Bali isn’t all about beach life and catching waves, there is an entire mystic to Bali that lays within its heart. Ubud is home to lush jungles and rice paddies so green they almost look fake even to the naked eye and a culture far more quiet than the hustle and bustle of beach life. Ubud was exactly what I had envisioned and wanted when coming to Bali; jungle, temples, waterfalls, rice paddies, and culture.
My favorite thing about Ubud was how laid-back the culture is there. Everyone is happy and says hello to one another, and the vibe is amazing. It truly is a “happy” place to be and live. Where our villa was located was perfect because we were right next to The Sacred Monkey Forest and right around tons of restaurants and bars. We were able to eat at a different restaurant everyday, although we frequented the Ryoshi sushi there quite often because I couldn’t get over the bonito sashimi. If you like sushi, go, you’ll love this place. Make sure to checkout Taco Casa too, their housemade hot sauce will change your life. I know you’re probably thinking, “Mexican food in Indonesia?”, but trust me, you’ll be happy you did and the restaurant is always packed so it has to be good right? We also really enjoyed a restaurant called Siam Sally and while its a Thai restaurant, the curries were wonderful and they do live music every night for happy hour. My favorite dish we ate had to have been at a restaurant called Fushion. They have this amazing dish called Caramel Pork which was crispy pork caramelized in a spicy/sweet palm sugar sauce with lots of garlic , Thai chilies, and a dash of vinegar. It was delicious and perfectly balanced.
One of the days that we were there we ventured about 15 minutes out of Ubud to see the Tegalaland Rice Terraces, which were absolutely stunning. We rented a motorbike from our villa the entire time we were there so it was very easy for us to get out and explore. If you’re worried about getting lost, download an app called maps.me, it works completely offline so you can use it from anymore and its crazy accurate. However, beware if you do rent a motorbike, the locals drive like lunatics and you have to be completely aware of your surroundings at all times. Other than that, its by far the most effective way to get around and explore for yourself.
Make Me a Jetsetter 