BALI

SG foodie and family hopped over to Bali for a week. This being the family's 5th time to Bali and with K1 and K2 in their early teens now, SG foodie decided not to frequent the usual Kuta/Nusa Dua areas as was done before. For this trip, SG foodie chose to stay in 4 days in Ubud (instead of just dropping by to visit it) and 3 days in Seminyak. Having stayed in other hotels and villas in Bali and tried out some restaurants previously, SG foodie and family naturally had better points of reference.

THE SUNGU/WAKA NAMYA, UBUD

The Sungu - Lobby

Ubud is about 45mins to an hour away from the Denpasar airport. A taxi trip to Ubud (ticket from airport counter costs about 200,000 Rupiah (about USD20). SG foodie got a 2 bedroom pool villa at The Sungu, Ubud which is also known as Waka Namya. Apparently the place had some issues registering the name Waka Namya which is already used by another place so they fell back on The Sungu although the name Waka Namya is still used in its cutlery, utensils and such. Unfortunately for SG foodie, some parts of the place was under renovations so she only got to see half of the place. SG foodie and family were shown to Tunjung 2,

Pool and villa entrance

Bathroom with roof shelter/outdoor shower

Upstairs room

Afternoon tea

a small 2-storey pool villa, with a small pool (not big enough to swim in and very close to the villa entrance such that when the children were splashing around in the pool, the water got inside the villa). The traditional Balinese-style villa comes with a downstairs bedroom with faces the pool, a large bathroom with
with 2 sinks, a roof-sheltered outdoor shower, a large sunk-in bathtub and a separate toilet area. The upstairs was a room with a 4-poster bed,
a large day-bed and the TV/phone are situated upstairs. SO imagine needing the bathroom means you have to walk downstairs and if you're downstairs and the phone rings, you have to run upstairs to answer it. To make up for this, you can choose to have complimentary breakfast (between 7-10am) and afternoon tea (between 4-5pm) served in your villa. Strangely enough for a 2-bedroom villa, the table outside was suitable only for 2 persons so whenever breakfast/tea were served, SG foodie had to make use of the pool deck chairs for the coffee/tea pots in order to make room for the dishes. On one day, it was drizzling and the service staff brought the food to the villa without an umbrella so the tea snacks of banana fritters were caught in the rain too. If you choose to have your meals outside or visit the nearby Ubud market, you can make use of the on-demand shuttle car/van and you can get the restaurants to call the villa to arrange for the shuttle car/van to pick you up. There were also complimentary 30 minutes massage for 2 adults and visits to Rudana Art Museum and trekking through rice fields thrown in. Note wi-fi is only available in public areas. SG foodie would recommend this villa for couples and/or families with older children instead of families with young children.

FOOD IN UBUD

Indus - Sumatran Chicken Curry

Now SG foodie has always thought Balinese food was not as yummalicious as other Indonesian foods with its stronger mix of spices and coconut but this trip, SG foodie got to try some pretty good Balinese food. Expect to pay about USD20-30 per person for food and drinks.

1. Murni's Restaurant - Tutu Ayam is delicious as is the Lychee Martini.

Dirty Duck's satay

2. Indus Restaurant - Fusion Balinese food - Sumatran Chicken Curry, Grilled Salmon and Balinese Paella are pretty decent but a bit costly.

3. Bebek Begil/Dirty Duck - used to be one of SG foodie's favourites but the standards have dropped somewhat with the increasing popularity and the service is not great. Try the Duck Satay on top of the crispy duck served with rice (a bit dry).

Cafe Lotus - garden and temple

Ryoshi - Salmon Skin/California rolls

4. Ryoshi Japanese Restaurant - great Japanese food at very affordable pricing - a MUST TRY!


5. Cafe Lotus - a beautiful, peaceful oasis right next to Ubud market but the food isn't fantastic but visit for the scenery then drop into Starbucks next door.

6. Ibu Oka Babi Guling - Didn't get a chance to try Babi Guling (Roast Pork) this trip but this is a popular Balinese dish and Ibu Oka,
with 2 branches in Ubud, is supposedly the best.

PRADHA VILLAS, SEMINYAK (promounced as 'Prada' by the locals)

Pradha Villas

Looking towards pool & 2nd room

Wanting to be nearer to the airport instead of waking up early for the return flight, SG foodie moved to Seminyak, an area of Bali that the family has not explored before. Pradha Villas is situated very near Seminyak Square. Look for signs that lead you to The Dusun and get the taxi to turn right before The Dusun entrance. From Pradha Villas, you can take a 3 mins walk to Seminyak Square where there are shops and cafes but the roads are narrow and you have to share the narrow roads with two-way traffic. Alternatively catch the many taxis ploughing the roads. Pradha Villas is a row modern Balinese-style of about 15 one and two-bedrooms villas all with private pools. The 2-bedroom villas are single-storey with both the bedrooms and living room/dining/kitchen all facing the adequate pool that you can swim in quite comfortably. The entrance has a small shallow pond with stone steps that lead you into the large spacious living room with sofas, a dining table that accommodates six and a kitchenette with bar-counter where a mineral water dispenser serving hot and cold water is available.

Banana pancakes with maple syrup

Outdoor shower/bathroom

A bigger fridge in the kitchenette and cutlery and utensils are all ready for use. Both the rooms come with their own bar fridges and TVs. Each room also has its own attached bathroom with outdoor shower, bathtub, 2 sinks, wardrobes, amenities and bottles of water. The villas is very spacious. There is also a separate powder room so you never really run out of toilets, should a family is sharing the villa! Breakfast is served in room, just order from the lobby the day ahead. The pancakes is super yummy!

 FOOD IN SEMINYAK

1. Ryoshi Seminyak - same menu as Ryoshi Ubud, just as good and affordable!

Sardine - Dessert sampler

Sardine - cutlery rest and menu

 
2. Sardine - Absolutely delicious fusion seafood and beautiful setting though a little hot in the afternoon. Try the Mahi-Mahi, Udon soup with nori-wrapped hamachi and dessert sampler with black pepper ice cream and chocolate fondant cake.

Naughty Nuri's - Nachos

Naughty Nuri's - Pork ribs

3. Naughty Nuri's (also available in Ubud) - succulent and tasty pork ribs in a busy-must-share-table Balinese-warung environment. Check out their shop for some souvenirs too.