 Sanur, the charming and relaxing seaside resort.

Asia

Selamat Detang! Indonesia was born under a lucky travel star: amazing deep sea diving, treks along a volcano rim, exquisite landscapes as varied as virgin jungle and terraced rice paddies, a cuisine of a thousand flavours. There is no doubt that the innumerable attributes of this country will delight travellers … But a trip to Bali or to Indonesia, is not only the discovery of incomparable natural wonders, it is also an encounter with an extraordinary culture. It is the largest archipelago in the world, with 13,000 islands (some say up to 17,000!), it is also the fourth most populated country in the world with 240 million inhabitants. With ancient connections to India and China, and later with the Middle East, what was once a trade route quickly became a crossroad for cultural exchange. This history explains why there are still, to this day, many religious practices (Islam, Hinduism, Christianity and Animism), coexisting side by side in Indonesia.

Indonesia

Kelurahan Sanur

Small fishing village on Bali's north-eastern coast.

Amed

Jatiluwih is a small village in the centre of the island of Bali, where the inhabitants have carved beautiful rice terraces into the hillsides.

Banjar Jatiluwih Kawan

Denpasar is the main city of Bali island, it is to and from here that domestic and international flights land and take off.

Denpasar

Ubud is a really lovely town in the centre of Bali island of which it is said to be the cultural and artistic hub.

Bali

Ubud

Kazakhstan

Taiwan

Tajikistan

Turkmenistan

Europe

Central America

Africa

North America

South America

Middle East

Oceania

While in Bali, I made an old dream of renting a house in the middle of rice paddies come true. I did this in Ubud, in the magnificent rice paddies surrounding the town, my favourite place of all in Bali. Ubud is a town with gorgeous architecture, each house has a small altar in the garden and the small town looks like one gigantic temple. If the main streets are often congested with tourists, the many little side streets allow you to lose yourself in the twists and turns of the town. Ubud shelters a reserve , the monkey forest, in which many primates wander about in the midst of temples, climbing on you without a moment's hesitation if you brush past them, so mind your cameras! I suggest you also go and see, a little way from the town centre, Goa Gajah temple, cave dedicated to the god Ganesh and whose facade is superbly sculpted. A must-see town <a href="/indonesia/"> on your Bali itinerary </a>.

Ubud is a must-see stopping place. It is there that I was able to learn more about Balinese traditions and culture. I began my stay in Ubud with a walk through the paddy fields. I spent an entire afternoon there, marvelling over the vastness of these bright green landscapes and getting lost while following random paths. A breath of fresh air and an experience off the beaten track! (Provided that you choose your route well...) You should also visit the Ubud Monkey Forest: a natural reserve and complex of temples where I walked among many species of monkeys, which are at times playful and at other times thieving. As for the town centre, it is full of galleries and schools for dance, yoga, painting and sculpture. One thing is certain: you will not get bored in Ubud!

Ubud is the cultural and artistic capital of Bali.

I visited Ubud just after staying in Java, a neighbouring island. And I have to say the contrast was very marked. Java is peaceful and sensual, Ubudis the opposite. It started as soon as I arrived; I had to try several places before I got a hotel. But Ubud does have some charms, it's ideal if you want to <a href="https://www.evaneos.fr/ou-partir/idee-voyage-detente/">relax a bit during your trip </a> to Indonesia. Religion, which is much practiced in Bali, is omnipresent in the streets of Ubud - little offering altars on the roofs, the immaculate white clothes of the locals, and the sarongs, make it impossible for you to forget where you are. I strolled around the market and accepted an invitation to see a traditional dance show that evening, which I would enjoy after a meal looking at the superb view of Pura Saraswati, behind Cafe Lotus. As Ubud is in the heart of the Island of Gods, there are lots of things to visit in the area, beginning with the popular monkey forest, which I didn't go to as I preferred walking through the rice paddies and visiting temples like Tirta Empul at Gunung Kawi.

Ubud is a small town in the centre of Bali that is famous for its special, zen, atmosphere, and where you'll find lots of cafes, restaurants and art galleries, and everything that forms part of Balinese culture.

Ubud Vacations

Ubud: How to get there?

Ubud: See when to go ?

Ubud: For how long?

Ubud: What to see nearby?