Heading Inland to Bali’s Cultural Heart
We had an easy hour-and-a-half drive from Bingin Beach on the Bukit Peninsula to get up here to Ubud. The last time I visited Ubud was about 10 years ago, and while it was a really popular destination back then, it is so much more built up now. I cannot even begin to imagine what this one time oasis will look like another 10 years from now. Ubud is still incredibly green, stands as the true cultural heart of Bali, and is popular for a good reason. I just hope the town can keep the crowds at bay from overwhelming the one time serenity of this place.
The pace of life in Ubud is a a bit slower and a welcome contrast to the pure chaos in the south of the island. Most people spend their days here taking yoga classes, chilling out in the town’s funky, cool cafes, taking the occasional stroll through the surrounding rice fields, and getting pampered. It feels like every other storefront is a spa offering a full range of dirt-cheap massage treatments. Case in point: a one-hour Balinese massage sets you back about $8 USD. You better believe Barbie and I are taking full advantage of this sweet deal.
Barbie’s Best Day Ever
One of the most popular thing to do in town is visit the Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary. Make no mistake, this is not a zoo. This is a massive forest and temple complex where hundreds of monkeys just roam completely free. Watching them play, fight, and interact with humans is a real trip.
You can buy bananas right there to feed them, and when you look these guys in the eyes, it’s wild—they are just like human beings. Barbie absolutely loves animals, and she flat-out told me this was the best day of her life. She was like a kid in a candy store. In fact, when it was finally time to leave, she was practically kicking and screaming. So, long story short: it looks like we are heading right back to play with the monkeys again today.
The Ubud Quick Stats
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Top Restaurants: Murni’s Warung, Cafe Wayan, Bebek Bengil, Nomad’s, Clear Cafe, Kafe, Sari Organik, Semesta Warung, Tropical View Cafe, Seniman Coffee. (We unfortunately didn’t make it to the highly-rated Locavore because they were completely booked up—book ahead if you come here!). Note, many restaurants open and close here so this list can quickly become outdated.
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Beaches Visited: 0. Ubud is right in the center of Bali, so there are zero beaches to report. Just beautiful rivers and super green ricefields cutting through the lush forests.
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Loose Stools Index: Started at a rough 5, but things are progressively getting more solid and we’ve officially moved up to a 6. Progress!
Thru the Binocs: The “Bun Gun” Revolution
They have “bun guns” in almost every single bathroom in Bali. If you’ve never seen one, it’s basically a short hose with a spray trigger attached next to the toilet that you use to blast your butt clean post-crap. It’s their version of a bidet, but honestly, it’s way more efficient and user-friendly.
It’s also a highly sustainable way to go about your business since you don’t really need toilet paper at all. For the life of me, I cannot understand why these “bun guns” haven’t taken over the United States yet. It’s a game-changer.
Big Doug & Barbie Drop Out of Society 