Bali in Monsoon

We took a short weekend trip to Bali at Chinese New Years with our friends from Victoria who are traveling around SE Asia on their honeymoon. It was my third trip in this past year (and Joel's second) but we were just as excited to go as ever. Heading back to Ubud during monsoon season was interesting. It was less crowded than the July and September trips I'd done. It was also a little hotter at night and there were quite a few mosquitoes likely due to all the puddles of water left after the rain showers. Some things were easier, like finding a place to stay or walking down the mains streets unimpeded by tour groups. There were also a few challenges which were rain related.

We flew on one of the KLM direct flights from Singapore which is what I generally do. It's actually cheaper than Air Asia and you don't have to deal with the gong show of the discount terminal at Changi. So that's my first travel tip.

We booked Saren Indah for the weekend but the first night they were full so I went onto Agoda to look for something nice for a one night deal. On a whim I booked a brand new four star guest house/hotel which hadn't even been added to trip adviser yet. It was a gamble but we were rewarded because this was actually a very beautiful brand new place done in the traditional Balinese style that had only been open for a month. They had built large guest suites with gorgeous carved furniture and nicely appointed bathrooms and the hospitality was impeccable. The temple gardens had just been painted with gold leaf and their pool over-looking the ravine was quiet and pristine. Heaven! The place is called Pondok Pundi Village Inn. I think once they finish building their reception and restaurant building at the street it will be much more expensive then the $75 USD a night we paid.

 

The next day we moved to Saren Indah which is also decent. Quite nicely laid out, rooms are pretty average guest house rooms for Ubud. Fairly clean and well kept up. It's on a back road that winds around so that's it's a bit of a pain to get to by car but on scooter you can cut through the Monkey Forest and then it's really only 5 min from Monkey Forest Road where all the shops and restaurants are. Note: Don't walk through the Monkey Forest with anything in your hands, sunglasses on your head or handbag. The Monkeys are very quick to decide what they want to take and they are extremely strong and willful little thieves.

The second night we took our scooter over to Bridges. It's a lovely three level restaurant overlooking another river or small ravine. We were seated on a little private nook and basically had our very own balcony for the evening. The food was decent and well priced and the service was excellent. We were treated to a really phenomenal thunderstorm. It continued on and on while we kept ordering more cheese and drinks to try to wait it out. Finally at 10pm we decided to call a taxi and leave our scooter at the restaurant.

Our driver got within a few blocks of Saren Indah and then all traffic stopped. The road was flooded and people were dragging stalled scooters out of metre high flood water. None of the taxis could get through either. Our driver turned around and asked us what he should do. We decided to go to the Laughing Buddha, our favorite local bar and wait it out. Eventually around midnight we purchased and umbrella and headed to the detour through the Monkey Forest foot path to walk back to the hotel. Joel used his Blackberry to light the way! Part way there we realized that route was flooded too so we took off our shoes and waded on, unable to see more than a few feet ahead of us. It wasn't very deep but I don't even want to think about what was likely in that murky water. It was a good night and a perfectly enjoyable adventure. If wading through flood waters is not your cup of tea you might want to give Saren Indah a miss during monsoon.

The next day we went to see the famous Barong dance that only happens on Sunday mornings just outside Ubud. I had missed doing this on my first few trips and was determined to catch it this time. It's basically a theatre production of the story of the Barong - or tiger and various Hindu deities and local historical characters who play out battles of good and evil. It's a bit silly at some points but also a serious means to pass on stories with didactic purposes. At the end of the Barong dance a group of men on the stage are in a trance. They drive wooden swords at their own chests in a effort to release bad spirits and sway around the stage with looks of anguish on their faces. This is a community cleansing and to locals this is not just a show. It's part of the spiritual health of their town.

That night we went to Mozaic, the fine dining restaurant in Ubud that offers 7 course tasting menus and some of the best food we've had in the world thus far. I believe I have written about Mozaic before. Don't miss it. It might break your budget and possibly yours pants but it's a memorable thing to experience.

On our final day I did my shopping up and down Monkey Forest Road which is where you'll find all the classic Bali batik silks and cottons. A-Krea is one of my favorite places here for woven grass beach bags and chic beaded wallets. Portobello is one of the better boutiques along here though for some of the silks though you can bargain more at other locations and walk home with a better deal. A silk dress should only be 225-250,000 and the silk scarves should only be 50,000. Some places will try to charge 2-3 times that until you look ready to walk away. For a selection of fun off-beat clothing in more urban styles the cross street,  Jalan Dewi Sita is great. So is the section of Jalan Hanoman from Jalan Raya Ubud down to where Artini 2 hotel is.

All in all, it was a very fun weekend. We arrived home late Monday night for what was for both of us a very very busy week. I had meetings and presentations due and three courses starting. Joel was thrown back into the midst of an annual planning period company wide so it was just a completely mad week. This is my final semester of my degree and this will probably be my last blog post for a while. (I'm actually supposed to be writing an essay right now... can't you tell?) Cheers!