Blogs from Ubud, Bali, Indonesia, Asia - page 8

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Asia » Indonesia » Bali » Ubud May 23rd 2016

A visit to Ubud is not complete unless you visit the Scared Monkey Forest. The monkeys are mischievous and have been known to bite tourists. But, if you are calm and keep your items close at hand, your interaction with them can be quite pleasant.... read more
Pura Dalem Agung
Monkeys at the temple
Naughty Monkey

Asia » Indonesia » Bali » Ubud May 22nd 2016

As we departed from Gili T on boat toward Bali, all I could think of was the song from South Pacific...Bali Ha'i. The mythical, mystical island with its tranquil, hazy image of the smoothly sloping volcano on the horizon. Our next adventure takes us high into the interior to the city of Ubud. Rich in ancient history, dotted with Hindu temples, surrounded by rainforest and terraced rice paddies. It is steeped in culture, the center of tradition, crafts, and dance.... read more
Komaneka at Rasa Sayang
Komaneka - lobby
Komaneka - restaurant

Asia » Indonesia » Bali » Ubud March 31st 2016

Its been a while since the last travel post, because we have been literally posted in this one very special place - Ubud, Bali - for the past seven weeks. Ubud has become our home base in Asia for the past three years. My Indonesian language teacher once said to me "You go to Kuta (the beach) to play. You come to Ubud to learn." "Ubud", I am told, translates to mean "healing place". Balinese healing and devotedly active spirituality are fundamental to the Balinese, evidenced by numerous ceremonies, daily offerings, and daily spiritual practices that seem untainted by the arrival of western culture. Healers and seekers gravitate here from everywhere, and Ubud is a yoga capital currently hosting the ninth (?) annual Bali Spirit Festival that attracts a broad range of yoga, dance, and spiritual ... read more
And Yoga Practice Begins . . .
Yogi Stan - Ready for Practice
The Yoga Shala

Asia » Indonesia » Bali » Ubud March 27th 2016

Sunday 27th March 2016 Having had a great time in the beach area of Bali we had decided we’d mix things up a little and spend some time inland of Bali at a place called Ubud. Located only a 1-hour taxi ride from our hotel in Seminyak getting there was very easy and was quite a strange feeling leaving one area and arriving at the next by taxi. Usually our travel days consist of sweaty buses and hours of looking out of a window whereas this change was very smooth. We had booked into ‘Ubud City Hotel’ which was quite expensive compared to other places we’d slept on our travels. The room rate was almost £30 per night and was actually quite basic. I think we were paying for the location which was on the Monkey ... read more
View on the way down the volcano
Sunrise from mt Batur
Traditional Balinese dancers

Asia » Indonesia » Bali » Ubud March 20th 2016

I split a taxi with a couple from my van and headed to my hostel, a place called In Da Lodge. Right when we arrived it started pouring rain. We ran to reception. I checked in and was shown to my 6-bed dorm. I spent the first night hanging out in the common area. Everyone was German. All of the people. Germans. Three German girls and I went out to dinner at a place called The Yoga Place. I had some kind of tofu and lemongrass thing wrapped in a banana leaf, and it was one of the best food decisions I've ever made. When we got back, I met two guys, Rik (Dutch) and Matthew (Belgian) who were renting motorbikes the next day. I decided to join them. I got up around 8, had breakfast, ... read more
Temple Cave
Ubud
Rice Terraces

Asia » Indonesia » Bali » Ubud February 20th 2016

I had no idea what’s got into me but after I tendered my resignation, I was terrified of leaving the banking industry after 27 years. When my friend Rosina suggested that I went for a one week silent retreat in Ubud, it seemed like a great idea. Timing wise, it was perfect as I would not start the new job until a week later. I needed to clear my mind so that I could start fresh at the new workplace. So, off I went the next day. It was at Bali Usada’s office in Sanur I met a few other participants, most of whom were first timers. Arriving at Svarga Loka Resort later in the afternoon, I was relieved to see the decent looking resort located in the heart of Ubud. I had zero expectation and ... read more
The room at Svarga Loka
View from the meditation room
Room interior

Asia » Indonesia » Bali » Ubud February 8th 2016

From across Canada to across the world, I have been privileged to share your love, companionship, and your ever-present spirit of adventure for over four decades, from our first adventures together working and living in communities in remote Northern Saskatchewan, to exploring Canada from west coast to east coast, to visiting Hawaii, some central and west coast American States, as well as travelling through the Baja Peninsula and central Mexico in our non air-conditioned van long ago on our first out of country adventure. In more recent years, with our children grown and gone, and our careers completed, we have had the time to indulge our lifelong travel passions fully, Preferring always the richness that comes from a Passport full of stamps over a house full of things. And so we have visited many countries in ... read more
Chiang Mai, Thailand
Pai, Thailand
Bangkok, Thailand

Asia » Indonesia » Bali » Ubud November 24th 2015

Since I last updated my blog I've been up to a lot of fun stuff! My dive trip was great, it was just a day trip with two dives, there was only me diving with the one dive master (the rest of the people on the boat were snorkelling) so I was able to have him spend some time refreshing things with me (it had been almost 9 years since I last went diving!). I didn't have to memorize all the dive tables and depth calculations all over again luckily! But I did get a refresher on equipment and did jyst fine (took me a bit to get the right buoyancy and to breathe and swim calmly though). They were both drift dives along the side of a big drop off, so it was an easy ... read more
Happy diving day!
Sunset in Lovina
Sekumpol waterfalls

Asia » Indonesia » Bali » Ubud November 2nd 2015

Our last day in Ubud arrived and I felt a little sad about that. What a great week full of positive experiences, reflection, connections, exploration and delicious nutritious food. We spent our day very low-key. After our morning yoga class and making a new friend over breakfast, we rode out to the Ubud Chocolate Factory. We arrived at noon, only to discover that they close for lunch from noon to 1pm. It was still worthwhile seeing the building itself though: an impressive structure built entirely from bamboo. On our way back, we stopped at the gorgeous Alchemy cafe in Penestanan, another health food restaurant and shop. We had lunch at the famous Bali Buda restaurant. We were somewhat underwhelmed by the food we ordered, but it had a great vibe and I just loved reading the ... read more
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Asia » Indonesia » Bali » Ubud October 30th 2015

I woke up in agony. Riding over large potholes on a scooter with very questionable suspension wreaked havoc on my back. When it became too painful to even breathe, I decided to seek out a chiropractor who incidentally was from Melbourne. I felt so much more human following my treatment and we were able to go for a gentle walk and have lunch. We stumbled across the wonderful Warung Siri Bale, a lovely restaurant which supports a public healthcare foundation. As much as 70% of the funds come from the restaurant and meal purchased provides two healthcare consultations for the 27,000 thousand people that are cared for each year. The restaurant’s food, drink and atmosphere are fantastic, so please pay them a visit on your next trip to Bali. By the afternoon, I was desperate to ... read more
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