Bali Runaway (Day 2-1) - Bali Zoo, art galleries and a cuppa in Ubud
The sun comes up earlier in Bali.
After having a decent buffet breakfast by the pool, we hurriedly slathered on the sun screen and went to meet our driver - Pak Made Artha.
A short summary of our driver. He is a driver and not a tour guide. So there will be some places where he will leave you to do your own wondering. If you are looking for tour guide, you would probably need to look for somewhere else. That said, he is based in Ubud and is a safe, flexible driver. He could change the itinerary as you may require and if you let him know beforehand about your dietary budget or requirements, he will try to look for one to fit you. He is not much of a chatty person though.
Our most off the beaten track stop of the day was the Bali Zoo.
Okay, zoo and elephant rides. There could only be 2 reactions to that statement. Pitchforks out to hunt me or you want to hear about. Keep your pitchforks in the barn people. Trust me, if the zoo ain't doing the right thing, I wouldn't get on the back of an elephant. A giveaway is the amount of marketing they would do shoved in your face. However there wasn't a peep of information on the elephant ride until we got in line to buy our entry tickets to the zoo. Stay with me and you will find out why.
The entry tickets and elephant rides are listed with different prices. The elephant rides prices (USD57 - USD173) are inclusive of zoo admission fees (USD 26). There was a short and long trek safari where elephants would bring you through the forested areas of the zoo to the elephant enclosure and bathing ponds and an elephant expedition, where the elephants will bring visitors through the zoo, the enclosure, bathing ponds, past a river and a short hike to a 500 year old temple.
We were surprised at the steep price. Although we did bring enough cash, we were wondering whether to blow it on a ride where we were not sure whether it was going to the right place. Plus, our home currency is pretty weak :(
We decided to buy the zoo admission fees only and if everything checks out, then we will go for the elephant ride. There was no hard selling by the zoo employee when we informed them that we will decide on the elephant ride later. That's a good sign. She told us to go to the WANA restaurant to purchase tickets if we want the rides later. She did caution that elephant ride slots tend to run out quite quickly.
The walkways are narrow. Most monkeys, birds and other predators were in wide cages. The herbivores on the contrary had a pretty free reign. The layout of the zoo is slightly cramped but I guess the owners had to make do since they started this zoo with no government funding on private land.
The zoo was not really big and we go to the elephant feeding area in no time. There was a mahout tending to his young elephant and the elephant seems to be enjoying his company. The elephant kept poking the mahout in his back, trying to get his attention while he talked to some of the other staff. They kindly offered to help us take a photo with our cameras and even gave us each a banana to feed to the elephant. The elephant got excited at the food and only too happy to let us pet it.
We asked for directions to the elephant enclosure. However we were told that there are no elephant enclosure open for public like the one you would see in the Singapore zoo. The Bali zoo had a sizable herd of elephants so the elephants are kept outside the park in their own habitat. The only way to see it was through the elephant ride. Bummer...
I'm not sure whether this counts as ill-treatment but when the juvenile elephant started kicking up dust at the staff, the mahout used a key to prod it behind its ears to get to it behave. The elephant's trunk tapped the mahout's chest in retaliation. Very much like a kid acting up.
It was nice of them to help us take the photos because official zoo photos would have cost extra money. On the way out, we decided to check out the elephant rides at the restaurant. We were informed that the slots for the morning session all the way noon (rest time for elephants and mahouts) were full! There were some tourists on a tight schedule and wanted the staff to slot them in but were firmly turned down. We were informed that there was a group of 5-8 adult elephants doing the rides and require sufficient resting time.
Although the timetable stated that the short elephant rides are 15 minutes, based on the unhurried pace of both mahout and pachyderm, set aside 30 minutes just in case. I hope with the type of money the zoo is earning from foreign visitors, they would be able to expand and remove the cages.
We piled into the car and headed to Ubud to look at art pieces. Pak Made, an Ubud local, asked us whether did we want to go to the most well-known one in the area. He informed that we can then compare with the other places if the price is not what we were looking for. So we went to Dewa Putu Toris. When we arrived, the greeter asked for our names and our home country. An assistant aka sales lady was then assigned to us. The studio was a huge place. There were some artists working by the entrance on new pieces.
We were tempted by a few pieces. The lady was working hard to get us to buy a larger piece but we honestly told her that it may not fit into Ant's home. I went looking for a smaller piece for a friend. Note, bargaining skills required here. Even if prices are listed, you can still bring it down. I read some reviews which mentioned that this place is a tourist trap. If you want to look at it that way, Bali thrives on tourism! You just have to be smart and know what you are looking for.
We left, telling her that we need to think about it and we went to another gallery where prices were lower. If you are familiar with drawing and paintings, the difference in quality leaps out at you. Some pieces although similar to the one at Dewa Putu Toris' studio were more crudely put together. We went back to the first studio and bought the smaller art work. I think the lady was disappointed that we didn't buy the big piece which would have set us back a few hundred dollars.
Pak Made brought us to Kayun, an organic restaurant for lunch. It was decent and affordable. We had outdoor seating under the cool shade. The restaurant also sells organic teas and spices. An interesting drink I had was the Sarawasti drink, which tasted like a detox juice my mom used to make.
Our original plan was to head to the various beaches throughout the day. However with the extreme heat, we asked Pak Made to bring us to a coffee and spice plantation instead to have a look at kopi luwak. We were brought to Jambe Asri, small coffee plantation away from the main roads. There were a few civet cats, sleeping of course since they are nocturnal, housed in wide cages. The plantation guide told us that these civet cats were raised by hand and not caught from the wild. If they were caught from the wild, the animals would be very fierce and attack their handlers. At the plantation, we were given a short tour on the different kinds of spices and also the process of how kopi luwak is made.
The kopi luwak sold on premise were not produced there. According to the guide, there was a bigger coffee plantation somewhere out there where they produced both normal coffee and civet coffee. The guide continued that the bigger plantation was located next to a forest where many wild civet cats roamed, ate ripe coffee cherries and pooped. For those not familiar with kopi luwak, it's coffee made from beans which passed through the civet cat's digestive tract. We weren't too convinced with her stories of wild civet cats as kopi luwak is a lucrative business for the Indonesian economy. It's a lot of trouble to go combing through the jungle for civet cat poop.
At the end of the tour, the guide let us try various products produced at their plantation, including mangosteen tea, ginger tea, lemongrass tea, mocha (from their cocoa plants), Balinese coffee and of course kopi luwak. A teacup of kopi luwak costs USD5.
I bought a pack of mangosteen tea. It is seriously yummy and not something which could be found in the shops here. For the coffee, we were not sure how authentic was the kopi luwak. There were quite a few bags on the shelf considering the single origin coffee with 500-700kg produced only in a year and only in Indonesia, making it one of the most expensive coffees in the world. The one we tried did have a richer, chocolatier taste when compared to the Balinese coffee. Any purist out there could corroborate on the taste?
Bali Zoo
Address: Jalan Raya Singapadu, Gianyar, Bali
Tel: +62 361 294357
Website: http://www.bali-zoo.com/
Price: $$-$$$
Tip: Book your tickets through the website for a discount!
Dewa Putu Toris studio
Address: Br. Tengah, Batuan Sukawati, 80582 Gianyar, Bali
Tel:+62 361 298530
Website: www.dewapututoris.com
Price: $$-$$$$
Tip: Bargain away!
Kayun Restaurant & Lounge
Address: Jalan Raya Mas 47, Ubud 80571, Bali
Tel: +62 361 2180708/973091
Website: http://resto.kayun-bali.com/about/#
Price: $$
Our most off the beaten track stop of the day was the Bali Zoo.
 |
| One of the more nicer entrances that I have been through |
The entry tickets and elephant rides are listed with different prices. The elephant rides prices (USD57 - USD173) are inclusive of zoo admission fees (USD 26). There was a short and long trek safari where elephants would bring you through the forested areas of the zoo to the elephant enclosure and bathing ponds and an elephant expedition, where the elephants will bring visitors through the zoo, the enclosure, bathing ponds, past a river and a short hike to a 500 year old temple.
We were surprised at the steep price. Although we did bring enough cash, we were wondering whether to blow it on a ride where we were not sure whether it was going to the right place. Plus, our home currency is pretty weak :(
We decided to buy the zoo admission fees only and if everything checks out, then we will go for the elephant ride. There was no hard selling by the zoo employee when we informed them that we will decide on the elephant ride later. That's a good sign. She told us to go to the WANA restaurant to purchase tickets if we want the rides later. She did caution that elephant ride slots tend to run out quite quickly.
The walkways are narrow. Most monkeys, birds and other predators were in wide cages. The herbivores on the contrary had a pretty free reign. The layout of the zoo is slightly cramped but I guess the owners had to make do since they started this zoo with no government funding on private land.
 |
| It's interesting how much religion is part of the Balinese lifestyle. A canang sari was placed in front of every cage or enclosure. Larger enclose had 2. It's a reminder that life isn't just a rat race. |
We asked for directions to the elephant enclosure. However we were told that there are no elephant enclosure open for public like the one you would see in the Singapore zoo. The Bali zoo had a sizable herd of elephants so the elephants are kept outside the park in their own habitat. The only way to see it was through the elephant ride. Bummer...
I'm not sure whether this counts as ill-treatment but when the juvenile elephant started kicking up dust at the staff, the mahout used a key to prod it behind its ears to get to it behave. The elephant's trunk tapped the mahout's chest in retaliation. Very much like a kid acting up.
 |
| Now I know how cases of children being mauled would happen. The tiger was just eyeing us |
 |
| Hello there big fella! |
Although the timetable stated that the short elephant rides are 15 minutes, based on the unhurried pace of both mahout and pachyderm, set aside 30 minutes just in case. I hope with the type of money the zoo is earning from foreign visitors, they would be able to expand and remove the cages.
We piled into the car and headed to Ubud to look at art pieces. Pak Made, an Ubud local, asked us whether did we want to go to the most well-known one in the area. He informed that we can then compare with the other places if the price is not what we were looking for. So we went to Dewa Putu Toris. When we arrived, the greeter asked for our names and our home country. An assistant aka sales lady was then assigned to us. The studio was a huge place. There were some artists working by the entrance on new pieces.
 |
| One of the pieces in the garden |
We left, telling her that we need to think about it and we went to another gallery where prices were lower. If you are familiar with drawing and paintings, the difference in quality leaps out at you. Some pieces although similar to the one at Dewa Putu Toris' studio were more crudely put together. We went back to the first studio and bought the smaller art work. I think the lady was disappointed that we didn't buy the big piece which would have set us back a few hundred dollars.
Pak Made brought us to Kayun, an organic restaurant for lunch. It was decent and affordable. We had outdoor seating under the cool shade. The restaurant also sells organic teas and spices. An interesting drink I had was the Sarawasti drink, which tasted like a detox juice my mom used to make.
 |
| I had the Nasi Sarawasti set since it was the Saraswati season. Awesome condiments! |
 |
| Bebek Mekuah - stewed duck with starfruit, leek and lime |
The kopi luwak sold on premise were not produced there. According to the guide, there was a bigger coffee plantation somewhere out there where they produced both normal coffee and civet coffee. The guide continued that the bigger plantation was located next to a forest where many wild civet cats roamed, ate ripe coffee cherries and pooped. For those not familiar with kopi luwak, it's coffee made from beans which passed through the civet cat's digestive tract. We weren't too convinced with her stories of wild civet cats as kopi luwak is a lucrative business for the Indonesian economy. It's a lot of trouble to go combing through the jungle for civet cat poop.
At the end of the tour, the guide let us try various products produced at their plantation, including mangosteen tea, ginger tea, lemongrass tea, mocha (from their cocoa plants), Balinese coffee and of course kopi luwak. A teacup of kopi luwak costs USD5.
I bought a pack of mangosteen tea. It is seriously yummy and not something which could be found in the shops here. For the coffee, we were not sure how authentic was the kopi luwak. There were quite a few bags on the shelf considering the single origin coffee with 500-700kg produced only in a year and only in Indonesia, making it one of the most expensive coffees in the world. The one we tried did have a richer, chocolatier taste when compared to the Balinese coffee. Any purist out there could corroborate on the taste?
Bali Zoo
Address: Jalan Raya Singapadu, Gianyar, Bali
Tel: +62 361 294357
Website: http://www.bali-zoo.com/
Price: $$-$$$
Tip: Book your tickets through the website for a discount!
Dewa Putu Toris studio
Address: Br. Tengah, Batuan Sukawati, 80582 Gianyar, Bali
Tel:+62 361 298530
Website: www.dewapututoris.com
Price: $$-$$$$
Tip: Bargain away!
Kayun Restaurant & Lounge
Address: Jalan Raya Mas 47, Ubud 80571, Bali
Tel: +62 361 2180708/973091
Website: http://resto.kayun-bali.com/about/#
Price: $$
Jambe Asri Agrotourism - Coffee and Spice Plantation
Address (according to the mangosteen tea packaging): Jl. Pura Dalem, Tegal Tamu, Batubulan, Gianyer Bali
Tel: +62 81805590490
Tip: Bargain away!
Tel: +62 81805590490
Tip: Bargain away!
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