Authentic Balinese Food Experience

December 28, 2019



If you’re heading to Bali for vacation, then you know they’re famous for the beaches, the tropical mountains, the rice paddies, and of course, the Balinese food. Most people heading to Bali only have a limited time to experience the culture, so if you want to get an authentic Balinese food experience, you have to visit Bebek Timbungan Sunset Restaurant.

Known as “The Next Culinary Journey of Bali Island”, Bebek Timbungan Sunset is one of the most famous genuine Bali heritage restaurants to visit, located near the southern tip of the island in Kuta, just a 20-minute drive from I Gusti Ngurah Rai Airport.



Voyage Through the Balinese Culture


Unlike most restaurants in Bali, this Bali unique restaurant offers visitors an entire voyage through the Balinese culture. The restaurant offers a unique set of Balinese heritage cuisines for those who want to discover what it’s like to eat as the Balinese truly eat.

It’s often a struggle to search through all of the commercialized, westernized restaurants just to find an authentic Balinese restaurant for the connoisseur. Thankfully, with Bebek Timbungan Sunset, you can skip out on the search for the “real” Bali, and experience it firsthand with their famous Balinese dishes.

Famous for the self-titled dish, Bebek Timbungan takes you through several traditional Balinese cuisine experiences upon arrival at the restaurant.






Experience Traditional Balinese Architecture


You will enter into a concept place, with an interior described by the Vice President of Secret Garden Village, Ana Dewi, describes the interior by saying, “There are many elements of nature that are poured into the ambiance as a depiction of the Balinese people who are warm, humble, and elegant.”




Secret Garden Village


Live Music Experience: Authentic Balinese Listening


As you are greeted and escorted to your table, you will experience the sounds of Bali: Traditional Rindik musical instruments being played softly by Balinese musicians for every guest to listen while 
they eat.





Taste Bebek Timbungan: Balinese Cuisine


“Timbungan” comes from the word “timbung” which translates to “bamboo” in English. “Bebek Timbungan”, the name of the restaurant, which comes from the name of a famous Balinese dish. Bebek Timbungan is known as one of the oldest culinary legacies in royal Balinese traditions and is the restaurant’s flagship dish.

Bali Bebek Timbungan includes duck that is covered in original Balinese spices, then smoked in bamboo slats for up to 15 hours to ensure the spices are perfectly infused into the meat, giving it an incredible flavor and texture that allows the duck to melt in your mouth.

Bebek Timbungan Sunset offers a variety of other delicious dishes including the popular Jajan Bali Tea Set, Urap Daun, Belimbing, Pencok Jagung, Sate Lilit Ikan, Keptling Sare Lemo, and many more.

If you want to make sure you don’t miss out on authentic Balinese cuisine and the culture at this local gem, you will want to make a reservation today, as they can book up quickly with local Indonesians and tourists.



You can book your reservation here:

BEBEK TIMBUNGAN SUNSET
Jalan Sunset Road, Pertokoan Sunset Road Dwaruci, Kuta, Badung, Bali. 80361
Phone: (6281) 138 003 222
Instagram: @Bebektimbungan

They’re open 10 AM - 11 PM Every day.


SECRET GARDEN VILLAGE

Jl. Raya Denpasar K. 36 Tabanan, Bali. 82191
Phone: (62368) 203 3365
Email: info@secretgarden.co.id
Website: http://www.secretgarden.co.id
Instagram: @secretgardenvillage

Open: 09 AM to 8 PM


Experience the Tropical Luxury of Villa Nalina

June 16, 2019


Seminyak is the place to see and be seen. A destination for the fine and refined travelers; a hip quarter for the cosmopolitan-at-heart and the free-spirited beach dwellers. Nalina snugs cozily between the two.

Seminyak is one of Bali’s most coveted destination. An upscale beach resort area at the southern end of Bali only 20 minutes away from the airport, it’s a hotspot that seemingly never sleeps. It boasts classy restaurants, hip cafes, sleek bars, exciting clubs, high-end boutiques, and, of course, chic beach clubs that line its smooth grey-sand beaches where sunset gazers and surfers intermingle. The street of Petitenget is even swankier, attracting a younger vibe all the way to Canggu to the north.







Villa Nalina is strategically located in the middle of these trendy hotspots. Far enough from the hustle-and-bustle but close enough for you to not miss a thing. It’s the quintessential tropical escape with a fantastic setting. You can sense great thought and care have poured generously into the property to guarantee guests receive a 5-star treatment all the way. Experience the Tropical Luxury of Villa Nalina

If you just arrived after a long flight, the sight of the villa alone can instantly recharge your weary body. You will walk into a roomy living space and dining room ornamented with wonderfully curated Asian art and cultural artifacts. Then to your left, an azure 20-meter lap pool invites you to jump in. A gazebo stands elevated at the end of the pool and cabanas dots the edges of the pool where you can rest and have a masseuse gives you that authentic Balinese massage to release all your tensions away.

And your holiday has only just begun.





C’est la Villa

The beauty of living in a luxury villa instead of a hotel is that it enables you to interact more with your travel company. You have all the convenience of a hotel but more space to roam together beyond your designated room. And Nalina warrants such interaction to occur.

The villa itself rests on 610 m2 of land, while their well-tended native landscaping grows on whopping size of 690m2. And the water elements go beyond the pool—a koi pond at the entrance is a welcomed respite (a favorite spot for yogis) and a water channel fringes the right edge of the property. Ensuring the flow of positive energy day in and day out.







Guests are given four master bedrooms to choose from. If you want a whole floor to yourself then choose the Edelweiss suite upstairs that has its own spacious living room replete with a cozy sofa, flat screen TV, and a state-of-the-art Bose sound system. Need a massage? Ask for one from the butler (available at your service from 7 am to 11 pm), and you can have it at the special massage parlor next to the bedroom. Meals can be served on the long balcony that overlooks the pool and the garden. Edelweiss is reserved mostly for lovebirds for its extra privacy, but you can always request for an extra bed in case you’re tagging your brood along. The floor is all yours.

But that doesn’t mean that the other three rooms downstairs are less superior. Though smaller in size but they are equally sublime. You’ll get the same facilities, but the Kenanga room has an outdoor dining table fit for 8 people where you can have a get-together with friends and family late until midnight with wine in hand; its neighbor Orchid Room has a more youthful vibe with a stylish wooden rack lined with an old belt and an outdoor space with chequered black-and-white tile floor and a massive stone-sculptured wall with tropical animal and plants motifs. An area where one can see having an intimate standing party or even have it as an impromptu dance floor; meanwhile the Cempaka room that lies separated from the rest (to the right of the entrance) can function as a room for your children if they prefer to have their own space.








Parties are often held here and can accommodate up to 50 people. Just ask the management’s event organizer to arrange for one as their chef and mixologist can whip up a customized menu as well as other requests such as Balinese dancers or a DJ. Want to cook yourself? You are welcome to utilize the well-equipped kitchen that has its own wine cooler, microwave, oven, and espresso machine.

But one can’t talk about Villa Nalina without dedicating a subsection for the bathroom alone. Each room has an exquisite ensuite bathroom that may entice you to spend the whole day inside. It’s super roomy and allocates most of its section to an open-space sunlit shower equipped with a luxurious rectangular showerhead to give you that refreshing rain shower or Scottish shower option. It’s a shower under the sun or stars experience, surrounded by a mini tropical garden; and the oversized tub in the Kenanga room lays next to a koi pond and a waterspout, promising a serene “me time” moment unlike any other.







Space for More

Nalina is definitely a wonderful surprise. A hidden gem in the chic quarter of Bali. The facilities and services are top-notch (they’ll give a complimentary airport transport when you arrive) with all the amenities of your usual hotel stay such as a speedy WiFi, satellite TV, DVD, sound system, IDD phone, etc, but the experience you get from staying in a villa like Nalina goes beyond that. She offers more space for more interaction, for more conversation, more activities, more laughs, more fun, and, for sure, more relaxation. The tropical garden is definitely a sight for sore eyes.

Nalina is located in an unassuming small street that shortcuts the fashionable and tropical Seminyak, in a cul-de-sac that further insulates you from the crowd if you are that type of traveler. If not, then the never-ending Seminyak festivities await for your arrival.


Adress:Gg. Drona No.27 B, Seminyak, Kuta, Kabupaten Badung, Bali 80361
Phone: (0361) 737515 



Gajah Tour: Your Travel Guide for Bali Island Tours

May 30, 2019



The Gajah Tour App will be your travel companion and itinerary maker as you explore the beautiful and unique island of Bali. Bali has some amazing things to offer tourists; pristine beaches, world-class activities, great art, fashionable restaurants and bars, the list goes on. But to truly get the most out of your time in Bali, you need quick access to all the island has to offer. This is where that Bali app comes in - It can take away the stress of planning your trip






What Does Gajah Tour App Do? 



Book Activities 

The Bali app will connect you to a huge range of activities to do whilst visiting Bali, no matter what you’re into. Do you want to catch waves on the world’s most stunning Seminyak beaches? If so, the Surf trip is for you. You can also find cooking classes, arrange a trek up Mount Batur, go rafting or snorkeling, experience wood carving, have a memorable Bali selfie tour and much more.





Book Tours

Just like activities, there are lots of tours to pick from to ensure you see all the island has to offer. You can explore the island via motorbike with the motorbike tour. You can see the famous Uluwatu temple. Are you Art enthusiasts? Then you can book an Art tour. You can even book a tour to the east side of the island and experience the real vibe of the locals.





Arrange Airport Pickups 

This smart Bali transport app allows you to book airport pick-ups so you can arrange at your hotel or resort quickly after you land. As an added bonus, if you book your airport pick up now, you will receive 100% of your money back in the form of a coupon that you can use to book tours and activities! What are you waiting for?





Bali Jazz Affair

April 29, 2019


Bali occasionally, cutting through the cacophony of Electronic Dance Music and top 40 hits that reverberates from
almost all major night hubs in Bali’s tourist areas, is the sounds jazz and all that. Admittedly, when one mentions the
top jazz destination for jazz lovers in Southeast Asia, one doesn’t immediately think of Bali.
But some brave souls have boldly trod where no one else has gone before—and succeed.  Unbeknown to most people,
Bali IS one of the top jazz destinations for jazz lovers in the Southeast Asia region and the genre is thriving on the
island.


Many local musicians have been scene stealers in the festival circuits—both at home and abroad—such as guitar
maestro Dewa Budjana, Balawan, Sandy Winarta, Erik Sondhy (aka Mister Finger), Ito Jazz Trio, a 13-year-old piano
prodigy Joey Alexander (who’s 2015 album, My Favorite Things, was nominated for Best Jazz Improvised Solo and
Best Jazz Instrumental Album at the Grammy), and veteran jazz fixture Indra Lesmana has made Bali his home base
starting with 2017’s Sanur Mostly Jazz Festival.


However, the indisputable star is Ryoshi House of Jazz in Seminyak, every jazz lovers’ top destination as they visit
Bali, followed by the internationally-renowned Ubud Village Jazz Festival, which this year is celebrating their 7th
anniversary.


Best place to stay near the Festival




A Jazzy Affair
Even though the colorful Ubud Village Jazz Festival (UVJF) has been attracting avid jazz lovers and musicians from
around the globe—successfully positioning it as one of the top jazz festivals in the world—but the island has played
genial host to jazz before.
Back in 1996, jazz lover and musician Agung Wiryawan opened the (now closed) Jazz Café in Ubud, which created a
ripple effect and spreads jazz into the playlist of many restaurants and cafes in Sanur, Kuta, and Seminyak.
UVJF simply inflamed the crowd further. Set in the relatively modestly-sized enclosure of ARMA (Agung Rai Museum
of Art) Ubud front yard, the Ubud Village Jazz Festival has an intimate feel with simple stages and more focus on the
performances themselves—an exhilarating melting pot of groovy, soulful, instrumental, bebop, and free-styling jazz
artists.
Refreshingly, UVJF was kickstarted by homegrown jazz musicians: Yuri Mahatma, founder of Bali Jazz Community
and Underground Jazz Movement; and Anom Darsana, director, and owner of ANTIDA Music Production, one of the
biggest recording studios in Bali.
Their original idea was to create a festival that is more like a community concert participated by fellow jazz musician
friends and acquaintances looking for a proper joint to do jam sessions.
Along the way, the idea snowballed and grew into a bigger event than expected with the involvement and support of
numerous jazz communities. Thus, the first Ubud Village Jazz Festival swung into existence in 2013.






The Ubud Village Jazz Festival 2019

Save the dating jazz! The 7th outing of UVJF will be held on 16 – 17 August at ARMA Museum and the line-up is
looking promising so far with confirmed performances by American jazz pianist Aaron Goldberg, Austrian Michaela
Rabitsch and Robert Pawlik Quartet, Italian Daniele Gorgone, Australian group Arcing Wires, and Indonesia’s Kopi
Jazz Kediri who’ll imbue inimitable local sounds to jazz.
Venue:
Agung Rai Museum of Art (ARMA), Jl Raya Pengosekan, Ubud.


Website:


Direction:


Jazz Talk
The owner of Ryoshi House of Jazz, Mr. Saigon Togasa’s speech is subtle at first then interspersed with outbursts of
excitable words. The enthusiasm is contagious. Being the pioneer in distilling the sound of jazz and helping to
jumpstart the live music scene in Bali, the jazz aficionado aims for a Blue Note-level fame at his venue where
little-known prodigies display their musical prowess before leaping off into widespread stardom. We’d say he’s
already there…
Were you initially worried that a jazz joint might be too limiting in terms of finding an audience?
I realized that the live music scene that makes money here are the ones playing pop and Top 40 songs, and especially
in Bali where the live music scene is probably 95 percent DJ (music) and the five percent left goes to live music, with
the one percent being jazz (laughs). But I do it for the love of it.
So how did you come about establishing a jazz club in Bali in the first place?
I felt that there was a missing jazz culture in Bali, and wherever I go—from New York to Singapore—the first thing I
always looked for was the jazz club. Then I founded Blue Train in ’98 that plays jazz seven days a week in Double Six,
Seminyak, which unfortunately failed to find an audience, so I had to close it. After that, I kind of lay low for a while,
until Ryoshi moved to our current place, and Rio Sidik, who performed at the opening of the new place (and still
performs here today), suggested why don’t we do it every week? And so that’s how it became a weekly jazz event.
Tell us what you love most about having a jazz venue?
Oh, it’s the energy of it. Many people may not notice it but when the musicians are up there on the stage, they’re
interacting with each other. The bass player might suddenly do something new and the other members would be like,
WTF—and then, in the end, they’ll try to blow each other’s mind! And seeing new talent is also great; we have this
young kid from Yogyakarta named Hiro who plays a killer saxophone or when Joey Alexander (at age 7 and 10,
pre-Grammy nominations) performed with Sandy Winarta and Indra Lesmana and that kid drove those two to their
maximum potential!
How did you set your jazz club apart from the others?
Though we started small, I don’t want to compromise the gig—we set the standard high. We encourage musicians
who play here to express themselves; if they play a cover song, I want them to do it with their own unique style, not
like some karaoke version of it. We often stage jam sessions where we will have senior musicians to play with the
new ones. That’s how we have musicians like Iwan Fals, Indra Lesmana or Dewa Budjana, and international artists
such as Incognito and Earth, Wind & Fire, up on our stage and have jam sessions. Now we have people from all over
curious about the jazz scene in Bali then they come to Ryoshi.
So what’s the difference between the jazz scene then and now?
Of course compared to when I first got here in ’86 now Bali has everything! Before there was nothing here—not even
fresh milk! Today the jazz community is growing, and though there are some jazz clubs, I think we’re still the only one
that allows the musicians to just play and be themselves. We have an average performance of about 20 minutes for
each set or more for jam sessions.
Any new goals for the future?
You know, there aren’t that many jazz clubs in the world but the ones that exist have long term stability and are now
considered legends like Blue Note because many famous jazz artists play there before they become a big star and
make their own history. I want Ryoshi’s House of Jazz to be known like that: as the place where Balawan started, or
Sandy Winarta or Joey Alexander or Indra Gupta. I want it to make its own history.
Address: Jl. Raya Seminyak No.17, Seminyak.
Live Jazz Performance Hours: 9pm – 12pm (every Monday – Wednesday – Friday).


House of Bali Bloggers. Powered by Blogger.