Bali Heaven Official Blog

Bali, Indonesia is a prime tourist destination. It has a little bit of everything you need on a holiday. There is nightlife that rivals those in other locations, rice and paddy fields, picturesque landscapes, picture perfect beaches and luxury hotels that will leave you wanting for more. Nestled in the heart of Bali, is Ubud, a teeming centre for music, arts, dance and culture. Ubud has all that a global society does, from backpackers to mystics and luxury travelers from all over the globe. It is an ideal location to get a taste of the many experiences Bali has to offer you.

Getting to Ubud

Ubud is made up of fourteen villages. It is a city that is a tourist centre and bustling with visitors all the time. To get to Ubud you can fly to the international airport, Ngurah Rai and then take a taxi to reach your hotel. The hotels, in most cases, will offer a pick up or drop to the airport and your transport can be arranged well in advance. Ubud is a relatively quieter location in Bali and you can explore this region on foot or take a cab to see the sights and take in the atmosphere of the place. You can take a bike ride which is half the price of hiring a taxi. When hiring taxis you must bargain to get a good price. There are bicycles for rent for the whole day as well if you want to explore this region on your own.

Hotels to stay at

Ubud offers you fine luxury hotels, private villas, boutique restaurants, and home stays. There are plenty of options to choose from, whether you are on your honey moon, a family trip, or a budget traveler. You can check out the price range and also the off season rates to decide the right time to visit the place based on your budget. You can splurge at one of the luxury hotels and spa which will make your stay an all time memorable experience.

Things to do in Ubud

Since Ubud is located about 200-300 meters above sea level with green paddy fields all around makes it a cooler spot than other places in Bali. It also offers reasonably priced hotels to stay at. Ubud has many sites to see, a lot of historically important places like Gunung Kawi, Pura Tirta Empul which can be enjoyed better if you have a guide who knows these places well and can tell you about the locations. Pura Tirta Empul is one of the holiest locations and a very sacred temple in Bali. Gunung Kawi is believed to be a burial site of the Balinese king and his many wives that dates back to the eleventh century.

There are numerous museums of art and culture to see in Ubud which can complete your cultural experience of the island of Bali. If you are someone interested in Balinese culture and art, this will be a fiesta for your senses in many ways. There is also the bird park here at Bali, with over 250 different species for bird watchers. The botanic gardens and Monkey forest are two other tourist spots. There are also local dances to enjoy at this destination. Ubud offers you a lot of sights to take in.

“Monkey Forest is a holy area for Balinese people and an ecological preserve area. Monkey Forest is located in Padangtegal Village, Ubud. More than three hundred monkeys are lived in this forest.”

Hundreds of tourists and researchers from all over the world are visiting Monkey Forest everyday. Interactions between human beings and the monkeys are subject to research studies. This place provides beautiful and magical view. Balinese life becomes a harmony here. When we visit this place, we learn about how to respect nature. That’s why; Julia Robert also has visited this place when she was shooting in Ubud last year for her new film “Eat, Pray, and Love”.

The monkeys that lived here called Balinese Macaques (Macaca Fascicularis), which also well known as long-tail Macaques. The Macaques are the biggest population species of Primates in the world. These Macaques live in three groups of females and males; and they always move to different areas of the Monkey Forest every day at the different times. Because of that situation, sometimes we will see the monkeys from different group are quarrelling and fighting to defend their area. The male monkeys are bigger than the females, adult males weight up to 8-10 kilos, and adult females just 4-8 kilos.

When we visit this place, we must treat all the monkeys respectfully, because we are guests in their home. Please do not disturb them, because they may become aggressive if you disturbing their private area. Balinese Macaques are often seen eating coconuts, but they like apples and papayas too.

The monkeys are very essential for Balinese life because the monkeys are part of their way of life. We can find the reflection of monkey’s life in Balinese dances, art and folktale, such as Kecak Dance, statues, carvings, and the Story of Ramayana.

If we are lucky, we can enjoy a Balinese festival which held regularly here. Balinese festival is the same as Balinese religion ceremony. Most Balinese are Hindu, but Balinese Hinduism is not the same with Indian Hindu, because Balinese Hinduism is a unique blend of Ancestor Worship, Buddhism, Hinduism, and Animism. Temples and forests are the important part to connect with spiritual world. So, nature element in this forest, like monkeys and trees are given offering by Pemangku and local villagers.

Two ceremonies that are related to the monkey forest are Tumpek Kandang and Tumpek Ngunduh. Tumpek Kandang is ceremony where people make special offerings to the whole forest and animals in general. And Tumpek Ngunduh is ceremony where plants are equally celebrated.

There are three holy temples in the monkey forest, that are the Pura Dalem Agung Temple, Holy Bathing Temple, and the Pura Prajapati. Based on analysis of the Pura Purana, the Holy Monkey Forest was built in 14th century during the Pejeng Dynasty or early Gelgel Dynasty.