Sights around Ubud

Everyone who plans to travel to Bali should include Ubud and its central Bali sights on their list to do.
Central Bali is the most picturesque area of the entire island with its hills, deep river gorges, stunning rice fields, numerous temples and the cultural treat of Ubud.
This area is also the most religious area of Bali where during the day you can see woman making offerings on the side of the streets and in the rice fields to honour Dewi Sri, the rice goddess.

In the evening there are several gamelan music groups and dancers practising in the pavilions of the traditional courtyards. The sound of instruments fills the air...
Entire villages such as Sukawati, Batuan, Celuk, Batubulan, Mas are busy with the production of religious artefacts such as temple statues, umbrellas, offering baskets, religious masks and paintings.
When I travel to Bali and drive into the rural areas located above Ubud village I often see women with baskets on top of their heads walking along the rice fields or packed together in a pick-up truck to prepare for the next of many ceremonies.

When you travel to Bali you are likely to see spectacular ceremonies
taking place at one of the many important temples...

Here I’ve come across some colourful sights, which I think are really worth visiting and where you can observe what everyday Balinese life is all about...
So if you travel to Bali and hope to see it's cultural side, then you now know where to go...


Goa Gajah:
This temple is located in Bedulu, just north west of Ubud.
We were lucky to arrive early in the morning and see Balinese men and women preparing several offerings for a ceremony.
In the Goa Gajah you can see the 1m high statue of Ganesha, son of the god Shiva.


 
Yeh Puluh:
Yeh Puluh is found 30m on foot through the rice fields from Goa Gajah. This is also a bathing place even though a lot smaller than its neighbour.
This site has a 27m long relief dating from the 14th century with sculpted statues from Ganesha, men who carry their catch, an attacked bear and a man on a horse, which tail is pulled by a woman.
It's still unclear but the Balinese think that the relief has been inspired by epics from the Mahabharata where the god Krishna went out hunting.
The site is very small but beautifully located between the rice fields and small river stream. Entrance fee to Yeh Puluh is Rp6000 and here you can also borrow a sarong and temple scarf.



Gunung Kawi:
This temple complex is a sight that should not be missed when you travel to Bali.
I already thought that Goa Gajah and Yeh Puluh were beautifully located but Gunung Kawi wins every prize here with palm trees, rice field vistas and the river Perikisan. It takes a while from the parking lot before you reach the holy shrines, which are carved in the rocky hills.



Tirta Empul:
This complex is down the road from Gunung Kawi in the north of Tampaksiring. Tirta is derived from the Sanskrit word of ‘amrita’, which means nectar or life elixir.
The Balinese believe that the source provides holy water with magical powers. Therefore the temple here is very important to the Balinese...


 
Ricefields of Tegallalang:
Every time I travel to Bali I'm amazed about the fact that the ricefields are man made.
It's even more unbelievable once you have seen the rice terraces in Tegallalang just north of Ubud. You'll be making amazing Bali pictures of this Unesco Heritage sight. Enjoy the view and a drink at the Alon Alon Terrace Cafe.


 
Sangeh:
This sight is home to the Bukit Sari Monkey Forest and the Balinese believe that the three monkey clans are the descendants of the monkey army of general Hanuman.
They can be very aggressive so be prepared and watch your sunglasses and hats.
The Bukit Sari temple in the forest was built by the royal family from Mengwi in the 17th century to honour the god Vishnu and it was used as a place for meditation.


 
Marga Memorial:
In Marga you find the Margarana Memorial which commemorates a regiment of guerilla warriors, who were killed by the Dutch after World War II.
It was a fierce battle where the Balinese warriors fought until death, called puputan.
The 17m high Margarana memorial was built in 1954 and has eight roofs in Javanese style, which symbolizes the unity of the fallen warriors.
There’s an inscription on the memorial: text from a letter that Lieutenant Ngurah Rai wrote to the Dutch officer in which he stated to give his life for the revolution. A picture of this lieutenant can be found on the Rp50.000 bank note.
On the same premises there is an impressive graveyard of all the brave people of the puputan.


Pura Taman Ayun in Mengwi:
We discovered this temple by accident when we were on our way from Lovina beach to Ubud.
The parking lot is full with tourist buses but the beautifully maintained temple complex is very large so you will hardly notice the crowds.