Bali Tour Guide

My client this time is a couple that come to Bali more then ten times already. They told me just want to see something different. We started from Ubud around noon with no real plan. I took them to local warung for lunch. This warung is popular amongst the local, and it hardly tourist dare to come there. The place is clean and set nicely in Balinese house compound. They serve only ‘nasi campur’ with chicken. On the plate, there is steam white rice, steamed and friend chicken meat and fried of other part of the chicken, string bean vegetable and hot chili ‘sambal’. For three drinks and two portion of nasi campur, we spent IDR 24.000.

After lunch, we drive along the small road on the west side of the Ayung ricer. We stop once we see women harvesting on the rice field to film the scenes. On the first group we stop, they were cutting the rice straw and gather them together in one place. Soon they would use a small little machine to split the rice grain from the straw. The most advance harvesting method in Bali for the moment. On the second stop, the harvesting method was a bit older. After cutting the straw at the bottom part of the plant, they trash them on block of bamboo to get the rice grain fall from the straw.

Feel enough filming harvesting process, we continue the trip and make another stop when we see a men plough using tractor. Nearby, I notice there is a wooden plough at rest. Other men flattening the field after it being ploughed earlier. A family with the help of their children pulling out the ‘baby’ rice from seedling field to be re-plant to the flattened field. As we pass the Subak temple of the area, we made another stop because we see cocoa plantation. I pick one to fulfill the curiosity of my client.

For other ten minutes, we still drive on small road before we reach the big road of Petang. Not for long on the big road, we soon enter a small curvy road again. A big sign of warning people to protect their valley before the beautiful valley view make me glad. Hopelly what they mean is ‘please do not turn your green valley into valley of concrete. Other stops we make as we see old women walking slowly with heavy load of firewood on her head. A big smile from her as we film her.

As we enter the main road to Bedugul , we see a lot of fruit stand on the road. It is fruit season in Bali. We bought a bunch of ‘lycee’ for IDR20,000. A stormy rain falls when we reach higher part of the road. We decided to stop for a coffee in one of tourist restaurant with the view of Ume Luang rice terraces. Line of Mount Batukaru and Sang Hyang above the terraces look mysterious behind the pouring rain. Two coffees and one ginger tea cost us IDR 30,000, more then our main lunch. Well, I think we pay more for the view.

After the rain stop we continue the trip to Angseri hot- spring. On the way, we see a gamelan orchestra being played in front of a family compound. We did not stop as my client seen enough Bali ceremony. Finally, we arrive in Angseri hot-spring. We need to walk on the step, up and down for about 700 meters from the parking place to the hot-spring. As we walk, we amaze by the beautiful view of this little green valley. So lush, so green so fresh so Bali. The hot-spring plunge pools are setup in the area underneath of the valley, near a small river. There are about five 2meter x 2m-plunge pools at the moment. Each pool built under the hut of bamboo roof and wall, except one without the roof. One shallow pool for kids with tree fountain just let open without hut. One open fountain place with fresh water for soaping and shampooing located between to the hut. Bigger swimming pool is planned to be built next to the river. We see they have the material ready already. Guest can use the hut privately for maximum 30 minutes. Entrance for foreign guest is IDR 20,000 per person. Toilet and changing room are available.

We only see some locals and no other tourists when we were there. 30 minutes in the hot spring is long enough for my clients. We have a warm chat with two of the place owner, while having our instant hot noodle. The place is own and run by a group of sixty people from the village. A reasonable percentage will be shared to the village community. By a big potential of the place have, we tell the owner for not be attracted for outsider’s offer to buy or rent the place. It is better for the villagers keep to own and run the place.

By the time we leave the place is about 5.20PM already. We continue the trip to Jatiluwih. The ticket counter in Jatiluwih is closed , as it is late already. The rice is on harvesting stage so the colors are yellow gold. Some rice has been harvested and few seedling fields have been setup. Few farmers are still at work at that time. My clients want to get a bag Bali red rice to bring home. We stop at the local retailer in the village to buy it. I end up buying 25 kg of rice for IDR 175,000 or IDR 7000 for one kg. A common normal rice would be cheaper then that. My clients only want a small bag of it as gift. The rest I keep it for my mother kitchen.

We leave Jatiluwih when it is almost sunset. We see a nice sunset on the way before driving by headlight on for about 40 minutes until with arrive in Tabanan town. We stop for local dinner in the night market in the town. The market locally calls Pasar Senggol where there are many food cart. Eact cart has tire so easy to move. In the day time the place become ‘bemo’ station or parking lot. The food carts only come and trading for the evening. They have to move and clear the place when the night is end, around 10 PM. The sell various kind of food like fried rice, nasi campur, sate, meatball soup and others. Some clothing, shoes, sandal, toys, musik cd are also available. We have three ‘soto’ local soups with white rice and tea for drinks for only IDR 18,000. We get a bag of fried banana and fried fermented tapioca –‘tape’, for IDR 3,000 to bring home.

It take us about one hour to arrive back in Ubud. We go directly to Jazz Cafe to take a look at dinner jazz that played every Thursday night. My client is a retired musician so it is interesting to hear his comment. ‘Overall, the music is just OK but the players need to play more together so they can support each other more. While listening to the music, we have three drinks from the coolers section. It costs us IDR 147,000 including three cover chargers. The cover charge is IDR20, 000 per adults.

On the drive back to the guest house, we compare the price of our main dinner in local night market to our drink stop at tourist café. Also, the cost of our local lunch to our touristy tea stops. The huge different make us laugh. We don’t bother to debate about the different. We feel good to know and experience the different and just live with it.

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