Short Weekend Getaway to Ubud, Bali
Because of Indonesia's Independence Day on August 17th, we enjoyed a nice 3 day weekend. I decided to head up to Ubud from Saturday to Sunday to check out a new area of Bali. It takes about 1 hour to drive there from Sanur.
Here is a map of Bali:
Did you find Sanur? It is located toward the bottom right of the map near the smaller island. Ubud is located directly north in the interior of the island.
I decided to take a taxi up early in the morning so I could enjoy the entire day there. There is a shuttle bus called the Kura-Kura but it didn't leave Sanur until 10am. The taxi ride was less than US$20 which was well worth it.
As soon as I arrived I immediately loved Ubud! It is such a cute area filled with lots of shops and restaurants. It is known as the culture hub and I could see why since soon after I arrived I already stumbled upon a dance performance across the street from the Ubud Palace. Traditional Balinese dance....
I stumbled into some type of ceremony at the Ubud Palace which is located in the heart of Ubud. The local royal family still lives there.
Next I ventured up to the rice fields to get away from the congestion of traffic and people. It was a beautiful and peaceful walk. It reminds me how much I love to spend time outdoors. It just naturally relaxes and helps to put your life back into focus.
I also checked out the Market and Puri Lukisan to see some original Balinese artwork.
That night I met one of my new coworkers and his wife for dinner and drinks. We randomly stumbled into a restaurant called Oops! and enjoyed the live music, delicious food, and overall atmosphere of the place!
I woke up early the next morning and enjoyed a prepared breakfast from the woman at the home stay...some fresh fruit and something that appeared to look like an omelet but I was surprised to taste a banana sweetness when I took my first bite!
Campuhan Ridge Walk
I headed off to walk through some more rice fields near the central Ubud. I discovered that there was another walking trail that I didn't walk yesterday. The walk began by passing a temple and then heading up a long hill. Hot and sweaty for sure! Luckily there was a bit of a breeze!
I reached the top and enjoyed the beautiful lush green view to my right....
but then was saddened when I saw what was to the left of the trail....
I refused to look left as I continued to walk :)
After about 2 km, I reached the famous Karsa Cafe and spa. I read on travel blogs that after relaxing with drinks and snack or maybe even a massage you could either head back down the way you came or continue onward to explore more.
Obviously I chose to continue on but was soon disappointed when the walking path turned back into a road filled with shops and motorbikes/cars whizzing by. It was not the relaxing nature walk I was expecting. After about 10 minutes, I snapped some photos and headed back in the direction I came.
Overall the beginning part of the walk was nice, but not as much of a "nature walk" as I imagined it would be.
On my walk back, I stopped in to visit the temple called Pura Gunung Lebah. The gates were closed but I saw a couple inside. I waited, then asked the man who had let the couple out through the gate if I could enter. I paid my Rupiah $20,000 (US $1.50), wrapped my sarong around my waist and entered the temple. The man explained that they do not let many people into this temple as it must remain quiet. He showed me to the central plaza area of the temple and explained that this temple was meant for praying to nature.
The statue of the woman on the right is the goddess of nature and the man on right is the builder of the temple. It was so moving and peaceful to just sit there for a few minutes and admire the beauty that surrounded me.
And here are a few pictures from the Lotus temple located near the Palace.
I'm looking forward to heading up to Ubud again and exploring some of the temples and rice fields outside of town. :)
Here is a map of Bali:
I decided to take a taxi up early in the morning so I could enjoy the entire day there. There is a shuttle bus called the Kura-Kura but it didn't leave Sanur until 10am. The taxi ride was less than US$20 which was well worth it.
As soon as I arrived I immediately loved Ubud! It is such a cute area filled with lots of shops and restaurants. It is known as the culture hub and I could see why since soon after I arrived I already stumbled upon a dance performance across the street from the Ubud Palace. Traditional Balinese dance....
I stumbled into some type of ceremony at the Ubud Palace which is located in the heart of Ubud. The local royal family still lives there.
Next I ventured up to the rice fields to get away from the congestion of traffic and people. It was a beautiful and peaceful walk. It reminds me how much I love to spend time outdoors. It just naturally relaxes and helps to put your life back into focus.
I also checked out the Market and Puri Lukisan to see some original Balinese artwork.
That night I met one of my new coworkers and his wife for dinner and drinks. We randomly stumbled into a restaurant called Oops! and enjoyed the live music, delicious food, and overall atmosphere of the place!
I woke up early the next morning and enjoyed a prepared breakfast from the woman at the home stay...some fresh fruit and something that appeared to look like an omelet but I was surprised to taste a banana sweetness when I took my first bite!
Campuhan Ridge Walk
I headed off to walk through some more rice fields near the central Ubud. I discovered that there was another walking trail that I didn't walk yesterday. The walk began by passing a temple and then heading up a long hill. Hot and sweaty for sure! Luckily there was a bit of a breeze!
I reached the top and enjoyed the beautiful lush green view to my right....
but then was saddened when I saw what was to the left of the trail....
I refused to look left as I continued to walk :)
After about 2 km, I reached the famous Karsa Cafe and spa. I read on travel blogs that after relaxing with drinks and snack or maybe even a massage you could either head back down the way you came or continue onward to explore more.
Obviously I chose to continue on but was soon disappointed when the walking path turned back into a road filled with shops and motorbikes/cars whizzing by. It was not the relaxing nature walk I was expecting. After about 10 minutes, I snapped some photos and headed back in the direction I came.
Overall the beginning part of the walk was nice, but not as much of a "nature walk" as I imagined it would be.
On my walk back, I stopped in to visit the temple called Pura Gunung Lebah. The gates were closed but I saw a couple inside. I waited, then asked the man who had let the couple out through the gate if I could enter. I paid my Rupiah $20,000 (US $1.50), wrapped my sarong around my waist and entered the temple. The man explained that they do not let many people into this temple as it must remain quiet. He showed me to the central plaza area of the temple and explained that this temple was meant for praying to nature.
The statue of the woman on the right is the goddess of nature and the man on right is the builder of the temple. It was so moving and peaceful to just sit there for a few minutes and admire the beauty that surrounded me.
The view from the main plaza
And here are a few pictures from the Lotus temple located near the Palace.
I'm looking forward to heading up to Ubud again and exploring some of the temples and rice fields outside of town. :)
Comments
Post a Comment