You Need to visit Ubud Art Market

Sep 17, 2017 | Travel

About the Ubud Art Market:

Locals call it Pasar Seni Ubud. It is one of the most popular markets in Bali, and is a must visit if you enjoy shopping and handicrafts. The traditional art market itself is located at:

Jalan Raya Ubud No.35,
Ubud, Kabupaten Gianyar,
Bali 80571, Indonesia

It’s open from 8am to 6pm. The Ubud Art Market is a street maze of shops and souvenirs, and if you look hard enough and bargain, you just might find some amazing hidden gems.

What you’ll find:

// Sarongs – We call them `ie lavalava in American Samoa. Probably the most versatile piece of material ever, I love sarongs. You can find mandala prints, elephants, batik and ikat designs in every color and pattern imaginable.

// Penis things – I’m not kidding here. Lots of penis made of wood (yes, it’s punny) that pay tribute to the old practice of penis worship. I don’t know the details of the practice, but you can find huge penis bottle openers and incense holders, which might make a funny and functional souvenir.

// Jewelry – Ubud is known for its talented silver smiths, so you can find silver jewelry pretty much anywhere, and even take a silver making class! I don’t usually wear jewelry, but I couldn’t resist this sterling silver wave shaped ring I bargained for only 40,000 rupiah (~$3USD)!!

// Clothes – Lots of great cotton, linen and even silk garments. Ian bought a blue cotton batik shirt with coconut shell buttons, and I got a 100% silk batik robe which makes me feel so luxurious.

// Bamboo straws – Sustainable and makes great souvenirs to take as gifts for friends. I fell in love with these straws when we had dinner at La Pacha Mama, and was so stoked to find them at the market.

// Bags – Who doesn’t love bags? The rattan roundie bags from Bali are especially popular these days (you might have seen them on instagram). But there are so many different bags to choose from. Straw and canvas totes, cross body bags, clutches, leather purses, backpacks, yoga mat slings… am I missing more?

// Homeware – Dishes and bowls and cups, and candles and cushions and home decor. There is a lot of really beautiful handmade homeware that are perfect for decorating your home.

// So much more – There’s a plethora of fun and interesting trinkets and homeware and decorations. From keychains and koozies to handmade baskets, paintings, toys, and home goods–the Ubud Art Market is a bargain shopper’s heaven.

How to Haggle:

Ask how much, but only ask for the price if you really want to purchase it. The vendors expect that you will haggle so they’ve marked this up by a lot. I’ve found it works best to my advantage when I start asking at only 30% of the ask price. Think about how much you’re willing to pay for it, and consider the time and resources it took to make it. Be fair and always ask with a smile.

*Pro tip: Go to the market early in the morning because vendors believe that their first sale is a sign of a good luck, so they will often offer you the cheaper “morning price”when you’re haggling.

How to Deal with Impulse Spending:

I wanted to buy so many things! I already know that if I ever become a homeowner in the future, I am coming to Bali just to shop for all the cute things to fill my home! On this trip though, I came prepared to resist the urge of spending money on material things. Call me weird but I actually Googled photos of the Ubud Art Market before my trip just to see what I might want to buy and I thought about whether or not I wanted it or needed it. It was actually super helpful. I asked myself: Would I use it? Do I really want to travel with it? For so many of the kitschy things, I probably would get buyer’s regret. Plus, I was determined to make it through this trip with just my backpack and duffel, so my mind was made, and I only bought 6 things I could easily travel with.

What I bought:

1. Silk batik robe. I loooooved this purchase. One of my favorite garments to date and it was in my favorite color, green!

2. Rattan roundie bag. You can probably tell by now from all the photos that I was obsessed with these rattan bags. There were dozens of different shapes and sizes, and if I was to mail a box home, I would have definitely gotten a bunch more.

3. Incense. Ever since my trip to India, I will pretty much only buy sandalwood incense because the scent reminds me of that time of my life, which I loved.

4. Bamboo straws. I love buying things that support environmental wellness, and these eco-friendly bamboo straws were perfect for traveling souvenirs.

5. Sterling silver ring. There were so many to choose from, but I honestly didn’t even want to get a ring until I saw this very simple wave-shaped ring. It was too cute to pass up.

6. Wooden magnets. One of those kitschy things I said I wasn’t going to get, but ended up getting them because they were cute (picked out the flip flops and surfboards shaped magnets) and super cheap.

Q:

What are some of your favorite markets?

And if you could choose, what would YOU buy from the Ubud Art Market?

Bali Travel Diaries: Market visits and batik class

Sep 2, 2017 | Travel

My home in Ubud is alive with nature

It’s nestled away from the busy Ubud center and surrounded by the sounds of birds chirping, crickets playing their songs, trees rustling in the wind, and rain pit-pit-pattering on the rooftop.

I stayed up all night inspired by this place to work on my travel journal, edit photos, and work on my blog.

What paradise

At 6am the roosters were crowing.

At 7am Ian was frying eggs and making smoothies.

By 8am, we’re skinny dipping in our private pool and rinsing off in the outdoor shower.

Market visits

There’s a bit of rain but it doesn’t stop us from walking around our little town towards the Ubud Art Market. I’m determined to not to buy anything, except for a rattan roundie bag.

There are a bunch of shops that have them, but I’m looking for one that fits my DSLR camera with 24mm lens. I walked into a shop with the cutest old man who helps me to find a bag that’s wide enough to fit my bag.

We found one, and I’ve haggled a price that’s reasonable for the both of us. But I completely forgot that the only cash I brought with me was for my batik master class which I was headed to after lunch. I promise him I’ll be back to purchase it.

Lunch at Yoga Bali Cafe

We stop for lunch at this cute cafe hidden away from the busy streets.

Learning Batik

We walked back to Penestenan Street to Wayanna Batik shop.

Anna and Wayan are standing by the door ready for my arrival, and I jump on a scooter with Wayan (the artist) to his uncle’s studio. This is where he creates his batik paintings, along with his cousin who is also a batik artist.

Because this wasn’t a scheduled class, and I requested so last minute, we delved straight into the painting process. I was a bit bummed that we didn’t have time to go into the initial wax drawings, but after 3 hours of painting, I still felt I had the full immersive experience.

We talked stories and Wayan watched while I painted, telling me how I could get a better result by using water to make the colors more muted, and mixing colors for vibrance.

I felt in my element, and 3 hours whizzed by.

By the time I was done, it was nearly evening.

The canvas needed to dry overnight so I had to come back tomorrow to see my final work.

Café Vespa and renting a scooter

I walked over to Café Vespa with a huge coconut in hand (courtesy of Wayan and his family), ordered a latte and waited for Ian to meet up with me.

While I spent my afternoon painting, Ian spent his day hiking the Campuhan Ridge and exploring the town solo.

We walked back home and not that we were complaining about the walk at all, but we really wanted to get a scooter. It was just so much more convenient.

Like serendipity, we got home and our host Wayan Budiana meets us to let us know he has an extra scooter that we can rent.

Vibes at La Pacha Mama

For dinner, we showed up to a very fancy restaurant called Bridges, but it was so fancy that we could not be seated unless we had a reservation—which we didn’t… so we drove up the hill and found an even better spot.

We walked into La Pacha Mama and were stoked to see a live band playing a mix of old school Spanish music and Cuban music. The cocina styled decor was super cute, the waitstaff was amazing, and the food was divine.

I love my days in Bali.

Where we stayed in Ubud

Aug 26, 2017 | Travel

Someone asked me where I stayed in Bali, and I thought it would be a good idea to share some of these places…

Of all the places in Bali, this AirBnB in Ubud was my favorite.

We planned to stay for 3 days, so I wanted to make sure we had a comfortable spot to call home while we explored the town. A requisite when I was looking up accommodations for Ubud was that it had a kitchen, an outdoor shower, and a private pool. When I found Wayan Budiana’s home on AirBnB, I was immediately heart eyes over it.

The details

This home in Ubud has everything you’d want in a vacation home and more. It is listed as a brand new family villa which can house up to 6 guests comfortably, and is hidden away in nature, but is very close to the main Ubud town areas. The open floor plan give the home a very spacious and airy feel, and the floor to ceiling windows and sliding doors brings the outside in and provides much of the natural light. Both the showers are partially outdoors, and i was obsessed with the wooden kitchen table and benches. There’s even a goldfish pond at the entrance!

We walked around on our first day to nearby rice paddies and the cutest little cafes and shops, and rented a scooter from our host to get around for the remainder of our stay.

What do you look for when you choose an AirBnB?

Never used AirBnB? Sign up using this link for an extra $25 off your first stay!

All Good in Ubud

Aug 22, 2017 | Travel

The clouds have blocked the sun from shining through my window, and my eyes flutter awake at 8am.

Good morning Uluwatu!

Our plans for today are simple. Eat breakfast (we went to Nyoman Local Food and ate on their boat table). Catch some surf (for Ian), and pack up again – because today we are…

On our way to Ubud!

Our AirBnB host helps us get a driver named Putu to take us to Ubud, with a couple of stops along the way.

I was still in dire need of an American power adapter to charge up my camera and laptop. We got one at a stall outside of Bagus Supermarket while we were picking up some groceries. We also purchased a prepaid SIM card from Telkom Cell which had 12GB data for 30 days, and it was only 150,000 IDR (about $11.25 USD). I highly recommend this plan for anybody passing through Bali and whose life is recorded on social media. So worth it!

The drive took about 2 hours during the afternoon traffic. I was getting carsick so I *forced* myself to take a nap (only kind of lying, because I’m also known for falling asleep on car rides).

We arrived at a small unmarked road looking for our next AirBnB home, and after a quick phone call made by Putu to our host, a friendly face pops out from a family compound right next to us, introducing herself as Chantik (she is our host’s relative) and she leads us through a smaller road beside it. There, we found our secret private villa – and it is amazing!

If you’re ever in Ubud and you’re looking for a beautiful place to stay that’s close to town, but gives you a sense of privacy – check out Wayan Budiana’s AirBnB! If you’re new to AirBnB, click here to get $25 off on your accommodations.

(I wrote a blog post about this AirBnB here.)

As tempted as I was to stay in and enjoy the pool, we got up to explore our area. The evening air was cool, and we wandered off the beaten track. The road was completely run down, but a man on a bridge that leads nowhere gestures to us to take a little hidden path just past the banyan tree. We walk down some sketchy steps and over a bamboo bridge and find ourselves amidst a rice field. How cool is this?! Right in someone’s backyard.

We continued our trek through Penestenan street. I felt inspired here. I wanted to paint.

I walked up to a couple of different places offering batik painting, but most were closed since it was almost 6pm. I saw a small shop with the lights off but the door was open. There were beautiful batik materials hanging and draped in all sorts of fashion. I walked in and was met by a beautiful woman named Anna sitting on the floor working away on her laptop. She tells me her boyfriend is the artist in residence and I inquire about taking a class. It’s settled, tomorrow I will be back!

On the way home, Ian stops at a moto vendor selling chicken satay and sticky rice. And we head to our AirBnB to relax in the pool, make dinner, and watch movies.

It’s all good in Ubud!