November 10th, 2009 
Sheila Simkin Ubud is the cultural center of Balinese life. A Monkey Forest, temples, rice paddies, famous arts and craft market in the center of town. and only 35 km/21 miles northeast of Bali’s Denpasar International Airport. Ubud is attractive to tourists being centrally located in Bali with the closest beach only 15 minutes away. It is also around 300 m/984′ above sea level and surrounded by rice fields which makes it a little cooler than then other tourist destinations in Bali.
Ubud’s neighbouring villages are each known for a speciality: weaving, silver, painting, wood carvings, stone carvings, furniture, bamboo crafts (all within a 5km/3.1 mile radius of the central market) and that’s all we saw on the ride from Seminyak to Ubud. Shop and shop along the roadside with fabulous looking stuff to buy. I cried big crocodile tears all the way mourning the fact there wouldn’t be any time to visit the individual villages. This was a big blow to a compulsive shopper like me.
Checked in to the Puri Dalem Cottages, on JL Hanoman Road. Puri Dalem Cottages are right in the center of Ubud with nice rooms, swimming pool…View image… and average rate of $70 per night including breakfast for a double. It was definitely not the Four Seasons Sayun with an average rate of $700 and private plunge pool (when I win the lottery…) but a lot nicer than I expected. Accommodations in Ubud are more reasonably priced than in the beach towns of Bali with plentiful hotels, home stays and Indonesian guesthouses, losmen. Many tourists use Ubud as a base for their entire stay and take day trips everywhere else.
The group immediately set off on a familiarization walk with Ian, beginning on Monkey Forest Road…View image, the most built up in the area, and through the center of Ubud. I, for one, most have stopped every 10 seconds for photographs, to look in the gazillion shops – one with primitive objects from Timor (“primitive” is one of my many weaknesses)…View image, read restaurant menus…View image, and say “no” to hundreds of men offering tours, taxi rides and dance performances.
The Balinese people make small foods offerings to small temple gods…View image… every morning in either little temple houses or on the sidewalk…View image… in front of their shops. This attracts macaque monkeys from the nearby Monkey Forest, always ready for a handout…View image…and even ducks…View image… waddled down the street to eat the food. Whatever you do, do not carry food or get close to the macaques. Rabies is endemic in Bali (if you don’t believe me, check newspaper articles published October, 2009 about rabid dogs in Bali) and look at the canines on this one…
Another warning. Watch where you walk…not easy with all the visual distractions. The “sidewalk” (where there is sidewalk) is a mass of uphill and downhill tiles, with big gaps (mind the “gap”), holes and high step-offs..View image. It is all too easy to break something.
Past the Sacred Monkey Forest Santuary, 15,000 Rupiah entry….View image…View image, a jungle area with threee holy temples and, of course, the nasty macaques. If you visit the Monkey Forest, don’t put your sacks or daypacks on the ground or the monkeys will think you have food for them. Almost at the Royal Palace and Temple Complex and not even one quarter through the sights of Ubud, Ian gave a few more explanations and set off to lead the group on a brief walk through the rice fields. ex-Marine and I have been there…done it (Laos)…and just continued the walk through Ubud…
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This rabies thing is worrying but so far the monkey colonies are free of the disease. There are so many stray dogs in Bali, they’ll have to cull them. They is no alternative, and if rabies does spread more, tourists may decide not to visit and that would be a shame.
I avoid monkeys and dogs like the plague when we travel. One lady in our group on the Turkish coast had to go for rabies shots when a dog just came up to her and bit her!
Bitten? this is worrying u can die if something bites u with rabies is it worth going to Ubud?
Just stay away from all animals! There are people who despite the warnings are always stopping to pet the animals on the street or who bait and tease the monkeys. Don’t do it!
Yikes, how can you stay away from a rapid dog if you meet one? Are visitors to Bali encouraged to get rabies shots?
No, you don’t have to. I just clear a wide berth of dogs, monkeys, bats and cats and so far no problem. Bali just isn’t the place to indulge your cute little puppy instincts. Don’t worry!