Ubud: A Photo Essay

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I wasn’t planning on returning to Ubud so soon after my 2017 visit, but my friends Ryan and Anthony were getting married there, and my friend Trixie was also attending the wedding, so we decided to make a trip out of it. As this was my fifth time in Ubud, I didn’t really try to see or do many new things... I just let Ubud suck me in as always. So, here are some photos - with commentary - about what I did and saw in and around Ubud.

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Photos

My Home Away From Home
This is the fourth time I have stayed at Santra Putra. Karja and Made are great hosts. I am so fortunate to have found this place.
Travel tip: Book early. The Lonely Planet lists Santra Putra as a preferred accommodation and it fills up fast.

Penestanan
One of my favorite activities is to simply wander around Penestanan, where I have stayed on my last four visits. Much of Penestanan cannot be reached by car, and there are many footpaths like this one that go alongside padi fields. There’s always water flowing through the drains. This particular path is my favorite as it leads to Bintang Supermarket, where I buy fruit and snacks.

Penestanan
Close up of rice grains that will soon be ready to harvest. Rice is such a labor intensive process, as evidenced by the many hunchbacked women I saw in Tana Toraja (less so in Bali). As an Asian, there is something so comforting about a bowl of fluffy rice. Too bad carbs are the devil.

Penestanan
One of the paths that went through the village. It’s just so green there, and everything is arranged in such an aesthetically pleasing manner.

Penestanan
Banana flower.

Penestanan
Kitty snoozing on the front steps at one of the local restaurants.

Penestanan
This dog seemed very interested in the water flowing through the drain below him.

Penestanan
Table arrangement at Yellow Flower Restaurant. Many establishments feature pretty table arrangements such as these.

Penestanan
The folks at Sena Bungalow have a cottage industry going. There, they produce drinking straws made of bamboo.

Penestanan
Meet Milo, the resident pooch st Sena Bungalow. He shed all over me.

Campuhan
This art gallery close to Bintang Supermarket has a devil-like statue and golden boob-like sculptures on the wall next to it.

Campuhan
I love these creepers.

The Wedding
The happy couple. Unfortunately, the lighting wasn’t great from where I was sitting, so this is the best shot I have, even with photo editing. I met Ryan (left) on an aviation geek site and we became fast friends. When Ryan emigrated to Adelaide, I introduced him to Trixie, and she helped him get established.

The Wedding
The wedding venue was a rather out-of-the-way villa northwest of Ubud. It was tucked away behind a village. The village dance troupe was co-opted to perform for the wedding guests.

The Wedding
A boy performing the warrior dance.

Gunung Kawi
The day after the wedding, Ryan and Anthony invited us to lunch at their villa. We decided to hire a car and driver for the day. Our first stop was Gunong Kawi, located in the village of Tampaksiring, north of Ubud.

Gunung Kawi
Gunong Kawi is an 11th century monument featuring these candi carved into the rock face. One feels like Indiana Jones when approaching this site. It is easily one of the most awe inspiring sights I have been to.

Gunung Kawi
To get to the candi, visitors have to descend more than 200 steps.

Gunung Kawi
While going up and down the steps. Visitors are treated to pretty rice terraces.

Gunung Kawi
This woman was washing her baskets in the irrigation channel.

Gunung Kawi
This irrigation channel brings water to the rice fields.

Comments

[D MJ Binkley]

Adorable
Pure joy

[Siewch]

Adorable Indeed!
Yes, I suspect this pup has a good life!

[alex waring]

Photo Essay
Wow, a truly unique way of writing a blog, and very well done Siewch! Thank you for bringing Ubud to life for me through this. I spent three nights in Bali in 2007, but unfortunately saw nothing of it as I became so sick that I only got to see the inside of my hotel room. Thank you for opening up a bit of Bali for me, it looks beautiful! ?

[Siewch]

Ubud
On my first trip in 1993, there were rice fields in the middle of town. Ubud is now way commercialized and crowded. The villages on the periphery are still very pleasant, though. Give it a try. Maybe go during Galungan, or when a major cremation is planned. I watched a 20+ person cremation back in 1993 and it was one of the highlights of that trip!