South & Central Bali

Ubud I’m on my way!

I took a ferry (150-175k) from Nusa Ceningan to Saynur around noon. I needed to start my visa extension to be able to tay the 2nd month. Once I arrived in Saynur I walked all the way to the Immigration Office of Denpasar. And trust me I double checked the opening hours and the office was still open, but unfortunately they don’t accept applications for a visa extension after 1 or 2pm I can’t remember. So I had to try it another day. Which seemed pretty unlucky in this moment was good karma at the end.

Canggu

I stayed two nights at the Escape Hostel which has a great rooftop area with a pool. One my first night I went to Pretty Poison. It is a nice skater place to hang around and to watch the locals and internationals do what they love. Later the night there is a little party going on and you can make a tattoo in a bizarre setting (I reckon we are just not used to it).

On my second day I rented a scooter and drove all the way to the famous temple Pura Tanah Lot. On my way back I stopped at KYND. KYND is an amazing hipster restaurant for having a Buddha Bowl Salad or a smoothie bowl or something sweet like a blueberry pancake. Once I got back to the hostel it was time for the first part of the reunion. Fabian came to Canggu as well and we went to Potato Head Beach Club for sunset (which was totally worth it).

On the next day the both of us took a grab to Uluwatu. Finally it was time for the second part of the reunion. We met Gini, Vanessa, Corné and Nick again at the lovely Villa Habibi. Our place to be for the next three days (the special treatment I was taking about in the other article “North of Bali and the Nusa’s”).

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Uluwatu

Villa Habibi was treating us pretty well and we rented a scooter the other day to explore the island in the south and the beaches in this area as well as the Uluwatu Temple. Of course we woke up pretty late and jumped into our pool for a morning swim. Later the day we played cards and made our own little party. The 2nd night we went to Single Fin where every Wednesday and Saturday a big party is. It was so much fun. Big thanks to all of you guys for making these 3 days so pleasant. It was time to say goodbye and to split. I made my way to Ubud.

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Ubud

Ubud has so much different things to offer. You can explore the movement and vibe of mediation and yoga, you can go on a scooter and drive up north to all the beautiful waterfalls (Nungnung Waterfall, Munduk Waterfall, Banyumala Twin Waterfalls, Aling Aling Waterfall, Gitgit Waterfall, Sekumpul or Fiji Waterfall) as well as the love rice terraces especially the one north west from Ubud, which is called Jatiluwih Rice Terraces. On your way up north to the waterfalls you can stop at the water temple Pura Ulun Danu Beratan and the famous Handara Gate (I was disappointed and it really is just an Instagram spot).

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But there is actually no need to go that far. If you only have 2 or 3 days in Ubud you could go to the nearer waterfalls Tibumana, Kanto Lampo, Tegenunang Waterfall. I like Tibumana and Kanto Lampo more than Tegenunang Waterfall, but you could kinda combine that trip with the hidden canyoning at Canyon Beji Guwang. It definitely is a hidden spot and totally worth it. Its so much fun to climb through the canyon for a couple of hours guided by a local.

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Besides that you will find all the tourist place right in the heart of Ubud (most of it in walking distance). Obviously you want to see and experience the Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary and the Campuhan Ridge Walk. Besides that, you’ll find there the Ubud Countryside bali swing, the famous Tegalalang Rice Terrace (go for sunrise and wait until the sun shine onto the terrace) as well as the Gunung Kawi and Tirta Empul Temple (the holy water ritual).

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There are so many amazing places to stay for an affordable price. I would recommend to stay at Pondok Bambu Homestay owned by a lovely balinese family with a little pool and tasty breakfast. If you are on a lower budget stay at Green Paddy Hostel & Villa. Its bit more out of town, but you can rent a scooter there and they have a big pool right in front of a little rice terrace. If you feel like treating yourself and you don’t really mind about the budget, spend a night at Munduk Moding Plantation Nature Resort & Spa (amazing pool with an unforgettable view).

And Ubud is famous for its amazing and lit food places. To be honest, I tried a lot of them. Here is my best of list:
* Soma
* Zest Ubud
* Lazy Cats Cafe
* Yellow Flower Cafe
* Laughing Buddha Bar
* Warung Biah Biah (Gado Gado!)
* Seeds of Life (my favorite one)
* Veggie Karma (Vegan buffet 50k, if you want to eat for a lower budget)

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As I said, Ubud has so much to offer. If you not only like to eat food and you are also into cooking your own food and want to know how to prepare and cook the balinese way, you should take a cooking class with Paon cooking school as I did. It was a great experience and it was so much fun with a lovely balinese atmosphere. Another unique experience you should definitely go for while being in Ubud is the Mount Batur sunrise tour (have a look at the weather forecast for the next day, a clear morning makes it even better). But pay attention! There are many companies out there, who offer that tour. Don’t let you scam and pay to much.

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Next:
5 more days until Flo is flying in from Australia for our Raja Ampat island diving adventure. I decided to cover those 5 days with an intense trip to Java to climb and see Kawah Ijen and Mount Bromo.