We were a bit anxious, our next adventure was about to begin. We took a flight from Kuala Lumpur to Denpasar to start our awaited 2 weeks trip around this magic Island. We arrived on the afternoon, so we took a taxi that would bring us to our first stop, Ubud.
This is the most pictoresque city of Bali, even though the capital is Kuta, which is close to Denpasar. It is Ubud where you can find a much of tourisme and the main places to visit, including temples, ricefields, walks, nice diferent restaurants or cheep homemade shops.
There are plenty of nice hotels at Ubud, from the backpackers hostels with shared rooms, the guesthouses, and the large vilas and resorts. There is a hotel for everyone. We took a lot of time on booking searching for a hotel and we finally chose Maple House. It is not so expensive, quite close to Monkey Forest and not so close to the center so we could rest properly. Moreover it has a pool so it was quite nice if we wanted to rest a little bit at the end of the day.
Tegallalang ricefields
The next morning we got up early, our jurney has just started. We rented some motorbikes in a shop close to the hotel and headed to our first stop. There is a small town close to Ubud called tegalalang where we can find a incredibly large ricefields.
Not so long ago, people from this town used to make a living from this ricefields. However, due to the increase of the turisme that started to go there, they changed they way of life. Aparently it was free to get in a few years ago, but then, the owners of the diferent lands started to ask for a fee and of course the government could'nt be less. Moreover, since 6 month earlier, more and more cafe shops started to appear in front of the ricefields, and some people who bild swings and the tourists pay to get in there.
As we were walking between the beautifull but dried ricefields, we started to wonder if somebody really did work there, as we saw nobody not trying to get mony from the tourists. We asked some locals and they said that it was not the right weather moment. However we had already been to ricefields at other countries and we could always see people working at some part of it.
Anyway, the views and the ricefields were really nice and the walk felt us like a really good start of the journey. After a short refresh on one of the cofe shops and buying some souvenirs we couldn't wait to see the next place.
Pura Gunung Kawi
After leaving Tegallalang town, we took a nice street that passed behind the ricefields to go to another small village called Tampak Siring. The roads of this town were very beautiful as it was holidays. We discobered a few days later that it was actually the Galungan celebrations and it were like this all over the country.
All the families have to bild some traditional decorations on the streets with bambú that are called "Penjor" in honour of the Hindu God Galungan. Moreover every day, even if it is not a festivity, the locals put their offerings at the gate of their house with some incense that gives a typical smell of hapiness.
The temple of Gunung Kawi or the kings temple, was our next destination. The entrance of the temple is free, however, as many other temples in Bali you will need a Saru to get in. If you don't have it, the locals will borrow it for a small price. After a large descent throw a stairs full of diferent kind of souvenir shops we got to the Pekarisan riverbed.
Before crossing it we can find the tombs of the real family or at least where they rest spiritually becouse their bodies were buried in a tomb inside the temple. This tombs are excabated on the real stone and are called "Candis".
At the other part of the river we can find the big temple sleeping peacefully. At the center of it there are some buildings where the locals come to pray for their gods.
This temple is located in a perfect site, surrounded by ricefields and lovely palms. There is a small road that takes you to a small temple called Pura Bukit Gandul. At the end of it there is a beautifull waterfall.
Pura Tirta Empul
Almost ten minutes north of Pura Gunung Kawi, at the same town we can find one of the most important temples of Bali. Pura Tirta Empul is builded around a big spring from undergroung water of Pakerisan river. It is devoted to Vishnu, the Hindu god of the Narayana supreme consciousness.
The temple is divided into three sections. The front yard or Jaba Pura, where we could find different locals welcoming as and trying to sell diferent snacks like bananas, juices or water.
The central yard or Jaba Tengah where we can find three pools full of showers made from stone. The legend says that Indra god build the spring with an immortality elixir to regain his streghts after being poisoned by Mayadanawa king. For this reason, every year devotees from all over Bali come to purufy themselves, as it is believed that this water has magic healing powers.
This purification ritual is also opened to tourists, who respectfuly enter to the pools with the locals and do the same path. In order to enter at the pool you need a special Saru that the local people will borrow you for a small price together with a small locker to leave your clothes.
Ant finally the inside yard or the Jeroan where are the temples surrounded by the pools iside the ones we can see the water sprouting. It is definetly very peacefull to stand looking at it with the typical incense smell of Bali.
We were starving after a really intense first morning at Bali. It was past midday and we had some time to go back to our hotel so we asked some local people where to it and they recommended a close restaurant called Pangkon Bali Resto & Agrotourism.
Even thoug they promised it was cheep, when we got there we found out it wasn't as it look king of expensive. However the views of a close ricefields, the elegance that could be felt and our stomach begging for food made us stay. After all I have to say that it was worth the money we paid, as we had a really great time there.
City center
After going back to our hotel and resting peacfully at the beach we decided it was time to go to the center of Ubud.
The three main roads at Ubud ar the Jalan Monkey Forest that brings you to the real main street Jalan Raya Ubud where are the Ubud Palace and some other temples, the market and a small street full of shops called Pasar Seni. Finally the Jalan Hanoman is the other main street that brings you out of the city center.
In the heart of Ubud, just at the same intersection of Jalan Monkey Forest and Jalan Raya Ubud we can find the Royal Palace or Puri Saren Agung. Even though the entrance is quite unnoticed if you get inside to have a walk you won't be desapointed. Apparently every night there are some baliness dancers who make their show at the royal Palace or at some other temples.
The traditional baliness dance explain the Ramayana stories specially with the movements of the hands and the eyes of the dancers. Their fantasmagoric costumes, the expression of their faces and the special music makes it a great show that all the travelers should see at least once.
On the same Jalan Raya Ubud street, we can also find the Pura Taman Saraswati or the Water temple. This temple is surrounded by a pond full of Loto flowers floating in the water and thousands of fishes on the inside. At the center of the pond we find an altar called Padmasana where the god is supposed to sit after going down from the heaven during the ceremonies.
This temple is devoted to Saraswati goddes of the the knowledge, the arts, the music, the wisdom and the nature. For this reason we can find many local painters doing their art or selling it at the entrance.
Among the same street we can find another temple called Pura Dalem Puri. Although it is very beautifull the other ones are really better. I suggest you get inside if you have plenty of time.
At the oposit direction of Jalan Raya Ubud we can also find the Ubud Market followed by the backstreets and the Jalan Karna street that forms the pasar seni of Ubud. It is not the place if you want to have a calm walk as it is full of small souvenir shops with the tireless local sellers.
We had a short look at the first day and left the exhausting moment of haggling with the sellers to buy our souvenirs. There you can find different king of clothes, beautiful dresses, keychains, magnets, wodden figurines, pictures, masks, incense.... almoust everything for a reasonable price.
It has already been a long day, with many different experiences. At this point we came back to our hotel to have a proper shower and look for a nice place to have dinner. Not so far from the restaurant we found a local restaurant called Warung Enak that was not so expensive and the food was quite good also. However if you don't like the local cuisine it won't be difficult to find many different restaurants for every taste.
Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary
The next morning we woke up really fresh and new. Wandering what could be waiting for us during the day. As planned, today we were going to visit the Sacret Monkey Forest Sanctuari of Padangtegal. This Sanctuary is really close to the center of Ubud, the main entrance is at the street called by the same name, so you can go walking by most of the ghesthouses, if not, there is a private parking at the entrance. Thi price has been risen year over year and at 2019 the price was 80.000rp.
The mission of this sanctuary is conserving the area based on the concept of Tri Hita Karana, one philosophy of Hinduism. Thanks to this, the people try to maintain a harmonious relationship in their life between the humans, their environment and the gods. Some rituals with the animals and the plants from this philosophy can be seen from tome to time in the temples inside the sanctuary.
There are three different temples at the Sanctuary. The Pura Dalem Agung, on the southest that is devoted to Shiva God. The Pura Beji which is close to a beautiful stream and you have to arrive by going down whith a wooden stars. This one is devoted to Gangga God which is a place of purifications and is usually used to espiritual and phisical clean. And the last on the Pura Prajapati which is close to a cemetery and was build in Hyang Widhi honour.
The Monkey forest offers different walking trails between the forest to see this temples and plenty of statues that are surrounded by the vegetation and the animals that live there.
For this little paths, one can get lost hours and hours by observin the macacs doing their everyday live among the statues and the temples.
More than 600 monkeys live on the forest, divided into different groups, each one at their territory. Sometimes the animals of different groups can get a fight into each-other. The caregivers feed them everyday with sweet potato, banana, papaya, corn, cucumber, coconut and other local fruits. Among all these they also run some constantly investigations to observe the social interaction between the monkeys and their environtment.
I am an animal lover, as you may already know, so I could have spend all day long wathing the animals and thir behaviour. However we had other places to go and a long day ahead.
Afer having an early lunch at the same restaurant as the other day, we took our motorbikes to start our 5 days trip around the north of Bali. If you want to continue reading about this click at The northern Bali. After this amazing days we came back to Ubud. Even though the small journey was amazing we kind of missed this magic city.
Goa Gajah Cave or Elephant Cave
As we came back from Amed we were supposed to stop by Goa Gajah cave. However we took too long travelling and we were a little bit tired, so we decided to go straight to the hotel and have a relaxing cup of tea at the swiming pool. This is a place I will definitely go if I come back to Bali someday.
Campuhan Ridge Walk
The next morning we woke up really fresh and new. The journey around the north of Bali made us really exhausted but the resting time at the guesthouse gave us enough strengh to keep going.
The plan for that day was to have an easy hiking through the Ridge Walk. It is located at the northwhest part of the city and starts at the entrance of the Warwick Ibah Villas. At first you will think you got it wrong but Once you have climbed up you will start liking the views. From the ridge of a a paved trail above the Ubud ricefields you will be able to see a panoramic view over the whole Ubud area.
The trail is paved and easy to follow. After about 1 kilometer you will arrive at the first buildings, starting with some cafes and warungs and eventually leading you to the village of Bangkian Sidem. I really liked the paintings of some artists that were leading the path to get to the village.
Apparently the Ridge Walk has a circular tour, however we were not able to find it so we turned back from the same road. Finally, after this early morning walk we went to the city center again, at Pasar Seni street to check among the different posibilities of souvenirs and buy a few of them.
With our hands full and our pockets empty, we went to have lunch. This time we changed to another restaurant close to our hotel, as we really wanted some western food. Later, we gave back our motorbikes, that has already accompained us for so long, and rested at swimming pool of our hotel, waiting for our transport to Sanur beach.
If you want to continue reading about the trip click to Nusa Penida Island. To know a little bit more about Bali click at The magic Bali Island.
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