floating in the air. No, it's not a scene from the Pirates of the Carribean, it's actually a kite. During low tide, I ventured to the pool for a cool dip.

Very pleasant indeed. I could get used to this...