Made famous by the book, Eat, Pray, Love, Ubud has become a popular destination and is pretty much full of visitors all the time. As we really do not particularly enjoy super touristy areas, it is interesting to note, that the atmosphere of Ubud was magical and the high density of visitors did not take away from the vibe and experience (which we loved, btw...).
Just outside our room of Nyoman Homestay.
Courtyard at Nyoman Homestay. Run by a beautiful, welcoming family. This place is peaceful and in a great location.
So many great places to eat! Trying some desserts in the afternoon.
Our room and sitting area. This is where we were served breakfast.
Incredible wood carved door of our room.
Our first day in Ubud we took a tour around the area. We visited the famous water temple,Titra , the rice terraces, elephant temple, waterfall, coffee plantation, stopped for lunch and then stopped for dinner at a famous pork rib bbq restaurant with some beautiful views of rice fields.
December 24 - we went on a day tour visiting some of the must see sights around Ubud.
First stop Tegallalang rice terraces.
It was really nice to arrive here early in the morning, because we only encountered a handful of other visitors.
Palm leaf hat for some sum protection.
Sacred holy springs of Titra Empul
The holy springs are located at Tempak Siring Temple. As with many aspects of Balinese history, religion and holy sites, there are several explanations and legends involved. Several things about the holy springs of Tirta Empul are for certain. The Balinese Hindus flock to the clean cool springs because they believe the springs offer wellness and have magical curative properties. We know from an inscription, as well as carbon dating, that the temple itself was constructed on the site of the natural spring in 926 A.D. during the rule of Warmadewa. The Tirta Empul Temple is of a traditional style and includes shrines to Shiva, Vishnu, Brahma, as well as one for Indra and Mount Batur. It is considered one of the five or six most holy temples in all of Bali and is perhaps the most holy water source (the other being Pura Ulun Danu Bratan).
It was a very busy day at the temple. I cannot recall, but I think there was some holiday being celebrated, and as a result there were long lines of people waiting to partake in the purification rituals.
The holiest and purest water springs...this is Titra Empul.
Feeding the fish.
A pineapple growing outside the coffee plantation.
Cacao pod and beans.
Herbs and spices.
Roasting coffee beans
Luwak coffee, weasel coffee, sivet coffee, poop coffee...are different names for the same delicacy.
Grinding the coffee.
Yum, time to taste the coffee and tea!
Giant spider we spotted on the plantation.
As fresh as it gets - fruits grown on the farm.
Coffee beans and cinnamon stick. A little something to chew on while we wait for lunch.
Crispy Duck
Goa Gajah, or Elephant Cave. Built in the 9th century, it served as a sanctuary.
Receiving a blessing.
It's Christmas Eve! This tree serves as a reminder of the holiday season.
Relaxing for a bit and enjoying the view and water cooling our feet.
Back in Ubud, we stopped to admire some stunning wood furniture and tables. I've never seen anything like it before. These pieces were beautiful.
Great chairs!
Christmas Eve dinner. We stopped for some famous Bali pork ribs. Not a traditional Christmas dinner, but absolutely delicious. The kids ordered milkshakes to make it super festive. It was a full day, and arriving back at our homestay after dinner, it was time for bed because the next day we would be waking up at 1:40am for our 2:00am departure to trek up Mount Batur (next blog post).
Preparing offerings for the baby naming ceremony.
The morning after our trek we woke up to a celebration and ceremony being prepared right in from of our door. We were staying at Nyoman homestay a beautiful property owned by a family just off Monkey Forest Road, so pretty much in the heart of Ubud. The homestay (our equivalent of a bed and breakfast) was really great, clean, beautiful, cheap, good breakfast, helpful and kind hosts and we truly felt like we were part of something special, witnessing their whole family coming together for a baby naming ceremony. We learned that in Bali, when a baby is 42 days old, a ceremony is held where the baby is officially named. Many offerings are made, the ceremony includes Bell ringing and drumming and family gathering together. Even though we were only on lookers, it was so interesting to witness this special occasion in Balinese life.
Many people actually commented on the fact that we have 4 children. They loved it and said we have a complete family. This is due to the fact that the Balinese have a naming system based on the birth order of 4 children.
The first born is Wayan, and if there is a fifth child, he/she is often called Wayan Balik (or Wayan "again"). Balinese people are given other names, including a new "name" after death. Generally, everyone uses birth order names to refer to each other. "Given" names may be chosen due, for example, to the influence of popular culture or politics. Like some other Indonesian cultures, Balinese do not use family names.
- First born names : Wayan, Putu, Gede, Ni Luh (female only) - Wayan is Balinese originally meant Wayah or oldest.
- Second born names : Made, Kadek, Nengah - Made/Nengah means madya or middle. Kadek means little brother/sister
- Third born names : Nyoman, Komang
- Fourth born names : Ketut
Family gathering together.
Kids received a little snack box with some traditional Balinese treats and eats.
On the following days we visited the Monkey Forest... the kids loved the close interactions with the monkeys, although it was important to remember that they are wild animals, and therefore very curious and can be unpredictable. We found they could be a little scary at times...especially if they didn't get their way...with food...
Hanging out with the locals...
Temple within Monkey Forest
Viktor, loving the interactions with the monkeys.
Posing for the camera! I could not get Viktor to leave. and he actually came back with Stepan, Veronika and Eva for a second visit in the afternoon while I went for a massage.
On recommendation from our friends we visited a great restaurant called Bali Buda, soon changing its name to Bali Bunda. The meals were all delicious, very nutritious and healthy and most selections were vegetarian. They also had a great bakery/grocery store, in which we stocked up on delicacies like cinnamon rolls and a battery of cookies, Bali coffee and some kombucha tea.
