After an amazing stay in Nusa Dua, it was time to head north to Ubud to begin our authentic Balinese experience.
Ubud is located in the uplands and is considered Bali’s cultural heart. It is surrounded by rainforest and terraced rice paddies, along with Hindu temples and shrines, making it one of Bali’s most famous landscapes.
Kevin and I booked ourselves a guesthouse located on the private property of a Balinese family called Bali Home 68. It was one of a thousand guesthouses offered in the area. While we scored a deal at the Ritz-Carlton, we really scored a deal in Ubud with a price of only $18 US/night.
I had to admit I was a bit skeptical but the pictures looked fantastic!
It’s just over an hour drive from Nusa Dua to Ubud, although the distance is only around 45 km. While there is a highway that can be taken from Nusa Dua to Denpasar, beyond that, the only roads available are those that weave through Bali’s endless villages.
The roads are filled with mini-vans transporting tourists, local cars, the odd tour bus, and a million scooters. The traffic is painfully slow and comes to a snails pace the closer you get to Ubud.
Once you arrive in Ubud, you’re lucky if the traffic moves at all.
When we eventually reached Bali Home 68, we were amazed with our home for the next few days. Splurging on the extra $10/night upgrade to their deluxe suite, we were presented with the entire upper floor of the guesthouse, complete with an outdoor living room and kitchen.
Not bad for $28/night! Did I mention it included breakfast?
I love Ubud!
Upon arriving, we quickly learned we were visiting during Galungan festival. This very special time for the Balinese is celebrated by lining the streets with tall bamboo poles called penjors.
Galungan is one of the most important religious festivals in Bali, symbolizing the victory of good (dharma) over evil (adharma). It is celebrated every 210-days, coinciding with the Balinese calendar.
During Galungan, it is believed the gods and spirits of deceased relatives return to Earth for the festival. As such, penjors are placed outside Balinese Hindu homes and local businesses to symbolize the festival, and to offer thanks to the gods and spirits that have returned. Offerings to these gods and spirits are made daily in small shrines suspended from the penjor’s base.
Penjors are made from tall tapered bamboo poles decorated with woven young coconut leaves, cakes, fruits and flowers. Due to their length, the poles droop or hang over the road creating a very charming effect. The curved part of the penjor symbolizes Mount Agung, the highest mountain in Bali which is also considered the home of the gods.
It’s a 10-day celebration ending with Kuningan, when the gods and ancestors return to their own realm.
Overall, it was an exciting time to be in Bali!
Our first few days in Ubud were spent wandering the streets and getting a feel for the area. What we immediately learned was Ubud was different from any other place we visited in Southeast Asia. In our opinion, Ubud has found the perfect balance between tradition and modernization.
Scattered throughout the town are traditional Balinese homes identified by their spectacular entrance gates. Traditional homes are built within a compound surrounded by walls of whitewashed mud or brick. To enter the home, an entrance gate is constructed which is usually a direct exit to the village road or village alley.
These beautiful gates can be seen along the streets of Ubud, among the shops and restaurants.
Many homes are also used as businesses during the day, generally for massage and spa services.
Traditional warungs are also found throughout Ubud which are small traditional restaurants, tiny shops or kiosks. In Indonesia, warung literally means “shop.” These local restaurants and cafes were exceptional. Every single one of them.
Now one of the concerns I have when travelling in Southeast Asia is the food, and of course, the water. I’ve gotten sick many times, and it’s created a hesitation at every meal. Secondly, curry and me don’t mix. Also, I can only tolerate so much rice…
But Bali, in particular Ubud, is a dream for foodies. Here, you can find every type of food imaginable and its fresh, locally prepared, and delicious. Many restaurants even have their own water filtration systems, so you can confidently drink their tap water. Needless to say, this is the first time I will dedicate a entire separate post to food.
It really deserves it.
In addition to eating, our first week was filled with exploring all parts of the city. One day, Kevin and I decided to find a rice field walk in Central Ubud we found using the app maps.me.
As a side note: We highly recommend this app for all travellers! It’s an app featuring offline maps for anywhere and everywhere in the world. It’s great for navigation too as the GPS works without wifi or cell service. In addition to showing roads, it has trails too. We absolutely love it!
According to the map, the walk is off the main road, Jalan Raya Ubud.
Kevin and I walked up and down the street but didn’t see any signs of a rice field or a trail. Finally, we pulled up our GPS and confirmed the location of the trailhead with maps.me. Only then did we notice a small sign on the street pointing to a rice field.
According to the sign, the official name of the trail is Subak Juwuk Manis.
We peered down the ally in the direction of the sign. This was definitely not what either of us imagined. No wonder we walked passed the trailhead numerous times.
Hesitantly, we followed the sign.
Passing quickly through the alley, we turned the corner only to find another questionable trail.
Seriously, where the hell were we going?
Once we finished climbing the stairs, the sky opened up and so did the trail. There were now trees and other plants which was encouraging, but still no rice field. Also the low hanging electrical wires were a little discouraging.
Hesitantly, we continued on until we finally found a sign confirming we were on the right track.
Shortly after passing the sign, the rice paddy fields appeared! We scanned the area with astonishment and slight confusion. While the hustle and bustle of Central Ubud remained only a few steps away, it was like we had entered a different world.
It was quiet, serene and colorful. We walked along a path that sliced through hundreds of rice paddies. We couldn’t believe we had discovered this hidden gem in the middle of Ubud. If we weren’t looking for it, we never would have found it.
We walked along the path, passing very few others, and spotting only the odd field worker. Although we had been in Ubud for only a few days, it was nice to go for a walk without an excessive amount of people and traffic.
As we continued along, we eventually came across the Sweet Orange Warung and multiple guesthouses scattered throughout the rice paddy fields.
Eventually, the trail ended and we came out onto a quiet street. Other than the street vendors, there was almost nobody around.
I have to stress that this is very unusual for Ubud!
As we continued along, we eventually met back up with the hustle bustle of Central Ubud. We stood at the end of the tranquil street looking out toward the traffic and the hundreds of people weaving along the main street. We jumped out of the way as scooters moved to the edges of the road trying to get through the traffic.
We felt like we were standing at the entrance of two completely different worlds.
The remainder of the day, we explored the markets and Ubud Palace.
Around town and in the markets, we got a chance to watch groups of young boys celebrating Galungan. During the ten day festival, young boys dress in traditional clothing and parade with drums and noisemakers through Ubud and nearby towns. Along the way, they collect money while entertaining those around them.
Some of the children even dress in a barong as part of the celebration. A barong is a lion-like creature holding the most important place in the pantheon of Balinese gods.
Finally, we briefly visited the Ubud Palace which is officially known as Puri Saren Agung. This historical building complex is the official residence of the Royal Family of Ubud.
Overall, it was a great first few days in Central Ubud becoming acquainted with our new home.
After getting a chance to explore some off-the-beaten-track places, we decided our next few days would be dedicated to explore some of Ubud’s must-do attractions.
Next stop, Ubud Monkey Sanctuary!