24 hours in Ubud

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This was published 14 years ago

24 hours in Ubud

Heart of Bali ... a dancer in Ubud.

Heart of Bali ... a dancer in Ubud.Credit: Andrew Lubran/Lonely Planet

Ubud was settled by an eighth-century Javanese priest who sensed an aura of holiness in the area. An hour inland yet worlds apart from the bustling hype of Denpasar, Ubud remains Bali's cultural and spiritual heartland where ceremony and tradition sit alongside world-class spas and health retreats. There's a large expatriate art community and each of Ubud's 14 mountain villages has its own specialty. The best way to explore is with a driver; it's as cheap as ... nasi goreng.

8am

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Go bananas with the roaming monkeys at the sacred Hindu Monkey Forest Sanctuary. The long-tailed Balinese macaques protect the nature reserve and temple, which is owned and operated by local villagers. Admission is Rp15,000 ($1.80).

Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary, Jalan Monkey Forest, Padangtegal, Ubud. Daily, 8am-6pm.

9am

Named after "ubad", the Indonesian word for medicine (there is an abundance of curative plants grown in the surrounding forests), Ubud has a history of alternative therapies and holistic well-being. So congregate with the hippies for a vegan breakfast of organic walnut and spelt pancakes at the local restaurant and health food institution, Bali Buddha Cafe. The downstairs health food store offers alternative therapies and organic baked goods such as chai cookies and yoghurt scones. Check the noticeboard for details on yoga and reflexology workshops.

Bali Buddha Cafe, Jalan Jembawan No.1 (in front of the post office), +62 (0) 361 978 963, open daily 7am-10pm, see www.balibuddha.com.

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10am

Wander down the main road of Jalan Raya Ubud to the chaotic Ubud market but be careful not to step on the spiritual offerings of incense, rice and flowers strewn along the sidewalk. Bargain hard – locals expect it – for traditional handcrafts such as batik scarves, woven Balinese boxes, bamboo carvings and silver jewellery. Don't miss the fresh food section for snake fruit and other exotic produce. Peel back the rind on tropical mangosteens for a sweet and juicy segmented centre.

11am

Swap commotion for culture across the road at Ubud's royal palace, Puri Saren Agung (free entry). The palace was Ubud's first hotel in the 1930s and is now inhabited by descendants of the last king. The inner courtyard is peppered with traditional pavilions decked with ornate furniture.

Ubud Royal Palace, corner of Jalan Raya Ubud and Monkey Forest Road (opposite Tourist Information in the centre of town).

11.30am

Three hundred metres up the road is Museum Puri Lukisan (admission Rp10,000), home to the largest collection of paintings and woodcarvings from Bali's modernist era (1930s-1942). Founded by the Prince of Ubud and Dutch artist Rudolf Bonnet in 1954, these visionaries are still celebrated for putting Balinese artistry on the map. Don't be fooled by the rubble at the entrance. Follow the outdoor staircase to the tranquil grounds that house three small buildings showcasing the permanent and temporary exhibitions set amid lotus ponds and gardens.

Museum Puri Lukisan, Yayasan Ratna Wartha, open daily 8am-4pm (excluding Balinese holidays), see museumpurilukisan.com.

1pm

Feel the breeze of the cooler mountainous climate on the half-hour drive to the sublime 10-hectare Como Shambhala Estate. In January, heavy floods caused the collapse of an important thoroughfare bridge, so an alternative route winds through rice paddies and farms. Embrace the rusticity because Como Shambhala is anything but. The health retreat combines holistic well-being with luxurious facilities. Drop-ins aren't welcome so book a treatment in advance at the relaxing Ojas spa, where an hour-long traditional Indonesian massage costs Rp800,000. Follow this with lunch at restaurant Glow. Overseen by Neil Perry prodigy Chris Miller, the open-air restaurant overlooks the jungle and dramatic Ayung Gorge. In addition to cooked options, the menu offers raw delights such as carrot and daikon wraps filled with nut and carrot pate and mango salsa (Rp190,000).

Como Shambhala Estate at Begawan Giri, +62 (0) 361 978 888, see cse.como.bz.

4pm

The architect-designed Gaya Fusion is an open-air restaurant, villa and not-for-profit gallery. Considered Bali's leading contemporary exhibition space, its artists have represented Indonesia at the Venice Biennale. Up the road is Gaya Ceramic and Design, where Italian owner Marcello creates handcrafted ceramics for the likes of Armani Casa, Zara and Bulgari. There's a limited collection on sale but ask for a tour of the production "tent" to see where the magic happens. Feeling inspired? There are ceramic workshops, too.

Gaya Fusion (open daily 9am-10pm) and Gaya Ceramic and Design (open Monday-Friday, 8.30am-5pm; Saturday, 8.30am-1pm), Jalan Raya Sayan, +62 (0) 361 979 252, see gayafusion.com.

5pm

Join the expats and locals for afternoon cocktails at the informal roadside warung (small shop), Naughty Nuri's, where owner Brian and his wife, Nuri, serve ribs and martinis. Don't be put off by the rough wooden tables and smoky interior – it's part of the cheap and cheerful charm. A serve of spare ribs costs about Rp30,000.

Naughty Nuri's Warung, Jalan Raya Sanggingan (across the road from Neka Museum), open daily 9am-late.

8pm

If you can still walk in a straight line, fine-dining French-cum-Indonesian restaurant Mozaic is nearby. The only restaurant in South-East Asia to be recognised by the prestigious Les Grande Tables du Monde, the menu is extensive and dishes are flavoured with fresh ingredients from the restaurant's on-site herb garden. Try everything with the degustation menu (from Rp750,000, including wine and dessert). If you have room, the adjoining lounge offers post-dinner cocktails.

Mozaic, Jalan Raya Sanggingan, see mozaic-bali.com.

Garuda flies to Denpasar non-stop from Melbourne for $643 and $649 from Sydney (low-season return, including taxes). Jetstar has a one-way fare from Melbourne, including tax, for $389 (some flights require an aircraft change in Darwin or Sydney). Sydney passengers pay $375. Australians require a visa, available on arrival. Cost is $US25 ($30) for eight to 30 days, $US10 for one to seven days.

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