From the Lonely Planet:
"Perched on the gentle slopes leading up towards the central mountains, Ubud is the other half of Bali ?s tourism duopoly. Unlike Kuta, however, Ubud maintains it?s identity as the center of ?cultural tourism? on Bali.
It?s not surprising that many people come to Ubud for a day or two and end up staying longer. There are a lot of expats here, drawn by the rich culture and myriad of activities. Besides the very popular dance and music shows, there are numerous courses on offer to become fully immersed in Balinese culture.
More consumptive pursuits are amply rewarded with some of the best food on the island. From fabled world-class resorts to surprisingly comfortable little family-run inns, there is an ample choice of hotels. Many places come complete with their own spas for hours or days of papering packages."
Today, we arrived in Ubud, an hour north of Kuta. When we and 3 other foreigners got dropped off, we weren?t really sure where on the Lonely Planet map we were. Conveniently, the owner of Warsa?s Bungalows and another inn were there to greet the prospective customers. We decided to look at his bungalows, which turned out to be quite nice, with lush grounds, and of course, a swimming pool. This place was $16 USD a night with air conditioning and $13 USD with a fan. The A/C wasn?t that important to us, but the room with A/C was nicer and more private, so we took that one.
Our little bungalow
We did a little walk around Ubud today, and saw why it?s the center of Bali?s art and culture. There were many shops that sold painting, jewelry, wood carving, textiles, and ceramics.
Typical shops
A Balinese painting by one of the many artists in Ubud
Another painting for sale
We rented another scooter ($3.75 USD for 24 hours) and drove to Petulu to see the herons. "Every evening at around 6pm, thousands of big, white, water birds fly in to Petulu, squabbling over the prime perching places before settling into the trees beside the road, and becoming a minor tourist attraction. The herons, mainly Java pond herons, started their visits to Petulu in 1965 for no apparent reason. " - Lonely Planet
One of the many beautiful rice fields in Ubud
A heron
Herons perched in the trees
More rice fields
My first Ubud sunset
February 10th, 2006 at February 10, 2006 - 12:23 am
I’m really enjoying following your experiences, as you already know Ubud has a special place in my heart. I really hope you agree that it’s a magical place in many regards.
I’m surprised that you liked Warung Enak! I thought it was terrible to tell you the truth - then again, I’ve been here for a long time, maybe I’ve gotten picky.
Try Pizza Bagus, Wunderbar, Murni’s, etc if you have a chance. I have many others to recommend if you’re into it.
Be very careful on your motorcycle - I think I told you about my accident - head on collision while I was on a motorcycle last summer - in Ubud.
February 11th, 2006 at February 11, 2006 - 8:56 pm
I think I was prety lucky with Warung Enak… it must have been what I ordered (overpriced, though). Who knows what the rest of the food is like. I think a lot of restaurants depend on when you go, and what you order.
We had a good/bad experience at Deli Cat. The first time, we went for lunch, when it wasn’t too busy. The cheeses were good, but the service was a little slow. We then went back last night for dinner. The place was packed and it took us 25 minutes to get just bread and green olives. It was terrible, and if we lived here, we wouldn’t go back, just because of that.