Immerse yourself in nature and ancient culture without renouncing modern amenities in Ubud and the surrounding area. This is rightly considered Bali’s cultural centre and offers many opportunities to learn about the island’s lively arts scene as well as to connect with its rural culture amongst a picture-perfect green landscape.
Take some time to explore Ubud, a hectic tourist city where art and history is found around every corner. It still manages to maintain its charm, despite the heavy influx of tourists. From ancient and contemporary exhibits to tranquil spiritual sites featuring magnificent architecture, temple and museum hopping will give you an insight into the diversity and splendour of Ubud. It is a living workshop space where you can try something differentevery dayy, from Indonesian cuisine, music, sculpturing and yoga.
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Children will love the animal attraction parks, the botanic gardens and outdoor activities. Ride a bicycle along the myriads of paths through lush rice fields, exploring traditional villages and discovering ancient palaces and historic temples. Further north of the city, discover gorgeous architecture and Tempaksiring Palace, bathe in sacred waters at the Tirta Empul temple complex and replenish your energy at the Tegallang and Pejeng rice terraces, where you will find some of the island’s most spectacular green sceneries.
West of Ubud, you will find the Bedulu archaeological site and famous Goa Gajah cave and ritual pools, as well as numerous lesser known historical carvings and temples that are worth a visit. To the south of Ubud is Gianyar Regency’s crafts centre, with villages such as Mas, Celuk and Sukawati featuring wood carvings, silverwork and art workshops respectively. The area tends to be quite touristy, however, you can avoid the crowds by exploring the beautiful surroundings. Dive into the ancestral megalithic traditions in Batuan, while discovering canyons, waterfalls and picturesque rice paddies.
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