Sunday, January 31, 2010
Coming up next
Turkey's confirmed for May (plane tickets booked yay!) and hmmm do i also smell something brewing between now and then?
Friday, January 1, 2010
Bali - Ubud 26-28 Dec 09
Back to Bali again after some 8 years since a site study trip in Year 4 of Archi School, and some 13 years since my first trip to Bali, which was also on another Archi field trip, thanks to our tutor Robert Teh.
A few weeks before this trip, i dug out this dusty old publication, comprising a collection of student excerpts of our First Year Archi School Field Trip to Bali waaaay back in 1996 and had a few good laughs, especially at some of the more honest accounts... you know who you are heh...
"pitched roofs everywhere, bamboo structures everywhere, split gates everywhere... the initial experience was spectacular, however later on in the trip, everything started to look identical... as for the food, the balinese really took their own sweet time to come up with a delicious meal. no wonder it was so scrumptious because by the time we got to eat, we were so hungry that everything tasted better."
"site study site study still site study... all of us were getting tired of sketching and after visiting so many resorts and temples, the trip to four seasons became very draggy and boring"
"after shedding crocodile tears for Group L who was going for a site study instead, we (Group F) hurried back to our hotel after agreeing to go snorkelling together."
After all those student days of drooling over the luxurious 5-star resorts we could only visit and not stay at, i finally found myself slightly richer and decided to indulge in some year-end pampering.
Maya Ubud Resort & Spa, here I come!
Resort Lobby
Entrance to our Superior Garden Villa
Villa Interior
Breakfast Hall
Poh Ling and her egg omeletes
while Grace and I attacked the keropok...
Figured we'd just go with the hotel guide, Dewa to take us around Bali to save us the hassle of arranging our own transport. Having been to most of the sights before, i was kinda curious to see how much i remembered.
Goa Gajah Elephant Caves
Goa Gajah is located just outside of Ubud in the town of Bedulu, less than half an hour drive from Ubud.
Nymphs or goddesses carrying water spouts seemingly spilling water to fill a bathing pool.
I don't know about you but methinks it's a bit creepy to enter the temple through a monster's mouth huh.
Pura Tirta Empul
Also known as the Temple of Holy Water and one of the 6 most important temples in Bali, Pura Tirta Empul is located in Tampak Siring somewhere in the middle between Ubud and Kintamani.
Devotees offering prayers before entering the temple premises.
More devotees offering prayers inside the courtyards of Pura Tirta Empul.
Devotees queuing to wash themselves with what is believed to be holy water that orignates from a spring rising from the earth.
Temple Dog roaming freely.
Bali Coffee Plantation
Grace looking rather pleased with her roasted coffee beans.
Thanks for coffee, Grace!
Mount Batur at Kintamani
The view of Mount Batur and Lake Batur formed by a volcanic eruption several years ago at Kintamani was no doubt spectacular and the panorama really added to the lunch experience so brownie points for that in spite of the average touristy buffet spread.
Pura Ulun Danu Batur
Since the mother of all Bali temples, Pura Bersakih was a little off our route, we settled for the second most important temple in Bali, Pura Ulun Danu Batur in the town of Begudul, which was a complex of 9 different temples. The name was pretty similar to Pura Ulun Danu Bratan at Lake Bratan which i remember to be a lot more picturesque.
Tegelalang Rice Paddies
Bali Ratu Spa
Late afternoon spa to rejuvenate our tired bodies. So-so only.
Sights along Ubud streets after our spa in search of dinner.
Settled on Cafe Wayan which has a great atmospheric garden setting for an authentic candlelit Balinese dinner.
Awoke the next morning to one of the best spa experiences ever.
Goddesses taking a morning shower, teehee!
Not a new concept but architecturally this was very effective in creating a sense of 'edgelessness' by having a sunken corridor all around the viewing deck. A 1m high railing at the same platform height would have spoilt this effect.
From the viewing deck above, you walk down 2 flights of staircase and a corridor leads you to the elevator which then takes you 2 floors down to the Maya Ubud Spa.
Maya Ubud Spa Pool
Spa Pool overlooking the Petanu River
Balinese kids fishing at the Petanu River across from the Maya Ubud Nature Trek and when a tourist approaches, they try fishing for money instead by sticking our their palms and tongue in cheek going "money, money"
The start of a blissful 90 minute midday spa! Mm-mmm...
Wholesome 2-course lunch menu after our spa treatment.
Off to check out Ubud Town!
Ubud Market
Trying to pick out some souveniors...
Our Year 4 Site Study masterplan location! The Jalan Monkey Forest football field - around which Cheryl designed a spa, Don a library and I did a clubhouse. How very nostalgic...
Then it was bye-bye to Ubud and off to Tanah Lot to catch the sunset enroute to Seminyak. The drive from Ubud to Tanah Lot took over 2 hours and we skipped Taman Ayun along the way for fear of missing the sunset. Alas there was thick cloud cover and not much of a sunset despite making it there on time.
Jimbaran-styled seafood dinner at Tanah Lot where it was so dark we could hardly see what we were eating. Maybe that was the whole point. Not to mention there was a power failure too.
next: Seminyak
A few weeks before this trip, i dug out this dusty old publication, comprising a collection of student excerpts of our First Year Archi School Field Trip to Bali waaaay back in 1996 and had a few good laughs, especially at some of the more honest accounts... you know who you are heh...
"pitched roofs everywhere, bamboo structures everywhere, split gates everywhere... the initial experience was spectacular, however later on in the trip, everything started to look identical... as for the food, the balinese really took their own sweet time to come up with a delicious meal. no wonder it was so scrumptious because by the time we got to eat, we were so hungry that everything tasted better."
"site study site study still site study... all of us were getting tired of sketching and after visiting so many resorts and temples, the trip to four seasons became very draggy and boring"
"after shedding crocodile tears for Group L who was going for a site study instead, we (Group F) hurried back to our hotel after agreeing to go snorkelling together."
After all those student days of drooling over the luxurious 5-star resorts we could only visit and not stay at, i finally found myself slightly richer and decided to indulge in some year-end pampering.
Maya Ubud Resort & Spa, here I come!
Resort Lobby
Entrance to our Superior Garden Villa
Villa Interior
Breakfast Hall
Poh Ling and her egg omeletes
while Grace and I attacked the keropok...
Figured we'd just go with the hotel guide, Dewa to take us around Bali to save us the hassle of arranging our own transport. Having been to most of the sights before, i was kinda curious to see how much i remembered.
Goa Gajah Elephant Caves
Goa Gajah is located just outside of Ubud in the town of Bedulu, less than half an hour drive from Ubud.
Nymphs or goddesses carrying water spouts seemingly spilling water to fill a bathing pool.
I don't know about you but methinks it's a bit creepy to enter the temple through a monster's mouth huh.
Pura Tirta Empul
Also known as the Temple of Holy Water and one of the 6 most important temples in Bali, Pura Tirta Empul is located in Tampak Siring somewhere in the middle between Ubud and Kintamani.
Devotees offering prayers before entering the temple premises.
More devotees offering prayers inside the courtyards of Pura Tirta Empul.
Devotees queuing to wash themselves with what is believed to be holy water that orignates from a spring rising from the earth.
Temple Dog roaming freely.
Bali Coffee Plantation
Grace looking rather pleased with her roasted coffee beans.
Thanks for coffee, Grace!
Mount Batur at Kintamani
The view of Mount Batur and Lake Batur formed by a volcanic eruption several years ago at Kintamani was no doubt spectacular and the panorama really added to the lunch experience so brownie points for that in spite of the average touristy buffet spread.
Pura Ulun Danu Batur
Since the mother of all Bali temples, Pura Bersakih was a little off our route, we settled for the second most important temple in Bali, Pura Ulun Danu Batur in the town of Begudul, which was a complex of 9 different temples. The name was pretty similar to Pura Ulun Danu Bratan at Lake Bratan which i remember to be a lot more picturesque.
Tegelalang Rice Paddies
Bali Ratu Spa
Late afternoon spa to rejuvenate our tired bodies. So-so only.
Sights along Ubud streets after our spa in search of dinner.
Settled on Cafe Wayan which has a great atmospheric garden setting for an authentic candlelit Balinese dinner.
Awoke the next morning to one of the best spa experiences ever.
Goddesses taking a morning shower, teehee!
Not a new concept but architecturally this was very effective in creating a sense of 'edgelessness' by having a sunken corridor all around the viewing deck. A 1m high railing at the same platform height would have spoilt this effect.
From the viewing deck above, you walk down 2 flights of staircase and a corridor leads you to the elevator which then takes you 2 floors down to the Maya Ubud Spa.
Maya Ubud Spa Pool
Spa Pool overlooking the Petanu River
Balinese kids fishing at the Petanu River across from the Maya Ubud Nature Trek and when a tourist approaches, they try fishing for money instead by sticking our their palms and tongue in cheek going "money, money"
The start of a blissful 90 minute midday spa! Mm-mmm...
Wholesome 2-course lunch menu after our spa treatment.
Off to check out Ubud Town!
Ubud Market
Trying to pick out some souveniors...
Our Year 4 Site Study masterplan location! The Jalan Monkey Forest football field - around which Cheryl designed a spa, Don a library and I did a clubhouse. How very nostalgic...
Then it was bye-bye to Ubud and off to Tanah Lot to catch the sunset enroute to Seminyak. The drive from Ubud to Tanah Lot took over 2 hours and we skipped Taman Ayun along the way for fear of missing the sunset. Alas there was thick cloud cover and not much of a sunset despite making it there on time.
Jimbaran-styled seafood dinner at Tanah Lot where it was so dark we could hardly see what we were eating. Maybe that was the whole point. Not to mention there was a power failure too.
next: Seminyak
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