All About Bali

It has been the stamping ground of Bali ‘s earliest dynasties in recorded history. It is here that the first great lines of Hindu Zed Kings established themselves. Pejeng was the center of power until the early 14th century, when the last line of Warmadewa was defeated by Majapahit Empire, Under Gajah Mada , in 1343. The two rivers, Petanu and Pakerisan, have been storing series of ancient historical remains along the banks, such as temples, meditation cells, baths and other monuments.

PURI LUKISAN / GALLERY
The Museum Lukisan Ratna Warta, usually called the Puri Lukisan (the palace of paintings), was opened in 1953. Set amongst a restful sculpture garden, this museum contains a magnificent collection of modern Balinese paintings and sculptures, chosen under the discerning eye of the Dutch artist, Rudolf Bonnet (1895 – 1978), over the years since he first arrived in Bali .

CELUK
Balinese jewellery is unique, and Celuk is the home of much of it. Nearly every family in Celuk is involved in some aspects of the delicate gold and silver work, which has become very famous over the years.

MAS VILLAGE
Mas is a village specializing in woodcarvings of any kind. Most of the prominent wood carvers of Bali dwell in the village, producing elaborate and fine woodcarving and this is where they teach the young generation to carve by imitating the master carvers.

BATUBULAN
Just outside of Denpasar on the road to Ubud, is a small village where stone statues line the roadside in an impressive array. Terrible fanged demons, noble warriors, and animals of all shapes and size and at all stages of completion rest under the shady trees.

UBUD
Famous for its painter’s community, Ubud is special in more ways than one. It has its own magic, and its particularly beautiful surroundings and gracious way of life have drawn celebrities and artists from all over the world in recent decades; some have even adopted Ubud as their own home. The magic is easy to find – just take a walk south of the village through its terraced paddy fields to the monkey forest. Fresh water spouts out of the sheer rock at the base of the ravine, and a bath in a secluded shady spot is purifying.

GOA GAJAH
Literally means Elephant cave, and it is a “T” shapped cave. This was an ancient monastery of Hindu and Buddhist monks who used to meditate in the cave. It is believed that the cave was built in the early 11th century. Its face is elaborately carved, depicting a demon head splitting open the rock with its bare hand at the mouth of the cave.

BALI BIRD PARK
The Taman Burung Bird Park Situated in Batubulan, is home to more than thousand birds (250 exotic bird species) from Indonesia and all over the world. It is set in Two hectares magnificent gardens filled with tropical plants, water features and spectacular rain forest in aviary. Also see the famous komodo dragon. Has restaurant for visitors to interact with nature by having breakfast, lunch, or afternoon tea with birds.

TAMPAK SIRING
A holy spring which bubbles up in the inner courtyard of the Tirta Empul Temple in Tampaksiring is believed to have magic curative powers, and throngs of people visit the special bathing pools where clear cool water spouts from mossy walls. Legend has it that the God Indra created the spring, piercing the ground in search of holy water.

GUNUNG KAWI
These 11th century tombs , carved out of the rock face of the gorge of the Pakrisan river, are approached by a steep descent through breath- taking rice terrain scenery . Historically, the tombs probably have some connection with King Anak Wungsu. Across the gorge are some more impressive tombs that were the resident meditation caves of the only men who were the keepers of the tomb.

While it’s possible to visit Ubud in just a day, such a short trip would barely touch the surface of this extraordinary village. An interesting mélange of rural Balinese life and modern services co-exist here. Only 60 minutes from Ngurah Rai airport, Ubud is close to many of central Bali ‘s major sights. Despite the fact that visitors may outnumber residents during peak periods, Ubud retains the atmosphere of a small country community and, in contrast to the hassle of Kuta, the pace of life is very relaxed. It’s a great place to tour on foot or by bicycle and there’s a wide range of facilities for tourists of all budgets, as well as beaches 10 km away. For those who enjoy being close to natural beauty, yet within easy reach of creature comforts, Ubud is ideal.

UBUD

The main crossroads in front of the Puri Saren palace is the “navel” of Ubud-its cultural and historical focal point. The main street is lined with restaurants, hotels, shops and galleries, stretching all the way from the T-junction at the eastern end of Ubud to the Campuhan Bridge in the west. Small lanes lined with home stays, warungs and Balinese compounds extend north and south from the main road.

Jl. Monkey Forest , branching south from the middle of Ubud is lined with hotels, restaurants, artists’ studios, and boutiques for a distance of some 2 km. A parallel road just to the east through Padang tegal is similar, though less congested. Away from these main streets, Ubud is still relatively quiet.

Roads radiate west out of the main town to Campuhan and Payangan, south to Pengosekan and east to Goa Gajah. Local bernos can be flagged down in the daytime on the main road. Ubud to Campuhan, for example, costs Rp1000.

Ubud Tourist Information

For information on performances, transport schedules, temple festivals, and special activities, inquire at the Ubud Tourist Information Center , across from the Pura Desa (village temple).

How to get to Ubud

Ubud is 60 minutes by car from the airport and southern beach resort areas and 40 minutes from Sanur. Taxis from the airport cost Rp. 90,000 (AC). Look for the booth at the airport: turn right after you leave customs. Alternatively, charter (and bargain for) a bemo outside the airport for about Rp 75,000.

From Denpasar, take a bemo from Kereneng Terminal to Batubulan Terminal. Then transfer to Ubud (Rp. 1,000). Chartering a bemo from Denpasar costs about $9. Alternatively, hop on one of the many shuttle buses which depart Kuta for Ubud at 8.30, 10 and 11.30 am, 1, 2.30 and 4pm ($4). Contact Perama Tour, JI. Legian, Kuta.

Although it’s easy to get around Ubud on foot, you may choose to rent a mountain bike to save time and effort. Mountain bikes can be rented everywhere for $2/day. Motorbikes (100cc) cost $5.50/day. A Suzuki jeep costs $20 to $30 daily; cheaper by the week or month. Look for signs along all main roads.

Buy shuttle bus tickets to Kuta (Rp. 10,000) and Candidasa (Rp. 15,000) from the many travel agencies in town. For a full schedule, contact Peramaswara Tour & Travel, Jl. Hanoman. Shuttles to Sanur, Kuta and the airport depart at 8.30, 10 and 11.30 am, 12:30 , 3.30, 5.30, 6.30, and 7.30 pm. Direct Kuta shuttles depart Ubud the same hours. The shuttle to Lombok via Kuta leaves at 6 am .

KINTAMANI

Kintamani is great for day trips, trekking or simply for getting away from it all for a few days. At Penelokan you can view the panorama of Mount Batur set in a huge volcanic crater basin. Stop here on the way to Singaraja to climb to peaceful Pura Tegeh Kuripan. Try to arrive at Kintamani in the morning, as it’s often overcast in the afternoon, especially during the rainy season.

There are two possible options for staying near Lake Batur : up on the ridge or down inside the crater. The villages within the crater tend to have a rather unpleasant atmosphere with a lot of people hassling you. The views, however, are stunning. The main reason to spend the night in the crater is to climb Mt. Batur at dawn.

There are several attractions from Penelokan, starting with the view from the crater rim toward Lake Batur . Rim temples include Pura Ulun Danu Batur and Pura Tegeh Kuripan, both on the main road. A visit to the crater might include a boat trip to the traditional village of Trunyan , the lava fields, the hot spring at Toya Bungkah, or climbing Mt. Batur .

The best way to visit the crater is with your own transportation or chartered minibus. Walking is possible, but distances are long and the descent into the crater is very steep. You might want to finish your visit with a dip in the lake.

Penelokan and the crater villages are rather “un-Balinese” with vendors hassling you and people approaching you in the street to book accommodations.

There’s a local authority charge of Rp550 per person for any car with tourists crossing into the region, plus Rp250 for the car. A similar fee is charged in Toya Bungkah.

Kintamani is the end-point of several tour itineraries heading up from the lower rice plain in the south. Most buses come up the good, scenic road via Tampaksiring, with stops on the way at Goa Gajah, Gunung Kawi and Tirta Empul, then going back down through Bangli and Pura Kehen. But there are other interesting routes. One leads from Peliatan in the Ubud area through the wood-carvers’ villages of Tegallalang, Pujung and Sebatu. The views along the way are superb. Other roads from Ubud to

Kintamani run through Payangan or from Denpasar through the Sangeh monkey forest, Plaga and Lampu, arriving to the north of Kintamani.

Bemos to Kintamani are available from Ubud via Sakah (notable for its huge “Baby” statue). They also run via Tampaksiring and Bangli.

From Denpasar bemos leave for Kintamani from the Batubulan terminal until late afternoon. The normal fare from Batubulan is Rp2,000 and from Singaraja Rp4,000. Rent a motorbike or car if you want to explore the great back roads in the Kintamani area.

Shuttle buses which run between Ubud and Singaraja stop in Penelokan. From Ubud $4.50-$7, from Singaraja $9-$11.

Alternatively, you can also join a day tour and ride up in air conditioned comfort, lunch included. On such tours, however, you will only see the view of Penelokan and then return, missing the caldera and the lake down the Kedisan road.

Charter bemos from Penelokan to Kedisan cost Rp5,000; Kedisan to Toya Bungkah Rp. 1,000 by bemo or Rp.20,000-Rp.25,000 for charter bemo, depending on your bargaining skills.

To Trunyan from Kedisan

Down inside the caldera you can cross to the lake village of Trunyan either from Kedisan or from Toya Bungkah. Be warned that the people here can be quite aggressive and the government has long advised tour operators not to send tourists to Trunyan.

In Toya Bungkah, the normal “tourist” price is $16 (including insurance) for the round trip for a ful I boat of seven. Don’t expect to pay the local price. In Kedisan, the round trip costs about $20 per boat, with a price per person decreasing to $3 per person is the boat is full. If you are tired of bargaining hassles, simply hike around the crater to Trunyan.