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Ubud’s Pragmatic Magic...
There is something special, almost magical, about Ubud.
Bali is a tropical paradise where ancient traditions have continued for centuries - an island like few places on earth, combining natural beauty, an intense concentration of color, music, history, myth, hospitality, and spiritual practices. You will meet a remarkable people of beauty, peace and goodwill who live their lives with deep respect for each other, their community, their elders, ancestors and children and a keen awareness of balance in their lives.
Only an hour north of the intensity of Kuta and the trendy scene in Legian and Seminyak, Ubud is a unique little town that keeps visitors returning again and again.
Long known as a cultural and artistic centre, Ubud began to attract international artists, musicians and writers in the 1930s. These days it balances rustic charm with designer elegance, offering products, accommodation, and spa and dining experiences for every taste and pocketbook.
What is so engaging about Ubud? It's a quirky little town that manages to balance its traditional values with long-term tourism. This is a town of traditional Balinese who have, over several generations, learned to accommodate the needs of a wide variety of international travelers. The souvenir shops, cafes and hotels co-exist in harmony with traditional ceremonies, offerings, ritual art and classical dance and music. Sometimes it seems like Tourism Central. A moment later everything will shut down for an important ceremony.
That's the paradox of Ubud.
Surrounded by ancient rice terraces, Ubud is located on the flanks of the mountains that divide Bali into a distinct north and south. Cooler and quieter than the frenetic south, Ubud has become a haven for travelers who want to escape the intensity of the southern beaches and nightspots for a more authentic Bali. Because despite the compromises Ubud has made to meet tourist and expatriate needs, it remains a deeply traditional Balinese Hindu town where religion and community take precedence.
That said, Ubud also offers some of the best shopping and dining in Southeast Asia.
A traditional centre for the arts, Ubud is a forum for world-class painters, wood and stone carvers and mask-makers. The boutiques and shops spill over with unique handicrafts, garments, textiles and jewellery of international design rendered in indigenous materials.
The citizens of Ubud live their culture with every breath.
Tourism has not touched the traditional ceremonies, although visitors are welcome to attend and record these events if they dress and behave with respect. Daily offerings are distributed around every home, shop and restaurant, with tiny girl children gravely mirroring the graceful gestures and prayers of their mothers.
Once the offerings are made, Ubud opens for business. This is a centre for all the best arts and crafts from around the Indonesian archipelago. Check out the vast selection of carefully chosen crafts at Tegun Galeri on Jalan Hanoman.
In Ubud you'll also find unique gifts, jewellery and home wares by international designers rendered from beautiful local materials -- wood, stone, shell, silver, textiles and much more. These lovely crafts keep traditional techniques alive and generate income at the community level while meeting international standards of quality and style.
Ubud also offers an astonishing range of fabulous food. Restaurants range from the internationally renowned French/American to humble warungs serving delicious local fare. In between you will find Fusion, Thai, Mediterranean, Greek, Japanese, Indonesian, Belgian, Indian, vegan and yes, Norwegian. Check out the famouse Kafe, on Jalan Hanoman or The Bali Buddha. Several cooking schools provide the opportunity to explore the unique Balinese cuisine, which is seldom offered in restaurants.
Ubud is home to Nur Salon, one of Bali's earliest traditional spas, or Bali Taksu, co-created by the same family but with a modern flair. Today the town offers a wide variety of exotic spa experiences to suit every price range. Pamper yourself with an unforgettable Flower Bath, Cream Bath or Balinese Massage.
For the up-market traveler, Ubud's fabulous boutique hotels offer a combination of luxury, culture and cuisine often featured in top travel magazines. Beautifully situated, conceived by international designers and staffed by charming, well-trained villagers, these resorts are like no others in the world.
One of the greatest pleasures of Ubud is just walking around. Smile at the Balinese and they will smile back. Flirt with a baby and the whole street will smile at you. Hang out at a cafe, admire an old man's fighting cock, buy a snack from a woman with a basket of local delicacies on her head. Embrace the energy of Ubud and it will genuinely embrace you back.
After dark you can linger over dinner or attend one of the many traditional dances, then move on to the Jazz Café and Exiles for a little dancing of your own before the lights go out at 11. You won't mind. Early morning roosters and temple bells will remind you that you're in a real Balinese town, not an artificial tourist environment.
When it's time to leave, you'll wonder where the days have gone. And as you're driven to the airport past verdant rice fields and ancient temples, you'll already be planning your next journey to savour Ubud's pragmatic magic.
"Copyright Cat Wheeler 2004."
The Sacred Monkey Forest
The Sacred Monkey Forest of Padangtegal is owned by the village of Padangtegal. Village members serve on the Sacred Monkey Forest's governing council (The Padangtegal Wenara Wana Foundation). The Padangtegal Wenara Wana Foundation has historically strived to develop and implement management objectives that will both maintain the sacred integrity of the monkey forest and promote the monkey forest as a sacred site that is open to visitors from around the world.
In 1986, only 800 people per month (on average) were visiting the Sacred Monkey Forest of Padangtegal. Today, it is not uncommon for the monkey forest to host 10,000 visitors per month. Although the Padangtegal Wenara Wana Foundation welcomes the fact that a growing number of tourists are choosing to visit the Sacred Monkey Forest of Padangtegal, the Padangtegal Wenara Wana Foundation also recognizes that tourism can have negative impacts on the monkey forest's natural and cultural resources.
As a result, some of the primary objectives of the Padangtegal Wenara Wana Foundation include:
- Educating people about the importance of conserving the Sacred Monkey Forest's natural and cultural resources.
- Maintaining a team of highly trained staff members that are responsible for overseeing the daily operations of the Sacred Monkey Forest.
- Monitoring and whenever necessary restoring the integrity of the Sacred Monkey Forest's natural and cultural resources.
The Padangtegal Wenara Wana Foundation would like to welcome you as a visitor to the Sacred Monkey Forest of Padangtegal. If you have any questions or need assistance, please ask a Wenara Wana staff member (identified in green uniforms). Currently, the entrance fee that visitors pay represents the primary source of funding for Padangtegal Wenara Wana Foundation natural and cultural resource management projects. The Padangtegal Wenara Wana Foundation requests that you help keep the visitor entrance fee nominal by respecting the sacredness of the Monkey Forest of Padangtegal, obeying all posted rules, and following the instructions of Wenara Wana staff members. In addition, if you enjoy your visit to the Sacred Monkey Forest, the Padangtegal Wenara Wana Foundation hopes that you will consider providing an additional monetary contribution (which will help the Padangtegal Wenara Wana Foundation to fund projects associated with the conservation of of the Sacred Monkey Forest's natural and cultural resources). Contributions can be made at the monkey forest's main office (located at the monkey forest's main entrance). |
| If you would like to read more about Bali, see the Balispirit.com for more information. * When you click, Balispirit.com will open into another window.. |
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