Host Families

Meet Wayan Sunarti – Patemon Village, Pejeng

Wayan Sunarti - Patemon Village, Pejeng

Wayan Sunarti is from Patemon Village located 5 km from Ubud. Wayan loves to cook and makes a sambal so good she bottles it and sells it! Balinese love their sambal (hot chili condiment).

Wayan’s food presentation is 5-star rated by our guests and she is an excellent cook and one day wants to open her own warung (restaurant). Her family home is in a traditional Balinese compound with a beautiful garden which is shady and cool. The garden is full of hundreds of varieties of trees and shrubs. Her husband, Nyoman Pujawan is a landscape architect, so if you have an interest in horticulture, that’s a bonus. You can ask lots of questions about life in Bali to Wayan and Nyoman. Nyoman is also a very famous photographer and has published a book on Bali called, “Bali Essence” with David Metcalf, the owner of Taksu Photo Gallery, Ubud.

Wayan presents Balinese traditional food and specializes in Pepes Ikan (steamed fish in banana leaves), Urab (a bean sprout and mix vegetable salad), a mean Smoked Chicken dish and she makes a very famous Chicken Curry. Everyone loves Wayans chicken curry (which can be adapted for vegetarian). She can make a range of 15 dishes (catered to your likes) and regularly makes banquets for 10-20 people in her village and takes on catering jobs, when required for special ceremonies. Her last cooking job was a local village wedding and she cooked for 400 guests. Wayan is a beautiful warm person, and you will instantly feel comfortable with her at her home and meeting her beautiful family. She loves to explain all aspects of Balinese culture. Wayan is a strong community member and plays in an all-female gamelan orchestra. She speaks excellent English and she loves to joke around too. The food is outstanding.

Wayan is available for Option 1 – cooking class + lunch or Option 2 – cooking class + dinner.

Meet Chef Parta Wayan & Kadek – Banjar Buruan, Tampaksiring

Meet Chef Parta Wayan & Kadek - Banjar Buruan, Tampaksiring

I Wayan Suparta (Chef Parta), and his wife, Kadek Ratih live in a traditional Balinese 4th generation compound.

The word Parta means driving, so Chef Parta means Chef Driving, and yes, he loves to drive his passion, which is cooking. Chef Parta and Kadek are a winning team! The positive, beautiful harmony in their home is an experience in itself. The Balinese feast that Chef Parta presents includes his famous sambal, the most delicious steamed minced fish (can be substituted with chicken or vegetarian) cooked/steamed in banana leaves, along with a full course of unique Balinese dishes and some secrets, which he will reveal to you.
Life in a Balinese compound means the whole family live there. The grandparents, all the sons and the wives and the children. The daughters all move away when they marry (to the new husband’s compound) – that’s the way it works in Bali.

Wayan Chef Parta is wholly committed to healthy cooking and providing you with a heartfelt family meal experience in their village in Tampaksiring. Wayan is a Sous Chef at an upscale Bali restaurant, so you are guaranteed a creative Balinese family meal delivered to you by a professional chef. Chef Parta and Kadek have three children, Putu (Julia), Kadek (Agustin) and Komang (Danuarta). They are delightful Balinese children and so well behaved. They love receiving guests in their home.

The rice is steamed over a traditional fire in a bamboo basket. Pepes, another dish, is done this way. The kitchen is conventional gas and traditional wood fire. A combination. Wayan and Kadek serve either Bubur (rice flour, coconut milk, pandan leaves, salt, sugar) or black rice pudding with fresh coconut cream, served in banana leaves for desert. Delicious. If you choose lunch and market tour, you will go into the heart of a traditional market where foreigners are rarely seen. It’s very traditional, and here you will experience Bali life, as a Balinese experiences it.

Kadek sells produce at the Tampaksiring Market early in the morning (she is there at 4.00am) including Balinese hot porridge, eggs and fresh vegetables. The cooking class option is well worth considering and you should see Wayans’s knife set!! Learn a couple of secrets to take home. If you ever wanted to make canang, the Balinese flower offerings you see everywhere in Bali, Kadek and her daughters make them daily. Please join in.

Chef Parta is available for three options: 1. Meal Only 2. Meal + Cooking Class 3. Meal + Cooking Class+ Market Tour.
You host dinner experience with Chef Parta Wayan incurs an extra $30 transport charge. His village is the furthermost from Ubud (35 mins drive) in the beautiful Tampaksiring Valley. Seating in 6 seater van. Your transport is from your hotel pick up in Ubud to the village and returning back to your hotel.

Meet Kadek Subianthara and Putu – Lokaserena Village

Meet Kadek Subianthara and Putu - Lokaserena Village

Kadek lives in the village of Lokaserena Village. Come and learn Grandmas secret recipes and enjoy a wonderful meal served to you in true Balinese banquet style using all the Balinese spices with your hosts, Kadek and Putu. Kadek teams up with this sister Putu and they present a wonderful and very elaborate spread of dishes. Putu is an excellent cook. Putu loves to explain all the dishes and the procedure. Kadek has a very good command of English and has an in-depth knowledge of Balinese history and culture. He has been greeting foreigners for over 20 years now, as he is a driver and tour guide. He speaks a little Japanese and a few other languages. He knows many hidden places of Bali.

In his garden he grows mulberry, passion fruit, papaya, mango, jackfruit, lemongrass, ginger, and turmeric. Kadek loves to explain all about the layout of a Balinese compound and what all the different buildings represent, the statues and the carvings. He will show you his beautiful, ornate family temple. Every Balinese family must have a family temple.

Kadek serves organic rice from his own rice paddy field and presents traditional Balinese dishes including delicious curries, steamed dishes wrapped in banana leaves, local farm fresh vegetables. All our hosts cater vegetarian, gluten free, vegan or any dietary requirement you may have. You just fill those details out on the booking form and if you like spicy low, medium or hot. Kadek is one of the happiest, most accommodating Balinese people you will ever meet. His sister is super-smiley too and they make a great family team. Kadek and Putu love to host dinner guests and their cooking demonstration is not to be missed. It’s an experience in sharing, cooking together and meeting a lovely local family.

Kadek and Putu offer 3 options: 1. Meal only 2. Meal + cooking class 3. Meal + cooking class + market

Meet Kadek Subianthara and Putu - Lokaserena Village

Met Nyoman Darna from Bedulu Village

Nyoman Darna lives in Bedulu Village, which is a very old traditional village around 8 kms from Ubud. He has an extensive organic farm plus cinnamon trees and a sweet little orchard. He loves his garden and will give you a tour through the grounds. The views are spectacular from Nyomans property and he has built a lovely viewing area where he serves welcome drinks and then you dine overlooking the jungle.

Only a 5-minute walk from his house, Yeh Pulu, a 50 metre stone relief dating back to the 14th century, sits in the jungle. Nyoman loves to take people to this place. It is a lovely walk and you pass by 2 waterfalls. If you have time and arrive early, this little side tour can be included in your Ubud Village Plate experience. Nyoman is an excellent historian and will walk your through the stories etched in the stone relief.

Nyomans mother is the last remaining potter in the village, and you will meet her too. If you have an interest in ceramics, she can show you her potter’s wheel. She makes jugs for birthing woman at the local Mas hospital, which are used as containers for carrying the placenta from hospital to home. This tradition still lives on today. Nyoman serves an elaborate Balinese feast of traditional food – around 8 different dishes and the food is organic and straight from his garden. He even climbs a coconut tree for you!! That is one welcome drink you will never forget. If you have an interest in history and Balinese culture, Nyoman is a great story-teller and knows so much about the past kings and ancient ways of Bali. He has been a tour guide and driver for over 25 years. Any question you have – he will no doubt know the answer.

His daughter dances at the local temple so if you are interested, with advance notice, he could arrange for her to dance. It takes time to organize because the costume and make up is a lengthy process. Just mention this when you book, if you are interested. A small dance fee as a donation towards regalia and buying new silks is greatly appreciated. In this village when there is a Balinese Hindu ceremony at the beach, the whole village walk all the way to the beach, carrying offerings on their heads. Strong tradition and customary ways are very much part of life in Bedulu today. The food is delicious, the views are dramatic and Nyoman Darna is the loveliest host. He picks you up himself from your hotel, so you can chat all the way back to his village.

Please Note: Nyoman is currently building a new kitchen and bench space for a cooking class option, which will be ready mid November, 2017. The feast he prepares and serves is made in his family compound with a traditional earthenware oven. He is an excellent cook.

Nyoman is available for 3 options: 1. Meal only 2. Meal + Cooking Class 3. Meal + Cooking Class + Market Tour

GUEST REVIEW; For sure my most favorite part of my day in Bali was visiting the home of Nyoman Darna, overlooking his land, eating fresh coconut, and picking cinnamon bark from his tree. Especially meeting and dancing with his beautiful nieces in the garden with all the laughter as we tried to keep up with those intricate hand, head and foot movements. No wonder they start temple dance at 6 years old. What a joy. Also to listen to Nyoman play the ancient ridink while we ate black sticky rice with the elders. Hugging Nyoman’s elderly mothers with their beautiful smiling wrinkled bemused faces. If you visit Ubud you must let Nyoman take you on a trip or two. He is Ubud Village Plate host.
His graciousness and love beams from him and his family,and it made me so happy inside to be so welcomed to this beautiful land, it’s people and, it’s culture. It’s almost as if I deeply remember a time where I was once lived here. Dancing in the temples, making offerings everyday on the side of the road, walking these cobblestone temples and immersing myself in nature So much beauty and life force. Blessings 🦋💚🌼 By Jeng – Australia

Meet Putu and Pasta – Pejeng Kangin

Meet Putu and Pasta - Pejeng Kangin

Nyoman is available for 3 options: 1. Meal only 2. Meal + Cooking Class 3. Meal + Cooking Class + Market Tour

Meet Wayan Sunarti – Patemon Village, Pejeng

Meet Chef Parta Wayan & Kadek – Banjar Buruan, Tampaksiring

Meet Kadek Subianthara and Putu – Lokaserena Village

Met Nyoman Darna from Bedulu Village

Meet Putu and Pasta – Pejeng Kangin

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