Wayan Karsa, the owner of the villas and Karsa Kafe with his family, would often see tourists stopping to take pictures of the village rice terrace, where he had worked the family rice fields and which he had walked past his entire life as had his family for generations before him. He was eventually able to see the rice terrace from a visitor’s perspective, so seeing the natural beauty of what was so commonplace to him.The cafe is on the small quiet lane which runs through Bangkiang Sidem, about 500 meters from the top of Champuan Ridge and so about 30 minutes walk from Ubud centre.
Open from dawn to dusk, it has proven very popular with trekkers making the easy walk from Ubud centre along Champuan Ridge as well as long term visitors adept at seeking out special places off the normal tourists’ destination checklist. Open to two sides it is situated in the actual rice terrace itself. Karsa Kafe offers tremendous views of the rice terrace and the mountains beyond.
Wayan’s wife Nyoman is the fantastic chef who runs the cafe, cooking to order traditional Balinese dishes like bak mie goreng, nasi goreng, nasi campur and sate as well as preparing a wide range of fresh juices and cold drinks, from beer to water, with the occasional help of her three young children Putu, Kadek and Komang.