One Week in Ubud

We arrived in Ubud one week ago (probably a little more by the time I post this). It is absolutely magical. Being in one place for more than a few nights is such a nice change from New Zealand.

I wanted to check in and let everyone know that we are all safe and sound here. There was a volcano eruption on the island Saturday, but it hasn’t impacted us where we are staying at all.

We chose Ubud to start our time here. It is the cultural center of Bali and a popular spot for tourists because of its central location on the island. We planned almost two full weeks here. It is such a great place for vegetarian food, learning about Balinese culture and just chilling out for a while.

Our daily routine has changed a little since we wrote about it here. Our day starts in the table shown above with banana pancakes, fresh fruit and a full pot of coffee to share. Breakfast is included in our nightly rate, so we make sure to take advantage every day.

We pick a route for a morning walk. If we have any chores, we get them done early – laundry, groceries, etc. We try and plan to be back at the bungalow around 11 because the middle of the day is the hottest. We spend that time reading or writing.

Booking only a few full day adventures ahead of time left us a lot of free time to just wander. We usually try to explore one new neighborhood every other day. Each area is a little different than the next and Ubud has many small sections to explore. We have made it about halfway through the area in the last week with much more to see.

Walking is definitely not common here. The sidewalks are few and far between, but we keep to the quieter side streets when possible. We have found a few paths through rice terraces and along ridges with breathtaking views. They are usually empty except for us.

Our neighbors are monkeys. We are located close to the Sacred Monkey Forest. Every day we pass these sneaky creatures on our way to town. It is so fun to watch people interact with them. They love to steal water bottles. Our favorite restaurant is right next to the forest and just this morning, one of them dropped in on our meal. Justin just about jumped out of his chair, but the little rascal didn’t get the chance to grab any of our food before the servers chased him back outside.

The colors have been a high light. Everywhere we look, there is something beautiful and colorful to look at. It is so much different from anywhere we’ve ever been. The temples, the flowers and the colors of green – it’s all just incredible.

The hardest thing we’ve encountered is the heat. Being from Minnesota, our bodies aren’t used to 85 degrees and high humidity every day. We are learning to enjoy the early mornings and evenings, take breaks when we are out and appreciate every bit of breeze that touches our skin throughout the day. Plus, we have a pool right outside our door that barely anyone uses.

Bali was one of the places I was most excited to visit on our journey and I’m already sad that we didn’t plan more than 4 weeks here. You can see how tourism is changing this magical little island – some good, some bad. I’m excited to share more as we explore.