Bali — Gajah Biru Bungalows, Ubud, Bali, Indonesia
My base for the next few days
August 2015
For my stay in Bali, Indonesia, I was booked into the Gajah Biru Bungalows in Ubud. (Ubud is the town made ‘famous’ by the book Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert. The book was was also made into a film.)
When I arrived, I wasn’t sure about the Gajah Biru Bungalows as they were down a little side street and looked run down. However, my first impressions were wrong, and it was a great place to stay. It was very quiet and relaxing, and the staff were wonderfully friendly and helpful.
The Gajah Biru Bungalows were a little outside the centre of Ubud, and the walk into town (about a 20-minute walk) was tricky. There were no pavements, the roads were narrow, the traffic was fast, and there were no (or very few) street lights — take a torch/flashlight. Plus, there were a couple of corners where you had to stop and look around the bend to spot oncoming traffic.
At the main entrance to the Gajah Biru Bungalows was a shrine — was that a good sign or a bad sign? Well, it turns out that shrines are ubiquitous in Bali, and I should have been more worried if there wasn’t a shrine outside the hotel.
The route to the room set the scene for my trip to the island with lots of green plants. Bali is a very green island.
One fun thing about the Gajah Biru Bungalows was the metal artwork around the place. I was not sure who did it, but it was hidden around the grounds of the hotel in the trees and the undergrowth.
My room came with a metal sign on my door, in the same style as the ‘it is what it is’ sign in the above photo, and I still have that sign hanging on my wall today. Every time I look at it, I think of my stay in Bali.
The Gajah Biru Bungalows also had a second shrine at the back.
Breakfast was ordered the night before and served in my room. It was a good breakfast: all local food and a good choice.
On my last morning at the Gajah Biru Bungalows, I had to leave for the airport before breakfast was served. When I told the staff that I was going early, they insisted I have breakfast and arranged a “Breakfast Box” for me. The box was great (see below), and I sat happily by the side of the road waiting for Ubud Taxis to arrive (as is usually the case, I was early, and the taxi was on time).
I enjoyed my stay at Gajah Biru Bungalows, Ubud, Bali. The staff were friendly and very helpful, the room was very comfortable, and the place was very relaxing. The service was good, and the breakfast was excellent. I would certainly go back.
