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
- Secrets of Bali, Fresh Light on the Morning of the World
- Murni’s Bali Tours, Where to go, What to do and How to do it
- Forty Delicious Years, 1974-2014, Murni’s Warung, Ubud, Bali
- Murni’s Very Personal Guide to Ubud
- From Tattoos to Textiles, Murni’s Guide to Asian Textiles, All You Need to Know…And More
- The Bangkok Story, an historical guide to the most exciting city in the World
- Walking Tour of Rye, the most beautiful town in England
- So Many Delicious Years