Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Rentals
There are many houses you can rent or share
in the Ubud area. For information about
options, check the notice boards at Pondok
Pecak Library (see p175), Ubud Tourist In-
formation (see p175) and Bali Buddha (see
p195). Also look in the free
Bali Advertiser
(www.baliadvertiser.biz) newspaper.
value here, as the basic rooms come with a
pool and hot water.
White House Bali
(Map p188
cuisine also offered. Courses start at the local market and
end with lunch; 150,000Rp.
For the active, offers a combination of mountain biking
(downhill!) and cultural and culinary activities.
Bali Trekking
(
975162; guided walks US$30-125)
Huge range of guided walks and treks around Ubud,
including hills, river valleys, rice fields and villages.
Herb Walks
(
974855; purietak@yahoo
.com; Monkey Forest Rd; s/d 150,000/200,000Rp;
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%
Language
Pondok Pecak Library & Learning Centre (see
p175) offers inexpensive courses. Its notice
board has ads for the private tutors and teach-
ers who provide courses on an ad hoc basis
in both Bahasa Indonesia and the Balinese
language.
)
Re-
joice! A Bush-free White House (although this
one does have the odd shrub in the garden).
Back of the street amid rice fields, 17 hot-
water rooms are scattered in one- and two-
storey blocks. Statues spout into the pool.
Gayatri Bungalows 2
(Map p188;
s
8.30am Mon-
Thu) Four-hour walks through lush Bali landscape; medicinal
and cooking herbs and plants are identified and explained
in their natural environment; includes herbal drinks. A great
deal.
Jaran Bali
(
975051; walks US$18;
%
h
Budget
Many inexpensive family lodgings are very
small, often with just two, three or four
rooms. They tend to operate in clusters so
you can easily look at a few before making
your choice.
979129;
meggy292003@yahoo.com; off Monkey Forest Rd; r 150,000-
200,000Rp;
%
977121; ubudstable@yahoo.com; rides
US$16-38) See the Ubud area, including rice fields and
small villages, from horseback and with a guide.
Ubud Tourist Information
( Yaysan Bina Wisata;
Map p188 ;
%
Meditation & Spiritual Interests
ARMA
(Map pp176-7;
)
The 12 large rooms have hot
water and fans. It's a nice jaunt over coursing
water and past rice paddies.
Kubuku
(Map p188 ;
s
976659; www.armamuseum
%
.com; Jl Raya Pengosekan;
9am-6pm) Has classes in
h
Hindu and Balinese astrology.
Meditation Shop
(Map p188;
973285; Jl Raya Ubud; 125,000-
971552; Monkey Forest Rd; r
200,000Rp)
Kubuku has a small vegetarian café
with lounging
bale
(open-sided pavilion with
a steeply pitched thatched roof). The two bun-
galows here are way back amid rice fields.
%
%
976206; Monkey
Forest Rd) Part of the Brahma Kumaris Society; offers silent
meditation practice between 6pm and 7pm daily, and
five-day meditation courses.
Ubud Sari Health Resort
(Map pp176-7 ;
200,000Rp;
8am-8pm) Runs interesting and affordable
half- and full-day trips to a huge range of places, not to
mention Uluwatu, Mengwi, Alas Kedaton and Tanah Lot, or
Goa Gajah, Pejeng, Gunung Kawi and Kintamani.
FESTIVALS & EVENTS
One of the best places in Bali to see the many
religious and cultural events celebrated on the
island each year is in the Ubud area. See p337
for details of the events.
The
Ubud Writers & Readers Festival
(www.ubud
writersfestival.com)
brings together scores of writ-
ers and readers from around the world in a
celebration of writing - especially that which
touches on Bali. It is usually held in October.
SLEEPING
Ubud has hundreds of places to stay. Choices
range from simple little losmen (basic ac-
commodation) to luxurious retreats that are
among the best in the world. Generally, Ubud
offers good value for money at any price level.
A simple, clean room within a family home
compound is the least expensive option.
Midrange hotels generally offer swimming
pools and other amenities, while the top-
end hotels are often perched on the edges of
the deep river valleys, with superb views and
service (although even some cheap places
have amazing views that urge you to curl up
with a book and simply contemplate). Neigh-
bourhood descriptions in the Budget category
apply to all price levels.
Addresses in Ubud can be imprecise - but
signage at the end of a road will often list the
names of all the places to stay. Away from
%
h
CENTRAL UBUD
This was the first place developed for tour-
ists in Ubud and there are many good-value
places.
974393; Jl
%
Kajeng;
8am-8pm) Offers meditation and yoga classes.
East of Monkey Forest Rd
Small streets east of Monkey Forest Rd, in-
cluding Jl Karna, have numerous, family-style
homestays, which are secluded but still handy
to the centre.
Gandra House
(Map p188 ;
h
Monkey Forest Rd
Jungut Inn
(Map p188 ;
Music & Dance
The most visitor-friendly courses are in Ubud,
where private teachers advertise instruction in
various Balinese/Indonesian instruments. A
well-recommended teacher of Balinese music
is
Wayan Pasek Sucipta
(Map pp176-7; Eka's Homestay;
%
978237; Jl Arjuna; r 40,000-
60,000Rp)
The torch-bearer for value on thrift-
seeker-friendly Jl Arjuna just off Monkey
Forest Rd, Jungut's three rooms are bare bones
but very cheap. The family is often sitting in
the compound making offerings.
Frog Pond Inn
(Map p188; Monkey Forest Rd; r 40,000-
60,000Rp)
It's quiet, ultra-basic, friendly and has
seven rooms with open-air bathrooms and
cold water. The breakfast is tasty.
Nyuh Gading Accommodation
(Map p188 ;
%
976529; Jl Karna; r 40,000-
70,000Rp)
Modern bathrooms and spacious
gardens are the highlights of this cold-water
10-room place. One of several on this street.
Sayong House
(Map p188 ;
%
970550; Jl Sriwedari 8)
who charges 50,000Rp for
one hour, or lower rates for longer lessons.
Noted gamelan musician
Nyoman Warsa
(Map
p188 ;
973305; Jl Maruti; r
%
)
At the northern end of
this quiet lane, Sayong has seven basic hot-
water rooms. Cross the lane and dive into
the azure pool.
Sania's House
(Map p188 ;
100,000-140,000Rp;
s
)
offers courses in that most basic of Balinese
instruments. Simple mastery can take six
months or more.
ARMA, Pondok Pecak Library & Learning
Centre and Taman Harum Cottages also have
courses in Balinese dance and music.
TOURS
Taking a tour or two is a good idea as many of
the attractions around Ubud are quite diffi-
cult to reach by public transport, and finding
your way around this part of Bali can be a
challenge even with your own vehicle.
Specialised tours include thematic walks
and cultural adventures.
Bali Bird Walks
(Map pp176-7;
974807; Pondok Bamboo, Monkey Forest Rd;
%
h
973410;
Monkey Forest Rd; s/d 50,000/70,000Rp)
In a quiet gar-
den enclosure opposite the football field, this
place has seven clean, simple rooms with hot
water in bungalow-style units.
Pramesti
(Map p188;
%
975535; sania_house@
yahoo.com; Jl Karna 7; r 150,000-250,000Rp;
%
)
Pets wan-
der about this family-run place, where the pool
with fountains, huge terrace and large rooms
will have even you wagging your tail.
s
970843; uni_pramesti@hotmail
.com; Monkey Forest Rd; s/d 70,000/80,000Rp)
Linens with
vibrant tropical scenes brighten the bungalow-
style rooms with hot water. Enjoy the simple
but groomed garden from your porch.
Puri Muwa Bungalows
(Map p188 ;
%
Jl Goutama
This charming street has several cheap, quiet
and accessible places to stay.
Donald Homestay
(Map p188 ;
976441; Mon-
key Forest Rd; r 75,000-125,000Rp)
Near the top of
Monkey Forest Rd in a thicket of basic places
is this quiet family-run place. The cheaper
rooms are cold-water only.
Loka House
(Map p188 ;
%
977156; Jl Goutama; r
50,000-80,000Rp)
The four rooms - some with hot
water - are in a nice back corner of the fam-
ily compound. Like many family-compound
places, the chickens running around have
satay in their future.
%
975009; US$33;
973326; off Monkey Forest
Rd; s/d 90,000/100,000Rp)
Once through the lush
entrance, Loka is a peaceful place, where the
two-storey main building overlooks a small
%
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Tue, Fri, Sat & Sun 9am-12.30pm from the former Beg-
gar's Bush Bar) For the keen bird-watcher, this tour started
by Victor Mason is still going strong. A gentle morning's
h
North of Jl Raya Ubud
