Ubud Sightseeing

Indonesia may have the largest Muslim population in the world but most residents of the island of Bali are Hindu & they are deeply religious. Hindu Temples can be seen in every neighborhood. Most private homes have their own spots for daily worship and offerings. Some Temples are newer but most appear old, and famous ones date to the 9th century. I saw two of those.

On the way from Nusa Dua to Ubud, after our Sanur Museum stop (see the previous entry) my driver Kadek brought me to see the 12th century temple in Batuan.

Pura Puseh Batuan has an inscription that testifies to the date of founding of Batuan in 1022 AD. It is known for its intricate stone carvings. It is located in the northern part of the Batuan village, 200 metres off the main road from Denpasar to Ubud. The temple underwent restoration in 1992. It is a five-tiered gateway tower, clearly influenced by Indian religious architecture. Its icons and decorations, however, are typically Balinese in style. The roof of the temple is made of the fibre of chromatic black palm tree. The maintenance of the temple is done by the residents of the village.

I arrived in Ubud during the Galungan holiday.
Galungan is the major 10-day Hindu holiday occurring in November, & celebrates the victory of good over evil. It features island-wide ceremonies, family gatherings, and beautiful penjor(decorated bamboo poles) lining the streets. The festival concludes with the related Kuningan holiday.

There is a local village Temple just down the street from the hotel. One evening, I went on the hotel’s nature walk. Afterwards, still out on the road in front of the hotel, the entire village passed by on the way to the Temple to celebrate the end of a holiday! There were no other tourists, just 3 of us witnessing this joyous local parade.

On my second sightseeing day with Kadek we visited a stunning Temple called DTW Gunung Kawi Sebatu. This Temple is in daily use and you can see Balinese and tourists alike partaking in Hindu purification rites in its pools.

On another day I went to Goa Gajah. This 9th century archeological site, formerly on the UNESCO list, is easy to visit and like the day I was there, you may find yourself wandering alone. Think about similar historical sites elsewhere. In Siem Reap Cambodia to see Angkor Wat, there were 1000 tourists and 100 tour buses. At Machu Picchu in Peru, visitors are capped at 800 at a time. I knew what a treasure seeing Goa Gajah in this setting with just my driver was!

This ancient temple features wild faces that are carved into the stone – whose purpose is assumed to be the warding off of evil spirits. The primary figure was once thought to be an elephant, hence the nickname Elephant Cave. Other sources state that it is named after the stone statue of the Hindu God Ganesh (characterized by having the head of an elephant) located inside of the temple.The site is mentioned in the Javanese poem Desawarnana written in 1365. The baths were excavated in the 1950s. The inside of the temple is small and usually has trails of white smoke from the incense burning. The complex also contains 7 statues of women (out of which 1 has been destroyed due to an earthquake) holding water pitchers that depict seven holy rivers of India: the Ganga River, Sarasvati River, Yamuna River, Godavari River, Sindhu River, Kaveri River, and Narmada River.

On my return trip to Bali I asked Kadek to take me to see the Ulu Watu Temple. The Ulu Watu temple is built at the edge (ulu) of a 70-meter-high (230 ft) cliff or rock (Watu) projecting into the sea. In folklore, this rock is said to be part of Dewi Danu's petrified barque.

Though a small temple is claimed to have existed earlier, the structure was significantly expanded by a Javanese sage, Empu Kuturan in the 11th century. Dang Hyang Nirartha, another sage from East Java at the turn of the 16th century, is credited for introducing the padmasana shrines and it is said that he attained moksha here, an event called ngeluhur ("to go up"). The attraction of this temple is the stunning cliff setting and sea views. Take off your glasses and don’t bring anything including your phone that the crafty long tailed macaques can snatch, because you’ll never retrieve lost belongings.

One reason I wanted to visit Bali was to see rice terraces. The beginning of the rainy season was the perfect time to visit. The rice was high, almost ready to harvest.

There is a UNESCO site if Rice Terraces 2 hours each way from Ubud that is less commercial than the nearby one. But this one only about 20-30 minutes from Ubud center, is definitely fun, with photo swings, a zip line & bicycle line attractions. Guests can hike up and down through the paths. I did not venture far because it had rained hard & the mud made things slippery. So green.

So special. I don’t really have a bucket list, but if I did, rice terraces in Bali would be on it!

We stopped at a coffee farm. It poured rain for an entire hour while I was at the tasting table. I was delighted to taste 6 different coffees & 6 different teas while chatting with other interesting rain stranded tourists. Rather than admission, the “coffee farm” provides tastes & then directs you to their shop for purchases. Actually I visited two. Neither were sizeable production farms. Both appeared set up for “show” & sales. At the first shop, I purchased some mangosteen tea that clearly said no sugar added. When I opened it & prepared a cup, it was sickly sweet. Not the healthy mangosteen tea made from the ground rind of the fruit that I expected. At a second farm visit, I bought some “artisan dark chocolate” supposed to be local and special. It was chalky white when opened, not fresh, & not special. Definitely worth a visit, but buy the products only if you want to.

Coffee Farm 5

These visits, along with a silver shop & a woodworking shop benefit our drivers. They get a bonus for each person they bring. Kadek was transparent about this, & told me I had no obligation to buy.

Silver Workshop

I did love the Bali nature & gardens. I particularly did not want to visit the Monkey Forest or animal camps. I did enjoy a Butterfly Park that while also set up to attract tourists, it had a beautiful garden setting& butterfly aviary.

There was a lovely bonsai display too.

Health & Wellness

A guest at my hotel told me about a day spa she had gone to, and showed me her photos. On my first visit to Ubud, I booked a 2 hour service, a coffee scrub, massage & flower bath. I had never heard of a flower bath & when I finished this treatment, I was more relaxed, and felt more pampered than ever before. I returned to Ubud on my 2nd trip, principally to return to the Putri Bali Spa! On my return trip I booked a 3.5 hour treatment before starting the long flights back to Hong Kong and then Boston. Such a wonderful treat at such reasonable prices!
https://www.putribalispa.com/

I enjoyed learning about the Balinese Hindu culture. The Balinese people that I met were genuine, kind & grateful. I loved the Balinese hospitality, & the focus on health & wellness that draws tourism to Bali. I met many hotel interns & trainees during my stays. Some in high school, some post grad, all were studying tourism. It was clear that tourism is “The Profession” in Bali. I was fortunate for the opportunity to be a tourist there & each of the Balinese people I met added meaning to my stay.