With us, you won’t just see the place we love, you’ll barrel into it – into our traditions, our riverside garden, our kitchens and our Balinese way of life – taking your own special place around our welcoming table.
Tresna means "love" in Balinese which is what we poured into the building of our dream cooking school. It would be a mistake to see us as "just another cooking class". We're not an afterthought at a hotel or a table set up in someone’s family compound.
Sure, you’ll learn our coveted recipes and fill your stomach to beyond full, but you’ll go deeper: learning about local Balinese culture, pick your own organic ingredients and get to the heart of cooking, experiencing each intriguing element of everything you’ll put in your mouth.
With our shared love of food and cooking, you'll delve into hands-on lessons that feature your hands, not ours.
The Best Balinese Cooking Class Ever
By Girl and The Word, Anh Luu
We were blown away when Anh Luu from the famous blog, Girl and The Word, stepped through the doors of our wooden gate. I recognized her immediately as I had been following her on Instagram for over a year. Her boyfriend, Jon had booked our cooking class on Airbnb Experiences so it wasn’t even Anh who had planned to come. Anh surprised us 2 weeks later with a 10-page Blog and Instagram story about Tresna Bali Cooking School. We’re so grateful for this outpouring of love and support. Tresna Bali is truly built on love.
Click here for her amazing photos and story of her experience here.
Preparing an Authentic Balinese Feast at Tresna Bali Cooking School
By Passport To Wellness, Brittney Ayers
In early March, Brittney booked for a May class. We accommodated a date change to August since she informed us months in advance. Meanwhile, participants were telling us that they preferred a smaller class size and were willing to pay more. In June, we tested a new class format - from 12 participants to 6 - essentially doubling the price for each participant. Brittney was a bit put out by the increase in price, but she didn’t understand at that time why we only have 4 classes per week. It takes a full day to prep for each class. After our test finding, we decided on a Class of 9 at USD 70 per person.
Read why Brittney is now one of our biggest supporters and why she now feels our cooking school is an amazing value!
A Unique Cooking School Experience at Tresna Bali
By We Are Travel Girls, Becky van Dijk
I went to We Are Travel Girls First Bali Meet-Up in 2016. There I met Becky, the amazing founder of “We Are Travel Girls”. Becky and her boyfriend, Ryan had recently moved to Bali. We got to know each other better as we all took an Immersive Coding Retreat where we felt things could be done better. That ignited Becky’s imagination to create luxury retreats for her community of adventurous women. Becky chose our cooking class as one of the highlights for her Luxury Bali Retreats.
Read about their experience here.
Real Balinese food is a well-hidden secret from tourists.
Why?
Real Balinese Food is elaborate Ceremonial Food. Or it’s the simplest food cooked behind the walls of a family compound
Visiting tourists who eat Nasi Goreng or Gado Gado are actually sampling dishes from other parts of Indonesia, but these do not represent real Balinese food.
We use the freshest of ingredients such as spices and herbs that you personally pick from our organic gardens! We add sashimi quality seafood from Jimbaran Fish Market and choice cuts of pork, free range chickens and organic vegetables that we source at 4:30 am each morning at the local market in Ubud.
You'll learn authentic Balinese Ceremonial dishes as well as family home cooked dishes, not found anywhere else in Bali.
ErinLouise9394 (Darwin, Australia)
So glad we decided to book a class with Adi and Frances. We had a wonderful morning walking through their expansive garden picking and smelling ingredients and learning about the different uses and stories associated with each one. You can tell how much love goes into Adi and Frances’ cooking by how passionate they are about growing their own foods.
Adi was fantastic stepping us through the process of each dish, explaining ingredients and alternatives we could use back home if we can’t find the exact same. We are looking forward to replicating some of these recipes soon.
Very good balance between involvement in cooking and assistance from staff, perfect for any level of cooking skill, Adi was good at accommodating for skill level of each group member and teaching where he could. Traditional food and cooking methods made even more enjoyable by stories of the importance of food in Balinese culture.
Alexander R (Sydney, Australia)
Adi and Frances are not just great chefs, they are good people. It is a real blessing when someone lets you into their kitchen with open arms and teach you culture, topped off with good quality cooking.
I highly recommend this class for enthusiasts or even seasoned chefs. So much knowledge to tap into in a short course that I’ll be going back for round 2!!
AshleyW3485 (Bristol, United Kingdom)
I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed the day spent with Adi, Frances and the team at Tresna Cooking School. Smiles, laughs and the best food of the holiday all wrapped into one!
Firstly we were met by Adi as he picked us up to take us to the school, which is beautifully located with well stocked gardens. On arrival, we met Frances and the team who were all so friendly and smiling. A chance then to roam the well stocked herb and spice garden to pick some fresh produce to cook with. Adi & Frances really know what they are going!
We were then took through a number of recipes with Adi to create a banquet for lunch! And when they say feast I mean it’s a feast!
I would advise anyone looking to learn Balinese cuisine to book with these guys, they are superb!!
May have to come back when next in Bali!! Until next time.
cxxxy (Toronto, Canada)
WOW! I can’t imagine something like this exists in Bali!
Once we arrived at Tresna, we were floored by the amazing design of the kitchen and their beautiful garden. Frances and Adi started off the day by showing us around their garden where we picked some herbs and vegetable.
We were lucky enough to be in a small group of 4 guests so we were able to chat away and try out so many different cooking and mixing techniques. I’ve been to Bali many times and I’ve never had food as fresh as what they offered. We had a feast!
My best friend also had an amazing experience learning about Balinese cuisine from Adi and Frances who was very passionate about design and cooking. Would love to do this again when I’m back in town!
Danielle J (Los Angeles, USA)
I couldn’t be happier that my boyfriend and I decided to come to Tresna for our cooking class in Bali. This was one of the biggest highlights of our trip. Frances and Adi couldn’t have been more enjoyable and knowledgeable. They have a great team, a stunning kitchen and delicious recipes. My only regret is that we didn’t stay at their guesthouse during our stay in Ubud, it looked like an absolute dream.
GaryOhhhh (Toronto, Canada)
While staying at the cooking school’s beautiful Little Wooden Cottage, we partook in a cooking school class of traditional Balinese cuisine.
To start, Adi and Frances walked us through their charming garden (trees and plants are named with friends and family) to pick the fresh ingredients, while always explaining the spices and the roles they serve in our upcoming dishes.
Together, they took us through the preparations of each dish with expertise and gusto! From the techniques of chopping and cooking, to the insight of the ingredients, the course had it all. Afterwards you sit down and enjoy the extraordinary dishes!
Whether you’re a chef or a novice cook, you’re sure to learn something here about Balinese culture and cooking, and more importantly - have a lot of fun while at it.
Thanks to Adi and Frances for the amazing culinarily experience!
Meghan B (Sydney, Australia)
Wow – what a cooking school!
Frances and Adi have created a GEM of a cooking school in Ubud. From their amazing garden and surrounds where you pick fresh vegetables and herbs, the well-organised and clean kitchen, the small class size of no more than 10 people – you really do have a great experience at Tresna cooking School.
My husband and I learnt so much during the class, for the rest of our Bali trip we knew exactly what the traditional foods, flavours and quality were – particularly the banana green crepes – the best we had was at Tresna!
There is a real sense of pride and passion for traditional Indonesian cooking. Most of all, Frances and Adi love what they do – and you can see this at Tresna Bali Cooking School. A must do while in Ubud/Bali
mish2506 (Perth, Australia)
My husband and I loved the Tresna Bali Cooking School. We were staying in Ubud so received the free transfers - Frances picked us up on time. The classes are kept small with a maximum of 10 which means you can always see what is going on.
The class started with a refreshing welcome drink and garden tour to see and pick some of the ingredients we would be using. We were able to be involved in the process which was great - rather than just watching someone else cook the whole time. There was also a bit of tasting as we went along and then we all sat down to enjoy the dishes cooked - there was plenty of food and it was all delicious!
Adi and Frances were very generous in answering questions and talking about Balinese life and culture. All the recipes were emailed to us after the class. It would be suitable for couples, families with teens, friends or solos. I would definitely do it again.
Ryan C (Philadelphia, USA)
A gift from my wife on our honeymoon, this turned into the most memorable experience of our entire Bali adventure! We found no better food on the entire island. Using garden fresh ingredients hand picked from their garden, the food wasn’t even the best part. Adi and Frances were incredible hosts, the most caring and generous people we met while in Indonesia. Truly wonderful and a must do on the island.
DayTrip61247 (Atlanta, USA)
My new husband and I had the BEST time at Tresna Bali Cooking School during our honeymoon. From the very beginning, Frances was super responsive and helpful and booking our class via e-mail exchange was a breeze. The morning of, we met Adi right where he told us he would be (and on time!) and off we went to their compound. This was a truly comprehensive experience, one in which we were able to navigate their on-property gardens as Adi and Frances explained in detail what each plant (herbs, vegetables) was, what it’s typically used for, and how we would be utilizing it in class. The cooking experience itself was very hands-on, and we were able to fully participate, taste and cook each dish in some capacity. It was truly amazing and whenever anyone asks us how our honeymoon was, this is the first activity that we love to share! Thanks Adi & Frances for an AMAZING time!