Skip to main content

Ubud - Yoga, coffee & rice fields

After a 2h bumpy boat trip from Gili T and a 2h drive with the car from Padang Bai port, here we are in Ubud, back to Bali. The boat ticket from Gili T was 250000 IDR (~15.5EUR) and included shuttle service from the port to our accommodation in Ubud.
I have to admit I was nervous about getting back to Bali. I got used with the chill vibes from the islands and I wanted to keep that peaceful feeling for as much time as possible. When we debarked we were harassed by taxi drivers.
Fortunately, Ubud surprised me with its zen feeling. I've never felt so calm!
Too bad we couldn't enjoy the pool due to the rain
It was already afternoon when we checked in.
Bali coffee
After the late lunch we went for a walk. The weather was not on our side that evening. Despite the heavy raining we were able to enjoy the city.
Ubud market
The city doesn't stop to amaze me! I love its small shops with local design products.
Quiet street with small shops
At first I thought only the temples have imposing gates, but if you wander a little bit you'll notice that every house entrance is marked by a gate like the one below.
Lawang - traditional Balinese entrance gate
Another symbol of the city are the stone statues that represent Hindu gods or mythological characters from Mahabharata and Ramayana.
Stone statue spotted around the city 
I'm glad I woke up early in the morning to attend a yoga class. This way I spotted the morning street market with fruits and vegetables.
Half of the street transformed in fruits & vegetables market
Morning yoga for a boost of energy
I found a small yoga studio, 10 minutes away from the accommodation. It was a nice experience. The teacher was local and I liked she was explaining where we should feel the stretch on each exercise.
After yoga, I reunited with Victor and went for rice fields trekking.
Scarecrow in the Kajeng rice field
No caption nedded
From the rice fields we walked to the Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary. It was nice to walk next to the macaques. No monkey incidents reported :)!
You are in the middle of the jungle!
A macaque contemplating the life
The ugly frog and the princess!
After lunch we took a Grab and drove us to see the Blangsinga Waterfall.
Balance!
I'm smiling! You should do it too! I'm walking on the streets and smiling to strangers!
On our way back to the Grab driver, we decided to go seeing larger rice fields. First stop at Bali Swing. Here I learned more about luwak coffee, the most expensive coffee in the world. The special thing about it is the way the coffee beans are prepared. The coffee beans have been digested by palm civet, then they are cleaned up and roasted and ground normally.
Palm civet - cat like animal
Palm civet feces containing coffee beans


The final product! Honestly, I wan't impressed about the taste 
View over rice paddies
Ten minutes away from Bali Swing we arrived at Tegallalang rice terrace.
Panoramic view of rice terrace
For Ubud I would come back again in Bali! Till then, the next stop is Yogyakarta!
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Croatia: Dreamy Northern Dalmatia

We spent the last days of our holiday exploring the classic Dalmatian cocktail of historic towns, jewel-like waters, rugged limestone mountains, gorgeous climate and Mediterranean cuisine of the Northern Dalmatia. Plitvice Lakes In order to have a full day to spend exploring Plitvice Lakes we stayed overnight in the area. It was so quiet and peaceful there! I wish we could have stayed more days to enjoy that serenity state of the place. Being in some way a remote place it wasn't easy to find a restaurant to have dinner, but when we did it was the best. Cevapi, traditional grilled minced meat with ajvar (roasted red peppers sauce) I don't have a sweet tooth but I enjoy trying local deserts. Traditional strudel with cherries - a touch of chocolate makes this simple desert in a delicacy  Morning coffee with a view Love is in the air! From the accommodation we had 15-20 minutes drive to the Entrance 1 of the park. We have researched which trails to take and the best views are star...
Post a Comment
Read more

Time traveling by steamtram Hoorn - Medemblik

The engine whistles and the fireman shovels coal into the firebox. An adventurous trip to days gone by is about to begin, when steam trams connected ancient towns like Hoorn and Medemblik. Seated in the antique coaches, we listened to the clickety-clack of the wheels, heard the escaping steam and felt the tram move through the timeless Westfrisian countryside. A friend told me about the steam tram rides between Hoorn and Medemblik, and I immediately booked tickets. We were fortunate to catch one of the trips that passes by the tulip fields in bloom. Hoorn Tram station At Hoorn Tram station which is converted in museum we discovered the story of steam trams in Netherlands, covering the 1878 - 1966 period. The Timeline exhibitions takes us back into history. Small objects, film images, photos and documents tell the story about the steam tram in the Netherlands. The common thread is a timeline in which the highlights of Dutch steam tram history are central. We were filled with excitement,...
Post a Comment
Read more

Croatia: The Magical Istria

After the short stop in Trogir we drove to Pula where booked accommodation for 3 nights to explore the city and surroundings.  The country side on the way to Pula The drive took around 6h with some stops on the way. After we checked in we went directly in the city center for dinner. One speciality I saw it on the menu in the area is grilled squid with Swiss chard and potatoes. I was hesitant with the green leafs because they waiters were saying it's like spinach and I'm not a big fan of it. But this one was really tasty!   Grilled squid with Swiss chard and potatoes @  Kantina Restaurant The next day we went to one beach in Pula in the morning, another beach in Rovinj in the afternoon and stayed for dinner in Rovinj and explored a bit the city center. Hawaii Beach   Hawaii is a pebbly beach, with big rocks but it's worth it! The water is crystal clean and a good spot for snorkeling. It also has some high cliffs that attract the adventurous ones who want to jump ...
Post a Comment
Read more