How to have a sensory treat in Ubud, Bali

Bali is known as the surfing capital of Indonesia but the Bali I know is more than that.

Ubud, an hour away from downtown Bali, affords visitors a complete sensory treat. Find out those sensory treats as you read my travel tips...

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• wanderlust
• an eye for beauty - whether it's the performing arts, architecture or nature's wonders
• beach body
• sunscreen/sunblock
• mosquito repellant lotion or bug spray (check out my link below to order online)

1. 
    
   Jimbaran Beach

   Pamper yourself in a spa. This is not your everyday spa where you are confined in an immaculately clean, posh room with city views and fake potted plants.
   
   You can have a massage by the sea and be lulled to sleep by the sound of the crashing waves. Be refreshed by fresh tropical fruit juice or coconut juice, the warm sun kissing your skin and the cool sea keeping you misty. After the treatment, they tuck a bunga (a Balinese flower) behind your ear!
   
   Or you can have the traditional Balinese massage as you view a lush rice farm with birds chirping nearby.

2. 
    
   Jimbaran Bay's Seaside Restaurant

   Let the myriad flavors of traditional Balinese cooking explode in your mouth. Set aside your utensils away as you don't need them to crack the crabs open or peel the prawns out of their shells. Take your pick from the many seaside restaurants that dot Jimbaran bay.
   
   If you want to bring home a taste of Bali food, why not learn in the many cooking schools in Ubud?

3. 
    
   Imitating macaque movements with gamelan accompaniment

   Wake up to the sound of the crashing waves, the rhythmic beating of the gamelan or the chirping birds. Watch the sun rise in a seaside temple. See macaques swinging in the trees in a palace specially built for them.

4. 
    
   Dagger looks, long fingernails of Balinese dancers

   Notice the flirtatious and dagger looks of Balinese ladies as men play with fire and beat their chests to the sound of the drums. With the dance set in an open-air palace, it seemed like you're one of the guests in a lavish feast for the king. Be in the spotlight as the moon beams on you. Let the wind whisper it's lifelong message to you.

5. 
    
   Balinese architecture

   Watch artisans carve ornate doors and cornices. These intricate woodwork adorn every building in Bali. Buy paintings from local artists in a nearby pasar or market.

6. 
    
   Surf boards and bathing suits anyone?

   Surf the ever-famous waves in Kuta, Bali. Hey, even Ronald Mc Donald's statue here balances on a surf board. So what are you waiting for? Learn the sport and have the greatest sensory treat in this tropical paradise!

Tips & Warnings

• Fly from Jakarta (capital of Indonesia) to Bali via Air Garuda or Air Asia.
• A one-hour taxi ride from the Kuta, Bali, can be hired to go to Ubud. Ask the driver to take you down the artisans' route or the crafts stores going to Ubud and to take you to the Monkey Palace on the way back to Kuta. Also, you can opt to have a homestay in Ubud if frolicking in the beach and surfing do not interest you as much as the arts.
• Macaques are precocious animals so don't feed them as they might snatch anything you have in your hand, even if it's not food.
• Don't forget your sunscreen and sunblock.
• As the dances are held in an open-air palace at night, apply a mosquito repellant lotion on your skin.

Resources

• Air Asia
• Garuda Indonesia

[ruf1950]

on 10/2/2009 If I ever go to Ubud, Bali, I think I'll know how to search for my sensory treat! Descriptive article; well done! 5*

[judymasse]

on 9/28/2009 Sounds Great!

[tesora]

on 9/13/2009 I loved Ubud. I too can highly recommend travel to Bali. Thanks for reminding me of a wonderful trip.

[jasminemars]

on 8/30/2009 This gives me the travel bug. Love the way you describe this city. Your article is a sensory treat itself! 5*

[looptheloop]

on 8/29/2009 Thank you.