#personaltrip

So, no Part 2, or Part 3?

There are reasons why I finally decided to put all the stories in one post.

First. Actually I already wrote a story about my daily activities in Ubud when suddenly the internet connection in my house went off. So.. every tiny detail story that I've wrote was gone. Hix.. *feeling discouraged

Second. There will be too many stories, and some of them might look interesting, while some others not. I think it's also not too important to share the detail when I was chased by two big dogs and then asked for a help from children who were playing around the neighborhood in Desa Nyuh Kuning. It is a sad story, tho.. Because after that moment I realized that being on my own is not that exciting..... :')

.

Ok so here we go!

Ubud!

What's not to love about Ubud?

The nice weather, calming neighborhood, well maintained pedestrian, friendly people, and also the authentic Balinese culture that can be found everywhere in the city. The other thing that I love about Ubud is because it's not as crowded as Kuta or Seminyak! So it is a safe city for an introvert. Hehe.

Ubud offers many places to go, but since I am a short-cash traveler so I just went to limited places. (So u’d better read another blog to find more places in Ubud hehe)

Anyway, my favorite place in Ubud is Tegalalang rice field and Warung Rama in Desa Nyuh Kuning. Monkey Forest was magical, but I suggest you not to go there alone because there are many things to be laughed at together if you are with someone.

.

About Tegalalang.

I thought it will be not too far from Ubud Palace. I thought 8,9 kilos is not something to be worried for, remembering that I had walked for 17 km in high school. And since I am a stone head who will follow my inner faith, I also thought that I could go there simply by bicycle.

Well, bad luck Tya.

The roads were up and down, curvaceous and sometimes I must get passed thru chillin' yet creepy trees. TT__TT . It really was a bad choice, remembering also that I was alone. And because I started cycling from 9.30 am, my skin burned badly. I got super tanned in 2 hours thanks to global warming. *ga nyambung.

During the tiring journey, I learned that it was just a battle between my curiosity, energy and faith. I was convincing myself that it would worth the struggle, even if it would not, I also prepared myself to let go because I can't grow my expectation in the middle of exhaustion.

When you feel exhausted, the only thing you must do is only hold on to your purpose, see how far you've endured and keep patience. 

At that moment I thought, even if the rice field is not as expected, at least I had a healthy time by cycling and walking!

But well, I must say it was totally worth the struggle because Tegalalang rice field was very breath taking. It was arranged immaculately pretty! and I was relieved when I saw many warungs so I could take a break and draw something. *happy face here*.

Anyhow, Tegalalang is a must visit when you were in Ubud!

.

About Warung Rama

It was a happy coincidence to find a place like Warung Rama. I was cycling around Desa Nyuh Kuning (at the back of Monkey forest), and accidentally passed through the place and thought : "Hm, maybe I will have lunch there afterwards."

Soon after I arrived, I found that the place rewarded as the second best Nasi Campur in Ubud. And yes, the Nasi Campur is delicious! The fried rice is also recommended. :9

On my last day in Ubud, I had a chance to talk with the owner because I was the only customer (it was late afternoon so everyone had finished their lunch). I didn't expect to have some inspirational discussion that day, but the owner gave me one very important thing to always be remembered :

"Be grateful, for what you have, for everything. Just be grateful and do good karma."

As stories went by, she told me that her past were full of hardships since her husband passed away and she must raised her 2 children lonely, without a decent, regular job. She tried to learn about everything that can help her make money. After being settled, She then tried to find a loan to start the kiosk. After that, the good karma from her hard works just follow through and everything were placed as she wished.

.

Well if you think that there were only happy days during my stay in Ubud, you are totally wrong cause I had a bad experience in my last night. I dreamed about the so called dancing leak in my dream.... TT_TT

However, Ubud will always be my favorite place in Bali! :D

And.. I have several tips if you want to explore Ubud on your own :

- If you can't rent a car, you can go to Ubud using Kura-Kura Bus service from Kuta. You can get 50% discount when you choose the first departure from Kuta, it will cost you only Rp 50.000,-. I like Kura-Kura Bus service because it is on time, has wifi on board and comfortable. It also has an apps so you can check the departure schedule and spots where you can talk to its customer service.

- In Ubud, it's better to rent a motorcycle than a bicycle. Because the roads in Ubud are up and down. Motorcycle rent will cost you Rp 50.000,- per day, while bicycle cost you Rp 30.000,-. You can rent both around Desa Nyuh Kuning neighborhood. There might be some rental places too in Ubud but apparently I didn't find any at the time.

- Backpacker hostel has a varied price range. The place where I stayed was pretty cheap (Rp 80.000,- per night) and actually nice (it is in a strategic location) but it was a bit creepy since I stayed alone. Choose backpacker hostel nicely and check the review first for its hygiene and location. I used booking.com while looking for hostels in Bali, because the apps is user friendly and it has nice UI/UX.

- If you are also planning to press your meal budget, you can try Warung Ijo near Ubud Palace. It is like a warteg where you can eat properly with a cheap price and adequate taste.

- Try Kebun Bistro if you have sufficient money to have a fancy meal. The place is beautifully arranged with ivy foliage and has a strong Europe feel. And if you want to find a simple yet good design hand bags, you can visit Mina store in front of it.

Last not least,

walking alone in Ubud was exciting until the 3rd day, you'll feel very lonely afterwards so try to be with someone special when you are visiting Ubud. hahahahaha..... *sad laugh. (But the positive side is, I finally master the art of being independent)

*the photos are attached in different post. (who cares anyway....)