Jawi House & Painter, Ubud

If you really want to get to know the Balinese spirit and kindness of the people, you should stay with someone local. I stayed with Putu Merni at Jawi Painter House in Ubud and honestly, i have never met such a kind and warm person as Putu. She is the absolute personnification of the good in people, giving you so much and being more welcoming than anyone could be. Her main business is actually doing a lot of things in the house and preparing offerings and going to the temple. She is really passionate and living her religion in everyday life. I have never met such a GOOD person. Before my stay i already contacted her for some information on how to get to hers, but she was directly so very helpful, that i did not need to worry about anything.

She send a driver to fetch me from the airport, which was really nice and i was feeling more secure with a person, that she knows.

So when i arrived she welcomed me as warm as any person could be, thanking me hundreds of times for staying with her. The room i rented is located over her own little home. It is really clean and nice, with a king size bed and a freshly renovated bathroom. It looks super modern and nice, i directly felt home. Also i had a small balcony, that was surrounded by palms and other trees, one feels like waking up in the jungle every morning. I would advise you not to open the windows or anything, to keep out the mosquitos. Putu is cleaning the room every day and making sure, that no insects are in there. There is an air conditioner and a very big fan under the ceiling, keeping the room always cooled and very fresh. Sleeping here was like heaven.

The bathroom is equipped with a european toilet (not to be found everywhere in Indonesia) and a nice bathtub, can be used as a shower as well.

The best thing about this place was the owner herself. Putu helped me with really everything. She booked a driver for me to see the different temples, for a nice price. Also she rented a scooter for me from her sister in law, also for a friendship price. Same goes for my transport to Gili Islands. She has been amazingly helpful and always offering more help. In her description on Air BnB Putu says she will cook for you the last night of your stay, but in reality she cooked for me 4 nights and everytime it was so delicious. Putu does not own a real kitchen, so she will prepare everything on two electric cooking plates on the outside. In the morning you can smell the amazing pancakes she prepares. I am allergic to many things and first i had to explain to her a few times, but then she tried everything to still serve me amazing meals. One other really nice thing about this place is, that Putu is offering you free drinking water in your room, so one does not have to worry about that.

Whether you travel alone or with other people, i would always recommend this place to you. As it lies in the central heart of Ubud, one can access almost everything in Ubud by walking.

Staying at Putu's Place was around 22€ a night including breakfast (and very often free dinner). If you stay for a longer time, she will make a better price for you. So especially for Yoga people a good place to stay if you are on retreat!