The 20th anniversary issue of Hello Bali brings 20 inspiring stories and Murni’s is one of them.
The Inspirators
Meet the Interesting, the Intriguing, the Inspiring People in Bali who make the island a better place in their own ways.
Hello Bali May 2015
It’s not unusual that Ni Wayan Murni – hotelier, restaurateur, art collector, textile expert, blogger – has just published her 5th book. Everything about Murni and her wide range of interests is unusual.
All of this woman’s activities link together, each emerging out of one another. Her literary output is no exception. Murni has written and co-authored five books as well as numerous articles on Balinese art and culture. The majority of photographs in her books were contributed by the accomplished, well known Bali photographer Jonathan Copeland.
Ni Wayan Murni, born in Penestanan, is a well known and much loved personality on the Bali scene and a pioneer of Balinese tourism. During her extraordinary life Murni has lived in Sanur and Ubud and has travelled over the globe. By the early 1970s she owned four shops on Sanur beach and had opened Ubud’s first real restaurant, Murni’s Warung, overlooking the Campuan River. Many thousands of people have enjoyed her food and hospitality. Both amateurs and professionals have learned from her experience collecting and writing about the Southeast Asian arts. But far from letting all her notoriety go to her head, Murni has shown a longstanding dedication to her community, family and local temples. She actively participates in banjar activities, plays in a women’s gamelan group at important religious ceremonies and takes part in cultural events.
When guests asked Murni for advice on where to go or what to do in Ubud or on what to buy, those inquiries gave birth to Murni’s Very Personal Guide to Ubud. Written by a native Ubud resident – the village of her birth – this eBook selling for only around Rp25,000 is kept up to date more easily than a printed guidebook. Being digital, it can easily be carried around on your portable iPhone, iPad, Android or Kindle. In a sense, Murni has been researching this eGuide all her life, confiding with her guests what businesses she likes to patronize; what arts and crafts, courses, cultural sites and secret places she recommends and what galleries she supports.
This 120-page guide, with its detailed descriptions and insightful observations, is all you need to experience the very best of what Ubud has to offer.
Forty Delicious Years, Murni’s Warung 1974–2014: From Toasted Sandwiches to Balinese Smoked Duck, published in 2014, was a natural outcome of the 40th anniversary of Murni’s Warung when Murni presided over the book’s launch, spoke and signed copies. This book tells the story of one of Bali’s most enduring culinary landmarks from its beginnings as a humble roadside stall on the side of a river gorge to become an institution. Narrated by some of the warung’s eclectic and most intriguing patrons, with a preface by Murni herself, the collection of vignettes, anecdotes and testimonials makes easy and immensely enjoyable reading.
It applauds all that is worthwhile in life – good food, gracious hospitality, shared laughter and the warm company of friends. The reminisces are especially compelling from the perspective of its 40 famous contributing authors, artists, scholars, adventurers and notable long-time Bali expats. The book was edited by Jonathan Copeland, Rob Goodfellow and Peter O’Neill. Bring your copy to the restaurant, or get it there, and Murni will sign it.
Murni’s fine arts credentials are impeccable. During her adult life she has passionately dedicated herself to collecting Asian antiques and textiles. Munri was the first person in Ubud to establish a proper gallery of antiques, textiles, costumes, old beads, tribal jewelry, stone carvings, masks and other ethnic pieces. Many of these unique museum quality artifacts are to be found in Murni’s Warung Shop beside her restaurant. In the course of pursuing her hobby, she has become an acknowledged authority.
The idea for From Tattoos to Textiles, Murni’s Guide to Asian Textiles, All You Need to Know … And More, was conceived during the course of an exhibition of Murni’s collection of Asian antiques and textiles in San Francisco in 2007 at the prestigious Arts of Pacific Asia and Tribal Arts & Textiles shows. In 2009, the textile curator at the de Young Museum invited her to come back to San Francisco to lecture on Balinese textiles before the Textile Arts Council at the museum, which she did following her second exhibition in San Francisco. This gave rise to a much-expanded and more wide-ranging written version of the lecture that includes many additional photographs of selected pieces from Murni’s personal collection.
Her latest publication Murni’s Bali Tours, Where to go, What to Do and How to Do It is an eBook of seven tours written and designed for guests staying at Murni’s Houses. Tours of Bali routinely offered by travel agents and drivers haven’t really changed for decades, even though there are now numerous exciting new places to visit. Again, this book sprang out of a need to serve her many guests who expressed an interest in going to unusual off the beaten track places, more preferable than the run of the mill destinations that drivers often recommend. Guests also wanted clear, helpful and accurate information about both classic and untouristed places, which many drivers aren’t able to do. This new must-take eBook (Rp100,000 or free for guests staying at Murni’s Houses who book a tour) focuses on a whole set of fresh destinations away from the mainstream such as the Sukarno Center, Pura Gunung Raung and the rice terraces at Ceking that are less overrun than the ones at Tegalallang.
Each tour covers a range of interests, so whether you are a temple lover, an art aficionado or a history buff there is something for you. Some wonderful short walks, scenic treks, selected art galleries, chocolate and ceramic factories, a strawberry farm and a visit to Bali’s youngest priestess have also been included. Stunning slideshows and photographs of each tour, taken by Jonathan Copeland, are viewable on YouTube
Secrets of Bali, Fresh Light on the Morning of the World, co-authored with Jonathan Copeland, was published by Orchid Press in 2010. This comprehensive account of Bali’s history and culture arose from questions that guests staying at Murni’s Houses asked her to explain. The persistence of inquiries gave her the idea of researching specific subjects in more detail and putting it all down on paper so that it was available for everyone.
The book offers succinct and wide ranging information about Balinese life, religion, festivals and offerings, architecture, music, dance, textiles, dress, carvings and paintings, manuscripts and food. Secrets of Bali is not a guidebook per se, but a valuable and authoritative reference source as well as an entertaining read for the visitor, scholar and Bali aficionado. Encyclopedic in its coverage, the result of prodigious research, difficult subjects from the sublime to the arcane are simply explained in this well written and up to date work which will reveal a great number of facts and misconceptions that are little known to even long-term residents of Bali.
Bill Dalton, Toko Buku
Bali Advertiser 17 February 2016- 2 March 2016
In Murni’s Podcast, The Spirit of Bali with Ibu Murni, join Clare McAlaney as she shares Murni’s story. Travel back to when she was a child in Bali eking out a living selling weavings, travelling around the hills of the island, to her concern about how the modern age and tourism is ripping out the heart of their culture. This journal will leave you with hope, but also a nagging awareness that something needs to be done, and quickly.
This is the last journal in Bali Soul Journals.
Murni’s Podcast
To contact Murni:
Please fill in the form or, if you wish, email at: murni (at) murnis.com
We always reply within 24 hours, usually more quickly.
If you don’t get a reply using the form, something has gone wrong, so please email us.
Murni
Murni’s Houses
Jalan Raya, Ubud
Bali, Indonesia, 80571
Tel: 62 (361) 975165
Fax: 62 (361) 975282
Tamarind Spa at Murni’s Houses
Jalan Raya, Ubud
Bali, Indonesia, 80571
Tel: 62 (361) 970923
Fax: 62 (361) 975282
Murni’s Warung Shop
Campuan – Ubud
Bali, Indonesia 80571
Tel: 62 (361) 977484
Fax: 62 (361) 972146
Murni’s Warung
Campuan – Ubud
Bali, Indonesia 80571
Tel: 62 (361) 975233
Fax: 62 (361) 972146
Time: UTC/GMT +8 hours, no daylight saving
Murni’s Talk was a lecture on Balinese textiles to the de Young Museum’s Textile Arts Council of San Francisco in 2009.
Earlier in February 2007 when Murni was exhibiting textiles from her collection at the Arts of Pacific Asia Show in San Francisco, Jill D’Allesandro, Textile Curator of the de Young Museum, asked if she would give a talk on Balinese textiles.
It was attended by many people and illustrated by a Power Point presentation as well as examples from Murni’s own collection.
Murni and Jonathan Copeland worked on a much expanded version of the talk, illustrated with many more examples from her own collection, and that gave rise to the ebook From Tattoos to Textiles, Murni’s Guide to Asian Textiles, All You Need to Know…And More.
Murni’s Talk
Murni’s Exhibitions have mostly been at the prestigious and highly vetted San Francisco Arts of Pacific Asia and Tribal & Textile Arts Shows.
Murni was one of the first in Ubud, Bali to have a proper gallery of textiles, tribal jewelry, antiques and other ethnic pieces. She started her shop at the same time as her famous restaurant, Murni’s Warung, in 1974.
She is Balinese and travels extensively in Asia searching out rare and unusual pieces, specializing in Indonesian textiles, jewelry and ceremonial objects . Her sources are the best. She is still the first person that dealers generally visit when they come to Bali.
Many of her pieces are of museum quality.
There are many Articles by Murni: she has written numerous articles, mainly on Asian arts and crafts, book reviews and Ubud. She is also a published author.
There are many Articles about Murni. Having created Murni’s Warung, Murni’s Warung Shop, Murni’s Houses and Tamarind Spa, she has been interviewed often.
Murni is The Mother of Ubud. She was the first woman driver in Ubud! She pioneered tourism in Ubud and is extremely active in her restaurant, shop, accommodations and spa.
Murni.
Murni was born in Penestanan, Bali and is a well-known and much loved personality on the Bali scene. Her personal YouTube video, Murni’s Ubud, Bali, is here.
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 Wos River in Campuan. Since then thousands of people have enjoyed her food and hospitality. She is still extremely active in the restaurant. There are YouTube videos of Murni’s Warung here.
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. 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 played in a women’s gamelan group at important religious ceremonies.
Articles and Books
Murni has written numerous articles on Balinese art and culture 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 here.
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 here and all online retailers.
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 here and all online retailers.
Murni’s Bali Tours, Where to go, What to Do and How to Do It is an ebook of 7 special tours was written and designed for guests staying at Murni’s Houses to bring with them on the tours It is an ebook available here and all online retailers.
Murni’s Houses
In the early 1980s Murni started to construct Murni’s Houses in Ubud, a complex of seven, now 12, extraordinary residences and open-air pavilions amid a garden full of flowers, statues, fountains, trees and shrubs lying all by itself next to open fields. It is a wonderful introduction for first timers to Bali and a dependable refuge for her many guests who return each year. Just 3 minutes walk from the main road and accessed through a traditional Balinese roofed gate, it’s a place of tranquility. Residential Spa packages are available. There are YouTube videos here.
Tamarind Spa at Murni’s Houses
Murni’s latest venture is the creation of Tamarind Spa at Murni’s Houses, which was listed as the top spa in Ubud on Trip Advisor within 3 months of its opening. It has won numerous awards. Tamarind Spa brings all aspects of Balinese art, luxury, and culture together in one healing experience. There is a YouTube video here
Houses
She also has houses in Penestanan for long-term rent.
Anniversary of Murni’s Warung
To celebrate the 40th anniversary of Murni’s Warung, Forty Delicious Years, Murni’s Warung, Ubud, Bali, 1974–2014, From Toasted Sandwiches to Balinese Smoked Duck was published in 2014. It has its own YouTube video here. It is available as an ebook here and all online retailers. The second edition So Many Delicious Years with Murni’s favourite Balinese recipes is available here.
Blog
Murni and Jonathan Copeland have a joint blog here.
Social Media
Murni’s Warung, Murni’s Warung Shop, Murni’s Houses and Tamarind Spa are on Trip Advisor, Facebook and Murni is on Twitter and Linkedin.
Books and Ebooks
It’s not unusual that Ni Wayan Murni – hotelier, restaurateur, art collector, textile expert, blogger – has just published her 5th book. Everything about Murni and her wide range of interests is unusual.
All of this woman’s activities link together, each emerging out of one another. Her literary output is no exception. Murni has written and co-authored five books as well as numerous articles on Balinese art and culture. The majority of photographs in her books were contributed by the accomplished, well known Bali photographer Jonathan Copeland.
Ni Wayan Murni, born in Penestanan, is a well known and much loved personality on the Bali scene and a pioneer of Balinese tourism. During her extraordinary life Murni has lived in Sanur and Ubud and has travelled over the globe. By the early 1970s she owned four shops on Sanur beach and had opened Ubud’s first real restaurant, Murni’s Warung, overlooking the Campuan River. Many thousands of people have enjoyed her food and hospitality. Both amateurs and professionals have learned from her experience collecting and writing about the Southeast Asian arts. But far from letting all her notoriety go to her head, Murni has shown a longstanding dedication to her community, family and local temples. She actively participates in banjar activities, plays in a women’s gamelan group at important religious ceremonies and takes part in cultural events.
When guests asked Murni for advice on where to go or what to do in Ubud or on what to buy, those inquiries gave birth to Murni’s Very Personal Guide to Ubud. Written by a native Ubud resident – the village of her birth – this eBook selling for only around Rp25,000 is kept up to date more easily than a printed guidebook. Being digital, it can easily be carried around on your portable iPhone, iPad, Android or Kindle. In a sense, Murni has been researching this eGuide all her life, confiding with her guests what businesses she likes to patronize; what arts and crafts, courses, cultural sites and secret places she recommends and what galleries she supports.
This 120-page guide, with its detailed descriptions and insightful observations, is all you need to experience the very best of what Ubud has to offer.
Forty Delicious Years, Murni’s Warung 1974–2014: From Toasted Sandwiches to Balinese Smoked Duck, published in 2014, was a natural outcome of the 40th anniversary of Murni’s Warung when Murni presided over the book’s launch, spoke and signed copies. This book tells the story of one of Bali’s most enduring culinary landmarks from its beginnings as a humble roadside stall on the side of a river gorge to become an institution. Narrated by some of the warung’s eclectic and most intriguing patrons, with a preface by Murni herself, the collection of vignettes, anecdotes and testimonials makes easy and immensely enjoyable reading.
It applauds all that is worthwhile in life – good food, gracious hospitality, shared laughter and the warm company of friends. The reminisces are especially compelling from the perspective of its 40 famous contributing authors, artists, scholars, adventurers and notable long-time Bali expats. The book was edited by Jonathan Copeland, Rob Goodfellow and Peter O’Neill. Bring your copy to the restaurant, or get it there, and Murni will sign it.
Murni’s fine arts credentials are impeccable. During her adult life she has passionately dedicated herself to collecting Asian antiques and textiles. Munri was the first person in Ubud to establish a proper gallery of antiques, textiles, costumes, old beads, tribal jewelry, stone carvings, masks and other ethnic pieces. Many of these unique museum quality artifacts are to be found in Murni’s Warung Shop beside her restaurant. In the course of pursuing her hobby, she has become an acknowledged authority.
The idea for From Tattoos to Textiles, Murni’s Guide to Asian Textiles, All You Need to Know … And More, was conceived during the course of an exhibition of Murni’s collection of Asian antiques and textiles in San Francisco in 2007 at the prestigious Arts of Pacific Asia and Tribal Arts & Textiles shows. In 2009, the textile curator at the de Young Museum invited her to come back to San Francisco to lecture on Balinese textiles before the Textile Arts Council at the museum, which she did following her second exhibition in San Francisco. This gave rise to a much-expanded and more wide-ranging written version of the lecture that includes many additional photographs of selected pieces from Murni’s personal collection.
Her latest publication Murni’s Bali Tours, Where to go, What to Do and How to Do It is an eBook of seven tours written and designed for guests staying at Murni’s Houses. Tours of Bali routinely offered by travel agents and drivers haven’t really changed for decades, even though there are now numerous exciting new places to visit. Again, this book sprang out of a need to serve her many guests who expressed an interest in going to unusual off the beaten track places, more preferable than the run of the mill destinations that drivers often recommend. Guests also wanted clear, helpful and accurate information about both classic and untouristed places, which many drivers aren’t able to do. This new must-take eBook (Rp100,000 or free for guests staying at Murni’s Houses who book a tour) focuses on a whole set of fresh destinations away from the mainstream such as the Sukarno Center, Pura Gunung Raung and the rice terraces at Ceking that are less overrun than the ones at Tegalallang.
Each tour covers a range of interests, so whether you are a temple lover, an art aficionado or a history buff there is something for you. Some wonderful short walks, scenic treks, selected art galleries, chocolate and ceramic factories, a strawberry farm and a visit to Bali’s youngest priestess have also been included. Stunning slideshows and photographs of each tour, taken by Jonathan Copeland, are viewable on YouTube
Secrets of Bali, Fresh Light on the Morning of the World, co-authored with Jonathan Copeland, was published by Orchid Press in 2010. This comprehensive account of Bali’s history and culture arose from questions that guests staying at Murni’s Houses asked her to explain. The persistence of inquiries gave her the idea of researching specific subjects in more detail and putting it all down on paper so that it was available for everyone.
The book offers succinct and wide ranging information about Balinese life, religion, festivals and offerings, architecture, music, dance, textiles, dress, carvings and paintings, manuscripts and food. Secrets of Bali is not a guidebook per se, but a valuable and authoritative reference source as well as an entertaining read for the visitor, scholar and Bali aficionado. Encyclopedic in its coverage, the result of prodigious research, difficult subjects from the sublime to the arcane are simply explained in this well written and up to date work which will reveal a great number of facts and misconceptions that are little known to even long-term residents of Bali.
Bill Dalton, Toko Buku
Bali Advertiser 17 February 2016- 2 March 2016