Bali: The Online Travel Guide

Around Ubud...

Ubud is the place to go. It is where everyone who wants to escape the madness of Kuta, the sterility of Sanur and the cultural isolation of Nusa Dua will find themselves.

Ubud is Bali's heartland. It isn't perfect but it has charm. It also has pride, and the people of Ubud have been more careful than most to retain the village atmosphere that is so often cleansed when the twentieth century meets a place front-on.

Relax in Ubud, stay cool, and most importantly, learn to say the name: It's OO-bood, not YOU-bud or Ah-bud!

Accommodation in Ubud generally offers better value than Kuta, Nusa Dua and Sanur although the standards are typically lower than the international hotels of the south--with some very notable exceptions. Ubud’s many comfortable and relaxed homestays and losmen will however, provide the feel of Bali culture that no high-rise hotel can ever hope to fulfil. Of course, those who wish to explore the countryside from a luxurious base will find several options, amongst them some of the island's newest and best hotels.

The main street, Jl Raya and especially Monkey Forest Road are the traditional places to look for a low cost place to stay, but recently many new low and medium cost places have sprung up in Jl Hanoman and Jl Bima.

Do not discount the laneways that connect the major roads, as many smaller family run homestays and losman may be found in these streets. These small and unpretentious places are often the best value available.

Further from the town centre, near the river and beyond, are the more upscale bungalows, cottages and hotels of Campuan, which generally provide a quieter more relaxed stay, but can also leave the feeling of isolation - especially at mealtime's and at nights.

Ubud.

There are many restaurants spread all over Ubud, and are typically concentrated around the more popular accommodation areas. Those on the main street (Jl Raya) and in Jl Hanoman are generally very popular with the budget travellers, as they are quite cheap, and they serve good meals. Monkey Forest road has many fine restaurants, although an attempt to push this area more upmarket has seen prices increase in recent times.

There are some even more expensive, but very good restaurants in the Campuan area to the west of the central village, but these tend to cater mainly to tourists who stay in Campuan's more isolated and expensive bungalows and hotels. Ubud's famous pub is located just over the Campuan bridge.

Ubud has several money changers and banks, although there may not yet be any ATM's. Money services are generally located along Jalan Bima and Monkey Forest Road.

A medical clinic and pharmacy can be found in Monkey Forest Road, and the hospital is in Jalan Raya Ubud.

International telephone services are widely available, and mostly located along Jalan Raya (near the central market).

The Bemo station is located near the market, spread along Jalan Raya, near the corner of Monkey Forest Road. Services to southern Bali run mainly via Denpasar (Rp.1,200 approx.), and depart frequently during the day (whenever a minivan is filled with passengers). Short runs to the local villages, and longer runs to the north and east also depart from the bemo station.

Taxi's with meters also service Ubud, but obviously cost more than the bemo's.

The Perama shuttle service operates busses to many parts of Bali and beyond, and pickups are best arranged at the time of purchasing tickets (many agents sell Perama tickets). Arrivals via Perama busses are to their office, which is a little inconveniently located away from the town centre in Jalan Hanoman. Most busses are greeted by losmen operators who will show photo's of their rooms and deal on rates for your business. If you agree to look at their rooms, they may assist you by carrying your bags (don't abuse their labour).

Transport hire, such as bikes, motorbikes and cars is widely available, and costs are competitive. The main areas to look are along Jalan Hanoman and Monkey Forest Road, but it is a good idea to ask for suggestions at the place where you are staying. Expect to pay about Rp.4,000 per day for a bike, Rp.10,000 to 15,000 for a motorbike, and upwards of Rp.40,000 for a car.

Ubud is a haven for shoppers. Most of the main streets and the market stalls sell objects that are attractive to visitors, and the range of crafts that are represented is unimaginable. Gold, silver, jewellery, wood, cloth, clothing, pottery, batik, paintings, metalwork, antiques and many other products are sold almost everywhere. Try your luck bargaining at the market, or look into the boutiques and stores for fixed prices that are still comparative bargains. Many of the shops will assist by packing and shipping your goods home (be very careful to insist on surface transport - airmail is very expensive!).

Books are widely available in Ubud, at the several second-hand bookshops dotted around the main streets. Be aware that the prices are not that low, but will be discounted if you have a book to trade.

Local highlights include the many cultural events staged in Ubud. Although most are performed to entertain tourists rather than for genuine festive occasions, they are generally well presented and are worth seeing. The fire dance, the monkey dance and the Legong dance are the real crowd pleasers, and of course, the Ramayana is a cultural highlight. Many of the travel agents and tourist agents can provide programs, and book seats to performances. Expect to pay from Rp. 5,000 to 10,000 (which may include transport to nearby villages where the performances are held). Always talk to other travellers for advice about the perfomances that are not to be missed.

There are many museums and art galleries in and around Ubud, and many artist communities present art displays featuring local work. Styles and media are very diverse, ranging from traditional to modern, painting, ceramics, carvings, sculpture, batik, weaving and photography etc.

The Ubud market is open each day and occupies the central area of the village. It has a mix of traditional produce and modern goods including fashion items and artworks of all sorts. The market also sells an amazing assortment of foods. Every visitor must stroll around the market during the early morning to witness a real working market trading traditional produce.

Things to do: Seeing the surrounding countryside is a great way of escaping the crowds. It is surprising that a walk of only a few kilometres can take you from a busy village to serene fields with meandering trails leading to places of interest and worthwhile sights. Be sure to buy the "Bali Pathfinder" map and booklet to help you find the best of the many walks around Ubud. The pathfinder costs around Rp.7,500 and is available from many shops and tourist offices. A new "Travel Treasure" map and guide is also available for around Rp.12,000.

Bali Pathfinder is a locally produced guide which is sold widely in Ubud. It contains details of many great walks, and some good travel advice and general information about Bali and about Ubud in particular (written from a local perspective).

Near to Ubud for instance, is the village of Petulu, where each evening, thousands of white herons arrive to perch in the trees that line the main road. Allow a couple of hours to get there along the fantastically scenic road, which passes through a couple of tiny villages and artist communities, and through some diverse countryside (bring plenty of drinking water). Continuing through Petulu will take you to another small village, and then to a main road where you can catch a public bemo back to central Ubud if you are tired from walking.

Above: Broad smiles greet the traveller almost everywhere in Bali.

Another very popular walk that takes in beautiful scenery and a couple of comparatively underdeveloped villages and some fine artist communities, is the "monkey forest walk". After a couple of hours walking you emerge in Ubud’s famous damp and shady monkey forest, which is only five or ten minutes from the village centre.

Within and around town there are many temples. Some of these are very old, others are quite new, but it is nearly impossible to tell. Balinese temples hold regular festivals, so be sure to check at the tourist office for any that may be happening during your stay. If you do attend a temple festival, or even if you are just visiting a temple, be very careful to respect that you are visiting a place of religious significance. Always wear a sarong and a sash (most temples will hire these items), and act in a respectful manner. Read the signs at the enterances for local rules.

From Ubud, all of the surrounding area may be explored, bicycles, public busses and bemos providing ready access to the more distant places. Don't forget the elephant cave "Goa Gajah", which is only a few kilometers from town.

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Above: The entrance to the elephant cave is carved as the gaping mouth of a demon.

A short distance inside the cave are two statues, one is the Hindu elephant god Ganesh. Nearby are two bathing pools, with many carved stone nymphs. This is a worthwhile site, although it is visited by many tour groups making it very crowded for much of the time.

Only 2km further along the road toward Gianyar is the far less visited site of Yeh Pulu, a very old carved stone monument. Take the extra time to visit this site.

Visit the market in Ubud to sample the arts and crafts of the area, but take some extra time to visit the galleries and shops of artists and craftspeople that surround the village. Almost all of the nearby villages and the main road to Denpasar are worth visiting for their art and craft shops.

Many people choose Ubud as their base for their entire visit to Bali, which is a sound idea. The town has everything that the visitor needs, and is centrally located, making day trips to anywhere else practical. Ubud is certainly the alternative to Kuta for anyone who wants to avoid the beer and beach reputation that Bali has unfairly achieved over the years.