Naughty Nuri's Warung Pork Ribs

Before we left for home, we had to have the famous 'Naughty Nuri's Warung' spare ribs in Ubud. So many people had been talking about it especially Jess. So, we just had to go with her and it was indeed one of the best ribs I have had so far. I remember it's not very near from Kuta beach but it's worth going all the way for the scrumptious ribs. 

The advertisement board which is not to be missed and I must take a picture of it.

It was full of people when we got there and we had to wait for a while to get a seat.

The board for the food and drinks' price lists. They are not very cheap but the this is the average fare in restaurants in Bali so do not be put off. (about RM30 or USD9 per serving of the ribs)

EAT , PAY , LEAVE.. Basically this was not exactly what we did. We 'WAITED , SAT , ORDERED' before 'eat pay leave'.

How can you not have a pig in the kitchen when you are selling pork ribs? Here we found a little piglet figurine welcoming us beside the sink!

The ribs are grilled / barbequed after being marinated in Indonesian sauce.

So, what is so special about these signature ribs? Well, by just looking at it has already made me feel hungry. I thought I couldn't finish the huge serving but I did !! The marinating sauce goes so well with the pork and it is so tender when biting into it that you do not need other sauce to dip in.

What more to say about it? The picture below tells you how delicious it is. Now you see, now you don't! It's so 'FINGERS LICKING GOOD!'

                                     Naughty Nuri's Warung
                                Add : Jalan Raya Sanginggan
                                         UBUD

                               Opening times: Daily 11am-10pm

                  What to beware:
                  1) There are a few restaurants (warungs) around in UBUD serving ribs too.
                  2) There is a 10% tax on top of the price too.
                  3) Avoid dinner time as it is always packed.
                 4) DO NOT SHARE your ribs with others because you will end up having another  serving.

Tegalalang Rice Terrace - Ubud & Bali

Stopping in Bali without visiting Tegalalang paddy fields is a not-so-clever thing to do. It's only about a few minutes drive from UBUD MARKET if the traffic is flowing smoothly and it's worth to stop there for a few minutes to have a glance at the beauty of the this well known rice terrace. It took us around 40 minutes to arrive due to the congested traffic.

It was in January when we went to Bali and I wondered why didn't I see the ripened paddy.. It was all still growing. Even though no golden grains to greet us but we were welcomed by the picturesque view from the top. Most importantly, we don't get charged watching this greenery plants.

Apart from eye-soothing views, the surrounding is also packed with people selling goods and souvenirs such as woodwork, scarves, paintings as in below and etc. Bear in mind that you would be swarmed by the sellers.. not one, not two but half a dozen or even more asking you to buy , buy and buy.

By the way, most of the tourists driven there by guides would be taken to restaurants of their choice. The reason being is they get free meals in exchange for business. So, we were taken to this Warung Ceking Babi Guling ( babi guling stands for roast pork ).

I don't know if it was our taste buds or there had been discounts on salt.. The entire meal was salty and unfortunately we did not enjoy the food. Sorry buddies. Maybe you should try some other restaurants??

Mount Batur , Lake Batur - Kintamani @ Bali

After having visited Tampak Siring Spring , we continued our journey to Kintamani. Kintamani is a highland area in the east of Bali. I have forgotten how long it took us to get there. It was an easy ride for us as the road directly took us to the top where we could view Mt Batur. It was quite windy at the top of the viewing deck located at the roadside. Mount Batur which is in Kintamani is an active volcano located at the north west of Mount Agung. Mount Agung is the highest possible point in Bali island. According to the locals, this volcano has been constantly spitting a small amount of lava. 

 The weather was not on our side as you can see from the picture above. Mount Batur was covered by a huge piece of fluffy cloud. It was hazy and we could not see the mountain tip. What a shame. We stood there for quite some time waiting for the cloud to shift itself but nope.. it was stubborn and decided to stay stationary at its comfortable spot. But that didn't stop many other tourists from standing and snapping photos. 

This is Lake Batur. It is the largest lake in Bali and is crescent in shape. I think the water in the lake should be quite cold as the surrounding temperature is quite cold too.According to the locals, it is also a sacred lake as they mainly survive on agriculture and fishing. This is the best picture I could find from my collection. I know not much to see but at least you guys know that there is a magnificent lake just beside the magnificent Mt Batur. 

As I have mentioned earlier, the small communities living in this area survive on agriculture thanks to the black lava flowing out from this volcano. Its constant flow of lava has enriched the soil with minerals and is ideal for the folks to earn a living from it. Tourism has increased dramatically in this area and has caused a slight jam on the way up.

Things to note from my own experience:

1) Although the weather is cool , don't forget the shades as the sun can still be peeping at us.

2) Be prepared to expect a bad weather with overcast like us. We couldn't have a proper look of the mountain.

3) Due to this spot being increasingly popular among tourist, goods or souvenir sellers are popping like mushrooms after the rain. Firstly, one would approach you to see if you wanted to buy something and then a big group would follow. They would pester you till you gave in. DO NOT ask for the price here is you have NO intention in buying! Please bear in mind! We really had a very bad experience in this incident.

4) Another thing to remember is always to check the things which you have bought. These sellers would show you a nicely carved ornament and packed a chipped one in the bag.

5) I bought some mangosteens thinking that I could have some tropical fruits along the journey. Bought a kilogramme of it and only got 8 mangosteens! Do not trust these guys here in Kintamani... always check before leaving!

Tampak Siring Temple Holy Spring- Bali , Indonesia

 Bali is very famous for temples, the locals pay tribute to their Gods every day. So we decided to include a few temples in our itinerary while in Bali. The first temple we went to was Tampak Siring Temple or known as Tirta Empul. It is located in Tampak Siring Village and it's probably about 45minutes - 1hour drive from Denpasar. It is a holy spring water temple and it has an interesting history or fable behind it. Let me give you some idea of what the fable is all the about. See the picture below? You will see this once you enter the temple. This is the statue of (I think) God Indra.Once there was a very powerful king who could disappear suddenly called Bedahulu or Mayadenawa. Because of his power, he became very arrogant and claimed he was a god. He also had a very cruel assistant. God Indra somehow fought against this king and a battle occurred in this area. Mayadenawa poisoned the troops with toxic water in a drinking pond and all the soldiers died. Upon knowing this, God Indra poked into the ground and holy water emerged and revived the dead soldiers - well, of course God Indra won the battle.

There is an altar in front of a big tree where people pay their tribute to the tree. People believe there are tree spirits in all big trees.

I have seen Indians with pots and pans on their heads but never once seen people with combs of bananas on their heads. These two women were trying to sell us ONE banana for A DOLLAR. They probably thought we had never seen a banana before.. (just joking).

Before entering the pool, all of the people would offer something with lit incense sticks.

This is how it looks like from the top. According to the locals, the water emerges from this land could be drunk without the fear of abdominal pain. Will you try?

It looks so clean and clear that I wanted to jump in but was not allowed because we didn't have appropriate clothing with us plus we didn't bring anything to pay tribute to the holy land.

 We were very lucky to visit on that day as they were having some sort of celebration. Men, women and children dressed up nicely in white costumes.

 This is the place where the spring water emerges from the ground. It is situated at the top and can you spot the black spots? It is where the spring water comes out from. I don't know if others noticed it but I am sure I saw the spots moving around in the pool.

Things to note :
 1)  There is an entrance fee of IDR 15,000 per person.
 2)  Before entering the central complex of the temple, visitors must take off their shoes as a respect.
 3)  Not allowed to wear short pants but sarongs could be borrowed free of charge to cover up our legs.
 4)  Ladies are advised to stay away during menstruation.
 5)  Do not climb on the holy building.
 6)  Bring extra clothing if you want to have a dip in the water.
 7)  Ask your tour guide on what to bring if you want to pay tribute to the god. ( I was quite disappointed     when my guide didn't tell us about that... I would love to do that!

Kuta Beach - Bali

 Before I went to Bali, I had always heard people saying how beautiful Kuta Beach was... and that one must go for a stroll there and to see the sunset! Apparently, beach resort is one of the main tourist attractions in Indonesia so despite the tiredness from the previous sightseeing, we came to the well known KUTA BEACH! One will not miss this place as it is a long spread sandy beach which extends beyond the airport into Jimbaran.

             WELCOME TO KUTA BEACH!

I think this is the main entrance of Kuta Beach. As you can see, there is a wall along built up to fence off the beach so one might have to walk a long way to get to the beach if you accidentally miss this one.

This is what welcoming you once you are at the beach! Loads of people selling shades, scarfs, tattoos and etc. I got a scarf for INR15000 and I believe the price could go lower. 

What can one do at Kuta Beach? Go board surfing as it is a famous sport there but beware of the big waves.

Sunbathing is another thing that you can do there. Asians don't like sunbathing as they love to be fair. I caught the sun by standing there for 2 hours. Those who love their skin, remember to slap loads of sunblock!

Beautiful wave!

I had always wondered why there are so many people saying that the sand there is beautiful and fine. Now, take a look at the pic I took. I have never seen such a beautiful concoction of sand before. 

Remember, swimming is prohibited in this area. 

Tips :

1)  Apply loads of sunblock before leaving the hotel.

2)  Bring a hat along.

3)  Remember to get the price down to 75% if you decide to buy any of the stuff at the beach.

4)  Do not wear trainers to walk around the beach.

Bali Wood Carvings

Bali is very famous for its wood carving so on the very first day, we were taken to the wood carving factory as our first destination! Apparently, this factory is the biggest in Bali and many tourists ; tour buses were there already when we got there. It was a beautiful day but hot! It's advisable to bring a hat along.

The entrance of the factory. The first thing that came into my mind was... it would be very expensive...as no tour guides would bother bringing tourists to a cheap attractions without commossion to earn.

A lady selling 'sarongs' outside the factory.

The interior of the shop cum factory.

No many people get the chance to see this type of carvings. While walking around the shop , spotted an ajar door so we sneaked through it and saw the worker carving a dog! I do not know if we were allowed to enter but we did anyway. The animals there were so lively  and how I wish I could carve. A dog would take roughly 2 months to complete so the pricetag  ... (you guess)

Another beautifully carved ornament.

I am in loved with a DEER!

The Ancient King Sidabutar's Tomb - Samosir

Tomok and Lake Toba are  famous locations at North Sumatera and they are both in Samosir Island. This King Sidabutar's Tomb is a very famous tourist attraction and many tourists visiting this place each day.

 

Lizard and breast carvings can be seen on most of the buildings' planks. I think lizard represents the high adaptability towards life just like the Batak people's ability to live everywhere in any condition. As the breast's carving, I have forgotten what it represents.

Another beautiful and meaningful carving.

These are the tombs made from the carving stone and they have a history of hundreds of years.

This man was our guide and he told us about King Sidabutar and how he upheld the natural sacred values of three principles (Dalihan Natolu) as a general cultural philosophy of the Batak people.

There is a garden just around the corner where the tombs are. Many carvings of little people sitting down can be found there.

It is not that hard to get to the tomb - a stone's away from Tomok Jetty. We past by souvenir shops which are on both sides of the main road before it led us to the entrance of the tomb.


Tips:
Things are reasonably cheap at the stalls but you need to bargain and try to reduce about 75% of the original price given.


We were provided a sash to wear free of charge as a mark of respect, but were required to return it after the visit.

Masjid Raya Medan

An attraction in Medan which is worth a look - Masjid Raya also known as The Great Mosque.

This is supposingly the largest mosque in Medan but I can't confirm how true is it. I have never seen a mosque with black dome so I was very curious of the history. Apparently, this mosque has a history of more than a century.

 My girlfriends Sharon, myself. Wendy and Jess

Although this mosque looks quite big from the outside but it's not that big in the inside, maybe because of the octagonal shape. It's rather quiet and peaceful so do not make any noise. There were some people praying and I am surprised that we were even allowed to enter! 

Useful tips:

1) Remember to wear pants or skirts which are long enough to cover your knees. I was asked to pay INR5000 for renting a 'sarong' but found out later that the 'sarong' supposed to be FOC.

2) Be careful when you are buying the shaved ice from stalls just outside the mosque. I bought a durian flavoured shaved ice but threw it away as the durian was rotten or it tasted like it.

Pagoda Shwedagon(replica) - Taman Alam Lumbini

During our last day at Berastagi, we didn't waste any time but visited a temple named Taman Alam Lumbini. It's located at Berastagi in North Sumatera. It is still a new temple as it was built and finished in 2010.

 It was a very hot day but this temple caught my eyes. I think it's called the Pagoda Shwedagon and it's also a replica of the real one. I am not sure but I think it's a Burmanese temple. It's suitable for all ages and beautiful to look at.

 

The inside view of the temple. It has 4 god statues in it. I always pay respect to gods so I just put my hands together and 'say Hello' to them.

 Good carving on the door itself.

 One is allowed to knock on this gigantic bell but only 3 times per try.

 Another good thing about this temple is that visitors do not need to pay for entering the temple and for parking the vehicles outside. Thanks to all the devotees and sponsors. Plenty of spots for taking beautiful snaps.