Ubud is a town approximately one hour north of Denpasar, the capital of Bali. Even though the cities on the coast are usually just as popular, we spent our trip exploring the inland, the oasis of art among green rice terraces. When we think of Ubud, we remember the traditional dances at Ubud Palace, Ubud Market and cheeky monkeys in the Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary.
Our hotel: Pajar House Villa
Our hotel: like a dream. Pajar House Villa nailed our stay. We had our own little suite overlooking rice terraces. The decor was Balinese but modern and the bathroom in particular was a highlight. The infinity pool was surrounded by the rice fields and every evening, as the sun disappeared behind the palm trees, the fireflies came out to keep us company. Breakfast was served on our little terrace and with the mobile phone provided by the hotel we could call room service at any time. Pajar House Villa is located slightly remote, so a driver took us to Ubud Centre, which again is only 10 minutes away.
Attractions in and around Ubud
Right on the first evening we watched the Legong Trance and Paradise Dance at Ubud Palace. The dances are known for their complex finger and foot movements as well as expressive facial expressions. It was impressive, however, many of the younger visitors were a bit scared of the pompous costumes and the extraordinary facial expressions.
Another highlight was certainly the visit to the Monkey Forest right in Ubud. Seeing hundreds of monkeys living genuinely free and wild was quite an experience! No matter how cute the little monkeys seem, they are not to be joked with. They attacked, stole and clearly showed who is king. During a visit, you shouldn’t carry anything in your hand or leave anything sticking out of your backpack. This was Carlo’s undoing, as he was promptly targeted by a monkey, which then jumped on his back and tried to pull the water bottle out of his backpack.
Ubud Market
Anyone visiting Ubud should definitely visit the Ubud Market. Bracelets, statues, sarongs – you can find literally everything. However, one should be prepared to be approached from all sides. A frequently asked question is the “sarong?” question. Anyone who has visited Bali will know what we mean by this. In order to enter temples, women as well as men must wear a sarong, which is actually provided in front of every temple.
Traffic
Another reason for visiting Ubud: it’s so close to everything! We rented a scooter for a day – this is such a cool experience in Bali! The traffic is 50/50 scooter and car drivers. But be careful: The traffic rules are a joke compared to Europe! Whoever blinks or honks first has the right of way. Scooter drivers have the option of opening up another lane or two, and wearing a seat belt is only for beginners anyway! It’s a miracle that we made it from the airport to Ubud in one piece! But back to our scooter experience: It was a lot of fun! We visited the rice terraces of Tegalalang, Bali’s most famous landmark! Quite obvious, because the view is amazing! We also visited Elephant Cave, a temple not far from the Ubud Centre.
