It's whether you're looking for awesome stuffs that are not available in the country or Indonesia doesn't give you good price, or simply because you're expats and need something that hard to find in Indonesia and nobody can hand carry those things for you some time soon... I dedicate this to you!

These past months, I was crazy in love with a red lipstick pump shoes. I never like shopping in the store. Too much temptation! Ha! But, I didn't find any pairs here in Indo. So I thought, ok, not my luck. 

But then I found one pair in Farfetch.com, a UK-based e-commerce that sells many entries from worldwide designer stores. That pair in my size... there was only one left. So you can guess, all that jazz, panic and excited at the same time. Plus, it was in discount! Hooray! When I put it in cart, the delivery cost was flat to $23 using DHL. C'est superbe!

After the drama with all of my debit cards declined and I don't know why until now, I paid through PayPal. And PayPal debited from my account through one of the debit cards Farfetch rejected in the first place. Oh, well... but...

... it's done!

---

This order was my first shopping online from abroad website since I used to lose my package once! I was a bit traumatized yet I felt like I need to give it a try for Farfetch.com.

My bookdepository.com was sent through local postal service, which means in Indonesia, that would be by Pos Indonesia. My bookdepository order was never found. No barcode and nothing I could do to get it from the Pos Indonesia office. Plus, Pos Indonesia is never helpful, so I assume my hope for the book is dead.

After 8 months missing, I decided to go to the biggest post office in Central Jakarta, based on my delivery address I gave to bookdepository.com. Sadly, it was sent away with regular post so there's no barcode. I was sent here and there in the post office, even going to their basement, passing their dark warehouse (even a guy who worked there sort of verbally harassed me) and no one could help me anyway.

Back to 10 years ago, my sister sent me a box of new clothes I bought online. The order went to her house and she repackaged it and sent it to my house. It took 2 months! However, it didn't just arrive like that... even after TWO MONTHS. How it went was that my mom asked our regular postman how package from overseas would arrive to the country then to our house. Thankfully, the postman was a great guy, he asked the details of the package and he searched for it in the his office. He found it!

Turned out, there's a fee we need to pay that made our package stayed in the post office!

Funny, they didn't notify us if our package had arrived and there was certain amount we needed to pay. How the hell could we know? By the help of the postman, it was settled.

So I was worried about this one. Thankfully, Farfetch will ship my shoes through DHL which has much nicer service and super updated tracking page. I felt relieved.

But, there's another thing: the tax!

In Farfetch case, it was told that duties have been included in the price which is only applicable to certain countries. Indonesia... of course, isn't included.

*sigh* I know....

Ok, here's the thing. If you buy online stores abroad to be delivered to Indonesia, there will be tax for you to pay. I googled some sources, if it's under $75 (seen from your invoice), there will be no tax. But above that amount, there will!

The DHL service was fast and the tracking page is super cool. I ordered it on Tuesday, and it's already in Singapore by Friday morning, and Jakarta by noon.




There are tax payer number and luxury product tax appear in the calculation. For simple way, it's multiplied by 29%. Based on her calculation, it was supposed to be 1,6 million something. I don't know what's going on.

When I received the link to pay online, there were another items to pay, included in the total amount, such bank service, etc. I regret I didn't take a screenshot before I paid. Now as I've paid, the page is no longer accessible.

... I just paid to retrieve my heels! Right away!

If you're looking for fashion brands to shop, try reebonz.com. Once I bought a handbag, it was ok. No other tax or additional cost. The downside was the shipping from Singapore takes longer, compared to DHL sending me my heels from Europe.

Consider yourself lucky if there's someone who could hand carry your stuff. For example, you can order online and send to local address and your friend will bring it to you through their luggage. But I always try not to order something heavy and take lots of spaces. I don't want to be a burden.

Or...... you can always looking those jastip people and personal shoppers! They are amazing!

So yeah, that's my experience. Not gonna buy anything online from abroad unless it's so urgent. The government tries to protect the local brands buy setting the tax high for what we buy from overseas. However, I don't think it's the right way to do it. Some local brands here are expensive but low quality. Defending them like that would only make them think like we don't have enough choice but to keep buying low quality products and it makes them not to think of improvising.

I know some good local products, some of them are owned by my friends. But maybe, in return, I would definitely more picky in buying local products now. Thanks, system and government!

Another moral of the story: try international courier service like DHL and such.

(Will put keypoints in highlight)

paddyfields!

But I'm telling you, this kind of view comes with a price as well. Oh yes, anything magical comes with awesome price. To get through this, I need to step on a high steep path. It is located in higher level, and it takes 5-minute walk of this....

Long walk... this is in the morning

And then this is how it looks at 6PM.

This path has no lights along the way. So from those two pics, you can imagine how it would look after 6.30PM. Once I came back at late around 6.45PM and it was all dark! I even asked my driver to walk me home. How embarrassing!

It's spooky for me, too!

It's all paddyfields and if you don't see clearly, you might get lost a little (to my stay, there's a soap house in the middle of the way and it's empty!), or fall down to the right side as it's lower land if you don't step right, quite steep down there and there was also rivers!

However, when I was walking back with my driver, another guest from the same villa just left to explore the city, without putting lights (like I did with my smartphone torch). My driver even joked me, "well, she's okay with this, and you're not?"

The nicest things about this 5-min walk to the middle of the paddyfields where my villa is located is that you can hear the sounds of water from the small river along the way. It's just relaxing, walking out every morning like that. With birds, chirping.

... even though, dragonflies and bees are also there. Meh!

Beware of mosquitos, too! Prepare some anti-mosquito lotion or electric mosquito repellent. Make it complete with tiger balm (I'm just too Chinese, I know) just in case if you've got bitten already, you know what to do.

Anyway, just have some Med-Kit with you, in the middle of nowhere and limited options of transportation, the only supermarket nearby is Bintang in Sanggingan, Coco in Pengosekan and some other in Raya Andong---which are in a bit crowded area. There are convenient stores nearby, yet, when it comes to emergency and you have to walk 5 mins out and in? Let alone, when it's dark. Thank you, next!

So there, during my stay here, I avoided coming home late. 6PM is the latest, before it's dark. I have balcony where I did yoga, breakfast, and dry my towel every morning... and it will be also dark there. No lights. So no chill time in the balcony with the sounds of crickets. No!

In this part of Ubud, you have to prepare for this kind of things. Dark, and no lights. If you're annoyed with this kind of situation like I am, you need to check on this. Some part of Ubud aren't like this, still feels like cities with cars passing by and city lights along the way.

Plus, there's another surprise... which is lizards, small and big ones. If you're okay with this, that's cool. But if you're a kind of freaking out to these kinds of visits, always make sure you stay in a place with closed windows and doors. Never leave the door and windows open too long. I know you'd be intrigued to do that once you see the beauty there, but remember, you're in the middle of paddyfields, which means all lizards and other unwelcomed insects are there.

The next morning after the driver walked me back, he picked me up. He texted me that he had arrived and warned me.


Ubud house styles have more peeking windows and all. Make sure you check the housing style, too. Too much, I know. If you might find those things disturbing, it'd better if you check. Those lizards can always sneak to your room.

And also, you have to make sure where exactly your place is gonna be. Whether you would need to walk long by foot or not, whether a car can pass. Why?

Most people in Ubud would love to travel by motorbike, or bike (the least). This kind of things would not be a problem for them. But, I have a condition where I cannot get on motorbike or bike (let alone to drive it, I can't), so I have to walk to enter paddyfield area in the middle of nowhere with only a long small path.

The problem is that I bring one heavy luggage, one sling bag, and another one handbag with laptop and yoga mat together inside it. Imagine bringing them all together with hiking a steep up and 5-min walk?

Travel around
Like what I have mentioned that Ubud people love to travel by motorbike, so that's how most visitors are likely to be suggested. It's quite easy to get motorbike taxi or to rent one.

If you travel with families or in group, rent a car would be great option. However, not many places in Ubud have lots of spots for parking. Get ready with that. Travel with driver would be better, so you can always drop off and let the local driver figures it out. Sounds selfish, but they know better where to park. *grin*

The benefit traveling with local driver is that they can always suggest you new places, stories about the cities and all, what's recommended, etc.

As for me, as I can't ride a bike or motorbike, or even just to hop on... it's a quite a struggle. I usually depend on GoCar in Jakarta, or GrabCar or Uber even when I was in in Europe or anywhere else. In Ubud, there's nothing like that. You have to go with a private taxi, which is a rental car that you could hail for one single trip. 

I found a nice driver on the streets. Lucky me! Turns out my journalist instinct is still there when it comes to a tricky situation. I was talking to security officers of UWRF about getting taxis and all as I was in panic and confused, then I searched around and I found one of them came up looking for one and brought me a guy that introduced himself as a part-time driver there. We exchanged phone numbers so I could order his taxi service via Whatsapp, which is nice and convenient. The rest of the story is that he took me everywhere when I was in Ubud and paid him for multiple single trips which cost much less than pay for a daily rent charge if you don't hop to many places in a day.

He didn't talk much but he was certainly helpful on information and even suggested me cool ice-cream place in Seminyak. (When I moved to Seminyak from Ubud---I told him beforehand that I had that idea---the night before, he texted me and asked whether I would need someone to drive me to Seminyak.)

The thing about Seminyak, there are still grabcars available. They can take you from Seminyak to Canggu, yet, once you're in Canggu, you cannot hail another Grabcar to go back to Seminyak or anywhere else. No online cabs would pick you up in Canggu, they see it too risky.

Grabcars and gojeks are not allowed in Bali, generally. But some are sneaky and lucky. Some sneaky, but unlucky.

However, Canggu and Seminyak are considered cities, unlike Ubud. Ubud is a village, different story. So you can find a public taxi in Canggu or Seminyak, like the one in purple cars or blue ones.

So there you go.


Food!
As you're in the middle of nowhere in Ubud, unlike Jakarta---where you can always search Go-Food or anywhere else with UberEats---we're back at the 90s, where you can only order directly from the restaurant.

My first food after one hour landed to my awesome stay was Bali Buda. They got vegan cakes, too (if it's what takes you to Ubud).

My first food in Ubud: Soto Ayam with Rice by Bali Buda Delivery + Soy Milk

And surprisingly, coz Ubud or Bali is small, the courier boy just arrived at your place fast. I even worried when I made the call, whether he knew the place. But there he was.. arriving on my balcony, right before I jumped to my outdoor bathtub.

Restaurants are there in crowded area, as in Raya Sanggingan, Monkey Forest, Raya Ubud, etc.

Awesome Indian Food in Raya Sanggingan from Mumbai Station

My second place to stay was around Monkey Forest area---the one that has lights along the way to the house. It's not so crowded, but many people pass by, so you're not gonna be alone even in the evening. So yeah, while staying here, I could hangout at night. Yeay!


I tried Bali's new sweetheart, Milk & Madu. It's also quite famous already in Canggu, and they just opened a new one in Ubud.

 

It was a bit hot but rain in Ubud when I was there. You can go to Gootama road where you could find Tukies Coconut Shop, it's also the place where I found Virgin Coconut Oil to make Coconut Oil Coffee (or Bulletproof Coffee). It's also walking distance to Kou Cuisine (homemade jam jars shop) in Monkey Forest.

Da-yummm!

NOTE FROM A NEWBIE SINGLE TRAVELER
1. I'm a proud cashless society member, but well... uh-puhlease, get some cash in hands while travelling. Trust me, it helps. Coz I only found one ATM in Raya Sanggingan, which is inside Bintang supermarket area. I didn't get the chance to spot anywhere else.

2. It's quite hot. It's Bali as we know it. I never remember to put on some sunblock cream and all, but guys, if you are also a kind of person like I am, please do this note. You won't regret it. I got sunburnt, not because of the beach, but when I was in Canggu, having brunch outdoors!

3.  If you forgot to bring any or already got sunburnt, find anything aloe vera gel (from Banana Boat, maybe) or real aloe vera. I was in the airport when I freaked out, so I went to Guardian while waiting for boarding call.

4. Hmm.. some places are a bit exhibitionist for me. Hahaha... not in the weird sense. But I went to spa place in Monkey Forest, where I cleaned up in a bathtub for relaxing and the window is soooo open and there's a cafe in the back, those visitors can actually see you naked from afar.

My bathtub spa window.. they can peek me!

Not all spa places are like this one, I think, for sure.

However, my outdoor bathtub... I could see some farmers doing their work in the afternoon while I'm wearing my bikini and spent time with my books. No worries, they don't care. Neither should you. Just relax and enjoy. (But to be honest, as I am a private person, I freaked out a little and still shocked to the fact how I could pass those moments).

And yes, Ubud has given me something. I had enough me time... and will definitely come back.