Ubud - Too Good

Here it is finally, my Bali post.  It's long overdue - I think I was intimidated about trying to summarise so much into a small post without boring you all by resorting to a blow-by-blow account of our mini-break.

My first visit to Bali exceeded my expectations in many ways.  What will I remember?

1. The number of Australians at the airport (almost all heading to Kuta, since we saw very few in Ubud)
2. The number of temples and statues wearing sarongs - literally at least one on every corner, plus a few sprinkled in between
3. The outrageous green of the rice paddies
4. The friendliness of the Balinese
5. The skyline dotted with high-flying kites
6. The traffic chaos that seems to just work and Sander embracing the local traffic customs (weaving in and out, toot-tooting and turning a two-lane road into a three or four)
7. Kids waving and shouting 'hello!' at every turn
8. Rice drying on the village streets

Ubud in Brief

  

Do:

1. A bike tour - learn about Bali coffee, cycle through the rice paddies and finish up with an outrageously good lunch whilst learning about Balinese culture along the way.  We used Bali Emerald Cycling but were also highly recommended Bali Eco Bike Tours
2. Hire a motorbike - explore the outer villages, don't be afraid and, no matter who stops you, keep your licence/registration/passport in your possession at all times.  Also keep a smallish note in your pocket just in case you're stopped.  Or just don't stop.
3. Foot reflexology at Nur Salon (Jln Hanoman) after a long day's exploring (or a numb bum from motorbiking)

Scenes from a Pushbike

Tending rice paddies in action

The Team

Rice paddy scenes

Biking through villages

Weaving demos

Bali coffee tasting

Well-earned lunch after 30km of biking!
(shhhh!  most of it was down hill)

Scenes from the Back of a Motorbike

School kids practicing their marching

Rice paddy terraces

Petrol sold road-side in Absolut bottles

See:

1. Gunung Kawi - both of them
1.  Pura Gunung Kawi is a beautiful temple up near Tagallalang
2. Gunung Kawi is an array of impressive 11th century stone cliff carvings - a must see
2. The Mother Temple

Gunung Kawi

Pura Gunung Kawi 

11th Century Gunung Kawi 

The Mother Temple

 Temple commerce in action

 Saronged statues everywhere you turn

Buy:

1. Visit the markets and haggle to your heart's content for silk goods, jewellery, bags, dresses, art...
2. Carve out some time to wander through the streets of Ubud and pop into the many small boutique stores

Ubud Market Scenes



Fruit seller

Flowers for sale

Stay:

1. Sama's Cottages - a private villa for ~ $80 per day, breakfast on your own veranda, quiet and private



Relaxed Bali mornings: Bali coffee, Bali Scrabble (yes, I'm a Scrabble nerd)



Eat:

1. Dewa Warung - cheap, tasty, communal tables, crazy kitchen.  Make sure you leave yourself plenty of time, try the eggplant curry and the ginger chicken.
2. Ibu Ria Bar and Restaurant - delicious food, beautiful presentation, great atmosphere, not for a backpackers budget though
3. Street food

Of course... nasi goreng

 

Crazy kitchen in Dewa Warung





Bakso Mie Auam - Noodles with Chicken



Road-side seating

Satay with a view

When (not if) I go again I'll take a cooking class at Casa Luna (it was booked out), take some time do walk around the Ubud outskirts, visit a few museums and galleries, book a rijstafel at Cafe d'Artiste and make sure I have time for shopping without Sander.