Quiet paradise

Sarah Malik becomes a fan of Bali's cultural centre.

Ubud medicine man Ketut Liyer is reading my palm. He tells me I will be rich, fabulous and live till I am 100. My joy at this verdict is somewhat leavened by the over hearing of a similar prognosis for the American girls who preceded me.

I suspect the European girls who lounge quietly behind me in the spacious compound of Bali's most famous medicine man, immortalised in Elizabeth Gilbert's bestselling travelogue Eat Pray Love, may also get similarly encouraging predictions.

We Eat Pray Love fans seem to be strong in number and have no doubt been a great boon for the frail, elderly Balinese medicine man.

Ketut shows me his guest book, scrawled with the names of thousands of fellow pilgrims around the world no doubt led by EPL curiosity. He tells me his English is not so good and passes me a copy of the book, pointing out sections where his name is highlighted and asking me to read what it means.

I attempt unsuccessfully to explain the passages, hand over 250, 000 rupiah (about A$40) and thank Ketut for his trouble. Somebody tells me Julia Roberts is in town filming the screen version of the book. I wander through Monkey Forest Road where Elizabeth stayed, revelling in my fan girl/stalker status.

Ubud is about an hour's drive from the beaches of Kuta and Legian and is considered the cultural and spiritual heart of Bali. Littered with art, paintings, regular dance and play performances and host to a lively annual writer's festival, Ubud attracts a more discerning traveller than the hot coastal beaches and is perfect for those seeking to supplement a tropical holiday with some culture.

I meet a man who considers himself a shaman, see a healer who offers to clear my negative energies and get myself a massage every day. This is interspersed with dedicated lazing in the balmy weather drinking tropical juices at the many restaurants.

Hiring out a bicycle or motorbike for jaunts around town, visiting the Jazz Cafe on Jalan Sukma which hosts live music nightly and seeing a musical theatre performance, usually revolving around Hindu creation stories, are highlights.

Accommodation here is cheap, with rooms in the traditional Balinese style starting from as little as $10 a night. The locals seem grateful for the tourism, with many expressing unease at the drop of foreigners in recent years amid security fears. The art and grace of Balinese culture and hospitality is on display in many of the home- style boutique hotels where traditional extended family compounds expand into commercial rooms for tourists. As I get comfortable in my hammock I am loathe to leave this quiet paradise.