Ubud - Bali's cultural heart - attracts a high number of travelers who wish to discover Balinese culture and embark on a spiritual journey.
When we arrived in Ubud I was surprised about the number of tourists but somehow it did not bother me as it would have in other places.
Ubud has this magic touch; I could feel the positive energy flowing in the place. There are small temples everywhere and I could sense a triangle of connection between humans, nature and something spiritual.
My friend Zully and I had planned on spending four nights in Ubud but we ended up extending our stay. We loved everything: our gorgeous hotel Ubad Retreat, all the warm Balinese smiles welcoming us everywhere we went, the delicious food, the peaceful temples, the rice paddies, the tranquil nature, shopping at the market and the general vibe of the place.
On the first day we went crazy on shopping, on the second day we went crazy on massages and the following days we immersed ourselves in the beautiful surrounding nature and temples.
UBUD PALACE
It’s a peaceful bubble in the middle of the buzzing little town, a magnificent temple surrounded by a lotus lake.
TRADITIONAL BALINESE DANCE SHOW
Balinese music is very vibrant and the dancers had an incredible talent in absorbing the music and express it through their moves and facial expressions.
TEGALALANG RICE TERRACES
We met a lovely couple of travelers and decided to get lost together on our scooters. We eventually reached the Tegalalang rice terraces. There were a lot of people as we arrived but once we started walking around, we barely crossed paths with anyone.
I loved the views and being surrounded by so much greenery; it was quite warm so at the end we cooled down with a drink of coconut water.
TIRTA EMPUL, BALI HOT SPRING TEMPLE
This Balinese Hindu temple has spring water that is used as holy water for various Hindu ceremonies, many people come here to get blessed.
GUNUNG KAWI
Gunung Kawi is an 11-Century temple and funerary complex. This place was stunning, we walked down to arrive to the ruins, and explored the temple and its surroundings. We ended the trip by cooling down in a river.
To sum it up, Ubud gave both Zully and I to just slow down and take in all the beauty that we found. Here are the best things you can do while in this magical town:
Wander around.
Get lost.
Smile back.
Slow down.
Buy yourself a gift.
Get too many massages.
Eat tasty food.
Get into deep conversations with your soul sister.
Have a drink or two. Or six.
