Bali (Part Two)

After two days in Seminyak we decided to head out to the cultural center of Bali. Ubud, where the monarch of Bali resides, is known to be the heart of Bali. Located almost at the center of Bali, just at the bottom of volcanoes, Ubut has a special lush and beauty like no other. The town is well known for its rice paddies and special temples. Ubud and its surrounding cities are connected which makes them look like a big single town.

§  Arrival:

 

As I explained Uber has services in Bali now. However, the Taxis are trying to fight it back. We ordered a taxi to our Hotel in Seminyak. The price estimate to Ubud was 130000. At the door we were asked by the doorman id we are waiting for Uber. We did not know anything about the situation so we confirmed. He said that he would not allow Uber to stop here! We started walking away from the hotel but we noticed the driver canceled.

We were lucky to find a cool cab driver that accepted 250k to Ubud, which is much cheaper than the regular price. Another reason to travel during the low season!

 

§  Need to know:

 

Accommodation:

In general easy to find places for any price range!

We stayed in Penestanan. A small hotel called “Ubud Villas and Spa ( Ex-d’Omah)”. It is an amazing place and I highly recommended! The have a collection of 12 rooms, set in semi-detached bungalows. There is a meditation rooftop for each of these bungalows! We extended our stay there from 3 to 8 nights!

Transportation:

Walking and motorbike for farther destinations! There are many taxis around too.

To eat:

Alchemist for break fast:

Apparently 6 owners share this place, mostly Americans. It has healthy organic Vegan/ Vegetarian food. I would say it is pricy even by America standards. However, Their Smoothie breakfast buffet is really nice and different! Give it a shot in the morning unless if you are on budget.

Even though they have a good collection of fresh squized juices, don’t it there! You can get the same, for much cheaper, couple of block down the street.

In general I appreciate the idea and the quality of this place but not very affordable!

Element:

Again, it is not cheap but amazing food. We have almost tried everything on the menu and we have not been disappointed even once! Try their Tuna stake.

Vespa bar

Much better prices and their burgers are amazing!

Warung Mendez

Cheap and good Nasi Goreng ! They actually have different varieties of Nasi gorengs.

 

Museums and the palace:

I did not go to any of them, however, that doesn’t mean you should not! The palace of the king of Bali is a point of interest! Also head towards Penestanan and make a visit to The Blanco Renaissance Museum.

If you are a temple person then you are in the right place. There are plenty of them scattered In this small area!

Monkey forest

This natural reserve is one of Ubud’s main attractions, which is in vicinity of the center. It is a sacred sanctuary, which houses over 700 of macaques. If you have never interacted with macaques you should understand that they don’t love you! They will come to you if you have food or drink on you and will take it away one way or another!

Entrance fee is 40,00RP.

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Balinese Dance

Every night you will pass by many who try to sell you one if these dances. This dance is an ancient tradition of Bali and usually they are performed at temples or in the palace. We went to the one at Pura Taman Saraswati temple by café Lotus.

Yoga and Spa

 

Yoga:

There are many places but I tried “Intuitive flow” which is one of the two giants, the other one being Yoga barn. It is located in a very quite area over looking rice fields. We took 5 classes for 400,000 RP. I found restorative yoga very interesting, also comforting!

 

Hotel Tjampuhan AKA Spies House

I read about this place on Lonely Planet. It was the house of German artist “Walter Spies” and now a day is a luxury (well semi luxury) hotel and spa. The spa is a piece of art with amazing Balinese stone carvings all over the place with hot and cold water pools. The river locates it and it is possible to go down by the river. One-hour messages are done beside the river. The sound of water current only amplifies the pleasure of a Balinese style message!

Half-day use of the Spa costs 110,000 RP, add another 340,000 for an hour of riverside message. Worth every penny!