Murni's Very Personal Guide to Ubud

Roy Thompson said "Secrets of Bali is the best book about the island written and published since 1990 ...". This time I concentrate just on Ubud, the cultural heart of Bali, which is a must for visitors to Bali. I've lived all my life in Ubud and have been involved in tourism: restaurant, shops, textiles, art, accommodation and spa, so I am sharing some of my knowledge, including some pitfalls.

Ni Wayan Murni was born in Penestanan, Bali. Murni is a well-known and much loved personality on the Bali scene and a pioneer of Balinese tourism. Her personal YouTube video is on youtube.com/watch?v=z2pUsbhwNzw
Shops and Restaurant
During her extraordinary life Murni has lived in Sanur and Ubud and has travelled widely. By the early 1970s she owned 4 shops on Sanur beach and had opened Ubud's first real restaurant, Murni's Warung, overlooking the Campuan River. Since then thousands of people have enjoyed her food and hospitality. She is still very active in the restaurant.
There are YouTube videos on youtube.com/watch?v=zf3VVj7gx8g and youtube.com/watch?v=KWTgnXtOlpA
Asian Antiques and Textiles
During her adult life Murni has been busy collecting and becoming an expert on Asian antiques and textiles and many of them are to be found in Murni's Warung Shop beside the restaurant and in her private gallery. She was the first person in Ubud to have a proper gallery of antiques, textiles, costumes, old beads, tribal jewelry, stone carvings, masks and other ethnic pieces. Many of her pieces are museum quality and her fine arts credentials are impeccable. Murni is a member of the Thai Textile Society.
Exhibitions
In 2007 and 2009 Murni exhibited part of her collection at the prestigious shows, Arts of Pacific Asia and Tribal Arts & Textiles, in San Francisco and gave a lecture on Balinese textiles to the Textile Arts Council at the de Young Museum. Murni understands and participates in Balinese culture on a daily basis and used to play in a women's gamelan group at important religious ceremonies.
Articles and Books
Murni has written numerous articles on Balinese art and culture (https://www.murnis.com/murni/articles-by-murni/) and the book Secrets of Bali, Fresh Light on the Morning of the World by Jonathan Copeland and Ni Wayan Murni, published by Orchid Press in 2010, is in its second print run. It is available from https://murnis.com/ebookstore
Murni's Very Personal Guide to Ubud by Ni Wayan Murni and photographs by Jonathan Copeland was published in October 2011 and is available as an ebook from https://murnis.com/ebookstore
Ni Wayan Murni and Jonathan Copeland wrote From Tattoos to Textiles, Murni's Guide to Asian Textiles, All You Need to Know ... And More, which is an ebook available from https://murnis.com/ebookstore
Murni's Bali Tours, Whe...