Ubud Things to Do

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This interesting museum dedicated to the Balinese art was opened to the public in 1956, and started with a donation of paintings by Rudolf Bonnet, later other paintings were donated by artists and some other were purchased by the museum.

On this trip to Ubud, we decided to focus on art instead of just shopping on Jl Monkey Forest. Having our own car helps as we can choose where to go and when to stop.

Finally saw egg painters at work and visited a few galleries where my friend bought many paintings. We learned about the different styles of art/strokes too.

Ubud and its surrounding areas,
are blessed with gorgeous hills,
ricefields, dirt pathways, etc.

A great adventure is to rent a bike,
and soak in the natural beauties
that one can find.

Certain areas can be steep riding up,
but upon request,
one can be driven by car uphill,
to roll on down amongst
the endless steps of rice fields.

A local tour guide that is available,
to show you THE spots
to venture of to is Wayan.

He can also arrange for you,
a sunrise volcano climb,
walks through the paddy fields,
and white water rafting.

It all sounds like sooo much fun!

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Kintamani is 2 hours drive uphill from Ubud, the view of the mount and Lake Batur is awesome. The weather is slightly very cooling, some people trek up to the crater, but it is suggested to do it early morning, in time of sunrise.

Kintamani town is also a great place to have some lunch...almost all restaurants got a view of the volcano and lake, all offers buffet Indonesian lunch, at a very reasonable price.

Only disappointment I have here, is the super persistent souvenir sellers, they are every where, even if you say No, they will still pester you...

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Ubud Palace is one of the main places to see traditionial Balinese dances performed on a nightly basis. Most performances begin at 7:30 p.m. & last a few hours. Get there early for the best seats. Drinks & Autan (Balinese bug repellant) are sold right there! Admission apparently used to be Rp. 50,000, but now it's Rp. 80,000. In addition to buying tickets at the entrance, you may also buy them from various people selling them as you walk towards Ubud Palace; it's the same price.

I watched a legong & a barong dance performance here, & was enthralled.

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Suteja Neka is the founder of this museum. He collected various artwork, thus the Neka Art Museum was born in 1976. It is in a beautiful garden setting overlooking the river valley. There are 7 separate buildings showcasing the artwork of Balinese, other Indonesian & foreign-born artists. Some of the artwork of Walter Spies can be found here.

The museum is open from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. daily. No flash photography, tripods or smoking is allowed inside the buildings. Admission is Rp. 20,000.

Catalonian by way of the Philippines, Antonio Blanco studied at the National Academy of Art in New York, after which he traveled the world, landing in Bali in 1952. He married a famous Balinese dancer, Ni Ronji, & fathered four children - three daughters & one son. His artwork is mainly abstract & colorful oil paintings of Balinese women. There are other subjects, but he's quite obviously influenced by Salvador Dali. Though I'd never heard of him before coming to Bali, I was entranced by his artwork & nearly as much by the surroundings where he houses them. Even his picture frames were fantastical pieces of art.

The grounds of his museum & of his home are lush & inspirational. They are filled with fruit trees & all manner of birds.

The museum is open from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. daily, including weekends & public holidays. No photos are allowed inside the museum. However, ladies are given a flower for their hair upon entering the grounds. Admission is Rp. 20,000.

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Puri Saren Agung is the first hotel in Ubud, and also the home of the last king of Ubud and its descendants. Its is know simply as Ubud Palace.

Its located along Jalan Raya and just infront of Ubud market. A major landmark, and its also where nightly cultural shows like Legong Dance are being held.

There is a big courtyard for you to explore with a nice landscape garden.