Retreat in Ubud, Bali, Indonesia

On my 3rd Day in Bali I traveled north side to spend a night in beautiful Ubud. I decided to spend a night here mainly because of Eat, Pray, Love movie. I wanted to see if its really as beautiful as Julia Roberts showcased it in her movie. I was also looking forward to see Ketut Liyer, the sooth sayer also in Julia's movie and wander in the town rice field while riding a bike. Problem is I'm not good in riding a bike so I scratched that last part and just walked downtown. 

How to get there? 

From Kuta, the travel time to Ubud is approximately 1hr and costs 60,000 Rupiah. Perama Travel & Tours is one the major bus companies to Ubud so I booked their service and would likely to recommend to other travellers. They provide free coffee for guest  in their garden lobby and a Bali Travel guide booklet. The little buses that they use are spacious with good airconditon. 

Where I stayed?

I booked an overnight stay in a Deluxe Room in Agung Raka Resort through www.adoda.com for P1,430 Pesos. The resort has 2 beautful pools, a restaurant and free transfers to Ubud Center and vice versa. The room that I got has 4-poster bed frame #goals and a bath tub which was a little outdated but clean. I would likely to recommend the resort because of their amenities and service. 

The infinity pool is located near the newer rooms and restaurant. The old pool (top) has a bar but no longer functions. 

Where I ate?

 

SeraHati restaurant was my go-to in Ubud. The food is cheap and delicious. I tried their Chicken Curry, Strawberry Milkshake and their special version of Nasi Campur Ayam. 

35,000 Rupiah

50,000 Rupiah

Must try!! A dish consist of a rice with small portions of a number of other dishes, which includes meats, vegetables, peanuts, eggs and fried-shrimp.

Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary (40,000 Rupiah)

I  am not a fan of monkeys but I said to myself why not give it a try.  

Oh they just love b-a-n-a-n-a 😍 

You can buy banana inside the forest and hand-feed the monkeys but be very careful because they can be really aggressive. The vendors will assist you in case you want a photo taken with the monkeys. 

Walking around the forest feels like stepping into the set of the movie, Planet of the Apes. I haven't seen that many monkeys in one place my entire life and it was scary at first but I got used to seeing them walking along the street and suddenly swings from one tree to another. At one point a monkey was climbing up my bag to reach for my monopod but he quickly went down when I caught him and gave him a stare.  Be mindful of the dangling items from your bag, hat, cameras or whatever you have with you because the monkeys will definitely take them away from you. 

Padatengal Great Temple of Death. One of the the three temples inside the Sacred Monkey forest.

The Beji Temple, the second temple inside the forest. There is a spring if you walk a little further at the ride side of the temple. I searched my phone for the photo of the third temple but I can't find it. Bummer. The third temple is called Pura Prajapati with a monkey cemetery next to it. 

Julia Roberts was biking around this pond. 

I've always thought that monkeys hate water or taking a bath but I saw a group of them swinging and swimming in the pond. They looked like kids in a swimming pool. Crazy funny. 

Ubud Palace

This historical palace housed the royal family and is now used for Kechak Dance Shows.

Stage inside the palace.

Ubod Market

There are tons of items sold here. From souvenirs, traditional clothing, sarong, paintings, spices and a lot more. I bought myself an "i heart bali" tote bag, and a traditonal wrap around silk pants for 40,000 Rupiah each. It was a bargain thanks to my haggling skills. I also bought bracelets for 1,000Rupiah/pc, too bad it tarnished after putting sunblock. 

Liyer House

This is the famous place Julia visited to seek love and life advise. This is located near my hotel so I walked my way to get here. I used google maps to make sure I don't get lost. 

The inside looks different now from how it was in the movie. Its more congested and construction was also made. The original ketut wasn't around because he's now busy managing his resort hotel.  Good for him. 

After ketut I went back to my hotel to freshen up, check out and then headed to Perama bus terminal to catch the last transfer back to Denpasar to catch my flight out of Bali. My flight doesn't leave till early morning the next day so I just slept at the airport. 

Sleeping at their airport was a bad idea. I was saving money yes but it was no fun. You can't get inside the departure area unless its an hour before your flight. You'll have to stay at the waiting area where there is no aircondition and many mosquitoes so bring your repellants. 

Other things to do:

-Tegalalang Rice Terraces

-Campuhan Ridge Walk

-White Water Rafting

-Goa Gaja Cave

-Pura Tirta Empul Temple

-Mt. Batur

I tried to visit the same places Julia visited and all of them looks as beautiful as in the movie and even more. The laid-back feel and serenity of the place allows you to just really relax and not think about work or any shit stuff in the world. Ubud is a very beautiful place and I wish I could've stayed longer. So when you visit Ubud, just walk around and chill at any bar, enroll to a Yoga class, chat with other tourist and share stories and just enjoy your time. Meditate. Reflect. Pray. You only live once.