Ubud

Ubud in Bali is a must visit location. After the heat and fun at the beachfront at Kuta for three days, we were ready for a trip to the uplands of Ubud to meet up with a friend.

Ubud is all about ancient holy sites, terraced padi fields, traditional crafts and traditional dances. This friend of ours visits Ubud without fail every year. He would rent a bungalow and just spends the few weeks there relaxing and making friends with the locals and tourists.

Had a most awesome time at Ubud. I had a relaxing massage in a room that protruded onto a padi field with a peeping view of farmers at work.

I opted out of a visit to the sacred monkey forest sanctuary that is a favourite for most tourists. I waited outside at the gate while the family spent some time with cheeky, daring and rambunctious monkeys.

At the market, there are numerous stalls selling traditional crafts, casual wear and snacks. For the three days that we were at Ubud, we could be found at the market buying souvenirs.

The local food was delicious and so satisfying. There are several little restaurants serving local and western styled cuisine. The burgers and fries were not too bad either. We even spent an hour or so enjoying traditional dance routines at a bandstand one evening.

I think Ubud is a stunning haven for shutterbugs. Beautiful architecture, picturesque rice fields, tropical forests, craftspeople and farmers at work and so much more.