Ubud, one of Bali spiritual center, I was definitely feeling a different type of vibes over here. I will be staying for a full week and even upon arrival it just feels different.
I believe I have found a bit of myself over there, you can do many creative activity in Ubud like creating silver jewelry, doing art, cooking classes, yoga stuff, meditation. For me it was about discovering the culture here, a little bit of the history of the art.
Went on a few walks around the rice feel which felt like a mediation by myself surrounded by nature. I would highly recommend to spend at least a few days here if you plan on coming to Bali.
I can also be a base if you want to do activities not too fare away like Mont Batur, waterfalls, the gate of heaven ect..
Goodbye Kuta, for now
My last day for the moment in Kuta was centered around the beach and went into the sea, since I am traveling solo, going swimming at the beach requires a bit more logistics so you can keep your stuff safe around you. Either you have to bring nothing if your hotel is close to the beach but most likely you will still need a bit of cash, your phone.
For this time I rented a long chair for half a day and you can leave your stuff, their is usually always someone around, if you really have valuable you can ask them to keep your bag if you plan on going swimming for a long period of time which in Kuta isn't recommended anyway as the currents are dangerous and dry strong.
It is best to be extra careful because even the best swimmer get caught off guard, technically most of the beach is Red flag meaning no swimming but you can always see people ignoring the signs and going in anyway.
When over there you wrongly assume that it is safe because the wave don't look that bad but when your not touching the ground, the currents do pull you into the see and fast.
Come to Bali but stay safe.
Moving to Ubud using Grab Car
Grab is really my go to app for transport around Indonesia, you get a fix price and GPS location so you can't go wrong. Grab drivers are always very nice and will probably leave you there number for later if you hint that you might need a car or transfer to go somewhere. I have found out that most of the time it isn't really worth unless you really want that person as they will quote you higher price then grab and probably settle for a similar normal peak rate.
When I have to do long distance, I try to check the price and out it moves during a given day to get an accurate estimate and knowing when to book based on market offer. It is still very cheap relative to Europe or the US, For nearly 90 mins of driving from Kuta to Ubud, it probably costed me less then $20-25 USD which is more then acceptable even if you book a car alone for yourself and your bag.
This is the image of my first Airbnb in Indonesia (been using hostelworld and booking until then), I had quite a nice balcony with coach and table. Also the room was a standard double bed with bathroom, AC and a small desk which was useful for being on my laptop, planning things and writing articles.
Picture of rice fields on a walking Path around Ubud.
Conclusion
It is very easy to more around Bali, if I was to do that trip again from the beginning, I wouldn't plan as much of it and stay really flexible because you can find last minute good deals on anything, especially accommodation at this period October/November which is the end of the season and lots of rooms are empty. Also since it is so easy to to a Grab or a Taxi for cheap and last minute you don't need to worry about booking transport. The only thing to plan is maybe more expensive tours so you can compare the different agencies and review them as that will make your trip more enjoyable then blind luck of answer to a guy asking you on the street if you want a tour.
Bonus tip: Monkey forest if one of the default activity you do in Ubud, you will see it in my next article, if you go, go for the opening time early in the morning, you will avoid the crowds and busses that come about an hour after. You can have the monkeys all for yourself.
PS: I am making this post just before heading to bed, another long day of travel and I haven't posted in a week so I have some catching up to do, it might be a bit shorter then usual but I try to keep some nice pictures in and doing a bit of writing. See you next time for the next one.
Also it is nice to see growth on the Hive price, maybe we finally get that alt coin bull market going.
Walt.
Explore the Journey So Far:
- 🐪 WaltInAsia 05 - Day 10 Kuta, Sanur and camel ride
- 📍 WaltInAsia 04 - Pool and Sunset in Kuta, Bali
- ✈️ WaltInAsia 03 - Flight from Jakarta to Bali
- 🛍️ WaltInAsia 02 - Tour of markets and Malls in Jakarta
- 🗺️ WaltInAsia 01 - End of first week in Jakarta, Indonesia
- 🛫 WaltInAsia 00 - Preparation and flight review to Jakarta