BALI DAY 1: Lia Cafe, Jimbaran & Purik Manik Cottages, Ubud

yeaah! our first Bali trip!

We arrived at the Ngurah Rai Airport, Denpasar Bali about 7.30pm and there our driver was waiting with my boyfriend's name BRICK1235 on a white board. Well BRICK1235 is his nick name on icq when he couldn't register for brick. The number combo was his best friend Henry's house phone digits. Weird right? Bro-mance is strong. Our driver's name is Badra. He's sent by Pak Wayan who operates this tour driver thingy. Recommended by Shantini (Cas). Initially I approached another driver referred by my staff Chee Ling but that driver had the nerve to charge me 270k rupiah compared to Pak Wayan's price of 220k for airport - Jimbaran - ubud trip. To contact Pak Wayan wayan8181@live.com.

Lia Cafe 

friendly guys who gave us free prawns!

Coca Cola in Bali 

boyfriend wants to eat this guy

It was only a 20mins drive to Jimbaran at night. We arrived at Lia Cafe, famously spoken off by bloggers all around. They had reasonably priced seafood compared to the "tourist traps" around Jimbaran. I had a bad experience on my 3rd day in Bali, I told my driver to get us to Lia Cafe and they "innocently" brought me to another place not knowing I have already been here on my 1st day. The price at that crazy place was three times the price at Lia Cafe. It was more expensive than KUALA LUMPUR! Seeing us piss off, the waiter tried to bargain and give us a "discounted" package, which was still higher than Lia Cafe! So I highly recommend people to go Lia Cafe for a taste of grilled seafood by the beach side.

my first drink in Bali

my first beach side dinner

I fell in love with Jimbaran straight away. It was so romantic and it was not raining. It's wet season which means raining anytime and a lot of times. Not a good month to go. Definitely enjoyed my first night in Bali by going straight to Jimbaran from the airport. The candle flickering on our table, the sandy beach, my first sip of the infamous Bintang Beer everyone talks about, my delicious grilled crab (all mine) - it was perfect. 

Lia Package Rp 800k

(fish 1kg, crab 0.5kg, lobster 1kg, clams 7pcs)

1kg fish, clams, fries, veggies, rice and sauces 

the grilled crab I LOVE LOVE LOVE

(aint's some ciplak meat crab) 

1kg grilled lobster

lovely candle light beach dinner

Not wanting to choose Package C Rp 350K where people said it was only baby lobsters (crayfish) we went for the ultimate package called Lia Package Rp800 (roughly RM240). Obviously we wanted the 1kg lobster. Thank goodness the set comes with other dishes! 2 large Bintangs, 2 french fries, soup salad, vegetable, rice, sauces, and fruits for desserts. They gave us free prawns!  The clams were good (has chilli and lime sauce on it) ! I missed eating the clams.

Lia Cafe, Grilled Seafood At Jimbaran Beach
Jl. Pemelisan Agung - Jimbaran

video on Purik Manik Cottages

night check in into a cottage

After stuffing ourselves silly with our lobster set, we finally jump back on the van and head to Ubud. It took about an hour to reach. A week earlier, I booked one night at Purik Manik Cottages through booking.com. It was real cheap, USD30 a night. Here's a video of Purik Manik Cottages. Beautiful, lush green around. The rooms are small, not sound proof and the toilets are gloomy. My flush was broken. We met a tourist here, she stayed 6 nights!

After dumping our luggage, we went for a brief walk around the area. Very dark, feels kinda unsafe, We went to K-Mart to get some drinks and then back to the cottage to sleep. That's all for my first night in Bali. Love the seafood in Jimbaran.

http://purimanikcottages.com/

Puri Manik Cottages
Jl. Hanoman Padang Tegal, Ubud - Gianyar Bali
Phone:+62.361.3610840

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Information on packages at Lia Cafe (Nov, 2011). 

Seems prices keep soaring every season in Bali.

Package A Rp 220,000.

Prawn 7pcs, Fish 500grms, Clams 6pcs, Squid 500grms

Including: 2 Coconut Juice, Salad, Soup, Potatoes, Rice, Vegetables, 4 different sauce, dessert (fruits).

Package B Rp 260,000.

Fish 500grms, Crab 500grms, Prawn 7pcs, Clams 7pcs

Including: 2 Soft Drink, Salad, Soup, Potatoes, Rice, Vegetables, 4 different sauce, dessert (fruits).

Package C Rp 350,000.

Lobster 500grms, Crab 500grms, Prawn 7pcs, Clams 7pcs

Including: 2 Small Bintang, Salad, Soup, Potatoes, Rice, Vegetables, 4 different sauce, dessert (fruits).

Lia Package Rp 800,000.

Fish 1kg, Crab 0.5kg, Fresh Lobster 1kg, Clams 7pcs

Including: 2 Large Bintang, Salad, Soup, Potatoes, Rice, Vegetables, 4 different sauce, dessert (fruits).

Ala Carte Prices 

For those who thinks it's much more budget wise.

Fish Rp90k per kg (Red/White Snapper, Barakuda, Dorada, Tuna, Garupa, Sibas)

Squid Rp80k per kg

Crispy Squid Rp90k per kg

Clams Rp70k per kg

Crab Rp 150k per kg

Prawns from Rp 220k - 270k per kg (prawn sizes)

Life Lobster Rp 500k per kg

Fresh Lobster Rp 400k per kg

*Including: Salad, Soup, Potatoes, Rice, Vegetables, 4 different sauce, dessert (fruits).

Drinks Prices

Small Bintang Rp20k

Large Bintang Rp30k

Soft Drinks Rp10k

Young Coconut Rp20k

Juices Rp20k

All food and beverage prices are not inclusive of the 10% tax yet.