- Indonesia’s Leading English News Website, Direct Daily from the Island of Bali.
Jero Asri Kerthyasa, 56, from Sydney, Australia, is a member of the Ubud royal family and is a Seminyak restaurateur
I came to Bali in 1973, when I was with friends and we were just travelling around, including Bali, Java, Singapore and Malaysia. It was a semester break from university and to be honest I didn’t like Bali that much then. I actually liked Java more.
Then, in mid-1977, I came back for another holiday, this time with my mother, and we went to Ubud. We stayed at Puri Saraswati Bungalows. From then, I realised Ubud was a different experience and I started to like Bali more. This was when I met my husband, who is from the Ubud Palace.
When I got back to Australia, I started thinking about giving up my job and moving to Bali. So I packed my bags and moved at the end of 1977. At that time, I was planning on writing a children’s book – but as yet I still haven’t done it as I’m always juggling things and on the move.
In May 1978, my husband and I got married and we live in the palace in Ubud. After a while, we built a homestay in Campuhan called the Tjitjak Inn. And so we moved there and it became a popular place. My first son was born at the end of the same year.
After our second son was born, in 1980, we moved to Australia for a few years. The kids went to school there and we go back and forth from Australia to Bali.
BT/SS
12 Comments
Great story,I’m fizan ,do you mind if I ask you more questions ? I love bali too..
hello… i am balinese all my family are balinese. how about you. i am a sanskrit teacher for kids. thank you
Hello:
We are planning a vacation over Christmas 2011 to Bali. We have never been in Indonesia and are very excited. I want to ensure we stay in a safe area close to the many attractions.
Where would you recommend? I note the huts you mentioned when you visited with your mom. Are there huts near beaches in safe areas where we can easily take in the night life and tour the best areas? thanks in advance for any guidance you can give
Tracy
If your looking for a nice quiet area with nice beaches away from the party of Kuta I suggest you go to Sanur. I love it there. There is no nightlife really to speak of just restaurants and pubs etc, so there is no roudy teenages they are all in kuta.
Stay at the Sanur Beach Hotel. It is awesome
Hello Jero,
I m so inspired with ur story, actually I want to live there too. I m from India and I met a girl online…she is from Denpasar,bali…I m not so rich to visit bali now. But still dream of It!!
Thanks!!
O w koncu znalazlam to czego szukalam od dlugiego okresu czasu, jestem ogromnie pozytywnie zaskoczona i z nieklamana ciekawoscia bede z pewnoscia zagladac tutaj czesciej. Pozdrawiam – Ewa
Hi My Name is Komang. I’m Balinese man, and work in hospitality industry. Some people think Bali is not safe,busy,trafict, etc.. In some cases it is true, but that’s not happened in all Bali area. Kuta wellknnown as our first Tourism area, and now it becomes a very busy area where you could find all of the problem above. Not only balinese people try to looking a job there, but lots of people from Java,Lombok,Flores and many more.
Seminyak, Sanur are two alternatives to do your holiday which is close to the beach instead of Kuta. Seminyak area is where you could find lots of luxury villas, with great facility and services, it comes to be busy now but not as busy as Kuta area.
Ubud is one of the most favourite place to the poeple who looking for a piece holiday, while they enjoy and learn our local tradition. Here you could find lots of ceremonial, and other social life among the society. Here you could still find shopping places,bars,restaurants etc., but it’s designed more natural and small schale.
Short story from my, hope could help
I know her! I have a weekend job in the Ganesha Bookshop, it’s joined with her restaurant, Biku. It’s really nice venue. You should visit this place! 🙂
Hi everyone, great story from Jero Asri Kerthyasa, thanks. I am 51, live near Brisbane in Queenland and have a Bachelor of Education, Associate Diploma of Early Childhood and have also had extensive nursing experience. I have been to Bali 3 times and also with my son, who is 23, 2 times in the past. I would love to live and teach in Bali and my son has just completed a degree in Bachelor of Psychological Science. Financially I am in a position to buy a Villa or house to live in.
I would really like to have any information on how I go about this and comments on living out my retirement in Bali. Oh, I also have 2 pure bred toy poodles that I would want to take as well.
Any info to point me in the right direction would be very much appreciated.
Bali – Miss you long time!! 🙂
Was in Bali last year have been to 38 countries and this place is a dump police are so corrupt also perverts on the beach taking photos on the sly of foreign girls such a shithole aussies are welcome to this dump locals selling drugs police turn a blind eye until a foreigner is caught get a bribe and the local gets his drugs and some bribery money always tell european friends who are thinking of going to stay away found some hard working locals nice
I know her as the owner of Biku Restaurant, She come many times to our shop Bagatelle at Jalan Kunti and I come to Ubud also to delivery her order. We have client from France and they are told me that they like the Biku’s.
Best Regards
Dewa Widiana
Hello
My name is Windy and I had a vet successful export business in Ubud but spent much of my 6 years in the late 90s to 02 in Lovina as a single mom of two children. Cassie and Robert.
I had so many close family like friends there, I miss them all so Terribly. I wonder if they remember me?
I fell in love with a beautiful long haired man named Ryan. I brought him back to California with me, only for him to run off.
So many stories, loves and dreams I discovered while living in Bali. Also so many heart breaks and vast vacancies left in my soul after leaving.
I guess a girl never gets over her first and only true love.
Bali.