Girls Trip in Bali – Part II

September 8, 2011

tags: antonio blanco, Bali, coffee plantation, coffee plantations, food, pet parrots, Restaurant, roast pig, travel, ubud

Ubud. Only two hours away from Seminyak, yet the vibe is completely different. Gone are the bikini-clad tourists and loud techno music. Think museums, beautiful rice paddy fields and coffee plantations. Don’t get me wrong, there are still tourists lurking about and the streets are littered with arts and crafts stalls selling “authentic hand-made” items. But, if you bother to venture out and away from the major roads, you’re in for a pleasant (and very relaxing) surprise. Here’s my to-do list:

Make a detour to Warung Wardani on the way from Seminyak to Bali and grab a bite of their nasi campur.
Splurge on silver jewelry at John Hardy’s gallery and workshop. The place is worth visiting even if you’re not keen on jewelry.
Watch the staff pull crispy skin off a roast pig at Bu Oka and try their delicious babi guling.
Admire Don Antonio Blanco’s work at the Blanco Museum. The artist’s pet parrots are almost as beautiful as his paintings.
Fine-dine under the stars at Mozaic. You can even take a cooking class there if you have the time!
Taste (or/and buy) the world’s most expensive coffee – Kopi Luwak at a local coffee plantation. If monkey-poo isn’t your thing, they’ve got other kinds of coffee and teas for tasting as well. (Unfortunately I didn’t manage to write down the name and address of the one we went to)
And of course, don’t forget to enjoy the serenity of the rice paddy fields. Because that, is what Bali is all about.