Ubud, Bali
This is a very upmarket place (think Aspen or an art colony of some type). It is the centre for artistic endeavour in Bali and every conceivable art form is in evidence : painting, sculpture in both wood and stone, ceramics, basket weaving, jewellery, and textiles. A great deal of it seems to be very high quality stuff but I avoided temptation by not looking too closely. There are so many good restaurants serving both local and Indonesian food that I was spoiled for choice. My favourite was an old established Balinese place called Ibu Rai, delicious salads and a tasty Mei Goreng (fried noodles with veggies, bits of chicken, egg and ham). The upmarket Cinta had BBQ pork ribs that were top quality. Wine (everywhere) seemed wildly overpriced at $30 to $50 a bottle for brands I'd never heard of. I stuck to Bintang beer .. drinkable enough though not helping my waistline at all.
Monkey Forest
Guide books warn that this is a bit of a tourist trap. Right in central Ubud this a small patch of land with monkeys, a temple .. and little else. The small group of tall trees does not constitute a forest. I wasn't so bitter about this because the guide book warned that it is a bit of a non-event. The place has the usual contradictory information - do not go close to the monkeys, they are unpredictable but there are stalls everywhere selling bananas to feed the monkeys.
Sri Bungalows
The modest (to be polite) entrance to this hotel complex does not prepare you for what a delight it is. The older section has beautifully landscaped gardens ; the new section (where I stayed) has deluxe rooms overlooking a working rice paddy with mountains in the distance. Just before sunset the farmer let his ducks out so they could roam around the water channels of the rice paddy and they had a great time gossiping .. the sound was hilarious (or was it my gin and tonic that made it so funny?).
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Ubud Botanic Gardens
I became quite excited when I saw an advertisement for the Ubud Botanic Gardens on the edge of town. There was no reference to this place in my guide book so I assumed it was new. I walked out there .. quite a long trek, maybe 3 km from my hotel. It was interesting because the road (going uphill all the time) passed along houses where ordinary Balinese people live. There were a lot of preparations for an upcoming festival and people were friendly. Unfortunately one area was populated with dogs who were not so friendly. Because I am afraid of them they seem to sense this and bark all the more.
These were medium sized dogs running loose and no one did anything to make them shut up or leave me alone so I was happy when I finally got to the gardens. I was surprised at the expensive entry charge (50,000 IR .. about $12 which is a lot in Bali) but I was there so paid up and went in.
What a bitter disappointment. The garden is in an ideal setting, going down a steep ravine to a stream and with dense forest on each side. This place is a rip-off. There clearly was a garden here at one time, the paths are set out and zones marked for bromeliads, pitcher plants, bamboo, etc. The reality is that there is no upkeep .. bridges are broken (you go on a longish walk but the bridge is out so you have to retrace your steps. There were almost no flowers in bloom, the 'bamboo' section a pathetic joke. This place is a disgrace to the name 'botanic garden'. I would have complained but there seemed to be no adult in charge, only young guys who collected the money and sat around the place. I saw no one working on the plants or garden. My advice is to avoid this place - do not encourage them. With a bit of knowledge about gardens and some input of capital this could be in impressive place but in its current state is not worth the money or time.
These were medium sized dogs running loose and no one did anything to make them shut up or leave me alone so I was happy when I finally got to the gardens. I was surprised at the expensive entry charge (50,000 IR .. about $12 which is a lot in Bali) but I was there so paid up and went in.
What a bitter disappointment. The garden is in an ideal setting, going down a steep ravine to a stream and with dense forest on each side. This place is a rip-off. There clearly was a garden here at one time, the paths are set out and zones marked for bromeliads, pitcher plants, bamboo, etc. The reality is that there is no upkeep .. bridges are broken (you go on a longish walk but the bridge is out so you have to retrace your steps. There were almost no flowers in bloom, the 'bamboo' section a pathetic joke. This place is a disgrace to the name 'botanic garden'. I would have complained but there seemed to be no adult in charge, only young guys who collected the money and sat around the place. I saw no one working on the plants or garden. My advice is to avoid this place - do not encourage them. With a bit of knowledge about gardens and some input of capital this could be in impressive place but in its current state is not worth the money or time.
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The fine print
Ubud Botanic Gardens. Research indicates that this was set up in 2006 and was once a very attractive place. I don't know what has happened (and there may be a sad story behind the decline of the place) but others agree with me that it is 'a pity' in its present
state. See comments
state. See comments
