Our journey to Ubud, in Bali, on a moped didn’t start well with a police stop (for being foreign) resulting in a £300 fine that I managed to haggle down to under £10 – I was dead impressed by my skills. This sour start didn’t spoil the fantastic ride from Sanur to Ubud though. What should have been a mere 45 minute ride turned into an epic three hour journey due to our indirect route through stunning scenery and temples pulling us over so we could take a better look. The thing that struck us about the temples in Bali / Indonesia was the vast difference in design from other temples in SE Asia. Most were made of stone and a lot of them were very intricately designed. If I was to draw any comparison, it would be to Angkor in Cambodia, which I visited three years ago and which we will be returning later on this trip.
When we arrived, we found a run-down motel that seemed to be the only budget option available. Our first room had a giant gecko in it.
Our second room would be politely described as basic and is probably the worst place we have stayed in on this trip. However for $10 (in Bali), including a nice breakfast, I guess you can’t complain. We explored the touristy town of Ubud, seeing lots of monkeys outside the appropriately named monkey forest.
We spent that evening watching a traditional dance – it was very unusual and full of women making crazy hand movements with even crazier eyes. This was really quite a bizarre experience - watch the video!
The second day we rode around for hours, getting lost and soaking up this new and exciting culture.
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| Some wonderful stone designs. |
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| Locals carried all sorts on their heads, no matter how big! |
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| We had to cover our knees. |
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| Such a beautiful place! |
Ubud had successfully altered our perception of Bali – we were finally impressed and began to appreciate Indonesia’s fascinating culture.
Costs (per person)
Ubud Hotel per room = 100,000 IDR (£6.80, $10)
Bike Rental per day = 60,000 IDR (£4, $6)