Visitors to Bali looking for an alternative to Kuta, Seminyak, Sanur or Nusa Dua, need look no further. Ubud is close by, but on an entirely different direction than those other places. The temple dances, upacara and costumes are taken more seriously in Ubud than anywhere else in Bali. For the visitor interested in culture, this makes Ubud an irresistible location.
Recent Bali visitor Karyn Lindberg tells about her time in Ubud. Karyn stayed at Nick’s Pension. Friends of mine stayed in Nick’s Hidden Cottages, on Jl. Bisma (081 236 66954) a couple of years ago and it was also a good place. Central Ubud, even though ringed by busy roads, still has a central rice field area, which many guest houses on Jl. Hanuman and other hotels, back out on to.
During her Ubud stay, Karyn enjoyed watching ducks pick the worms from a rice field, shopping in the surrounding villages for artwork, river rafting, a trip to Kintamani, followed by a long leisurely bike ride back to Ubud and an assortment of other activities.
She mentions the duty free allowance for US visitors bringing goods home is $800. If you are bringing back stuff from Bali to sell in the US, get the vendor to write you another receipt, for less. Karyn has all the giddy newcomer excitement for Bali. A lot of what she says is true, however her tone might quieten a bit after going through some daily life exchanges, instead of the ‘tourist honeymoon’.
