Ubud

Ubud is een plaats in het centrum van het eiland Bali, Indonesië en wordt beschouwd als cultureel centrum van het eiland. Ubud heeft een bevolking van ongeveer 8000 mensen.

Begrijpen

De naam is afgeleid van het Balinese woord ubad, dat medicijn betekent. In het begin was Ubud slechts een klein landschap gecentreerd rond Campuhan. Thans zijn vele omliggende dorpen aan Ubud vastgegroeid. Tezamen met deze dorpen (waaronder Peliatan) heeft de agglomeratie een oppervlakte van ca. 40 km2 en niet minder dan ca. 60.000 inwoners, een soort halfverstedelijkt dicht bevolkt platteland.

Het toerisme in Ubud ontwikkelde zich in 1930 onder de vorst Tjokorde Gede Agung Sukawati (1910-1978) die Ubud's eerste hotel startte. In 1936 begon hij met met A.A. Sobrat, Gusti Nyoman Lempad, Walter Spies en Rudolf Bonnet de Pita Maha schildersorganisatie. Ze maakten van Ubud het 'cultureel hart van Bali'. Waar Ubud vroeger vooral bezocht werd door backpackers, is het nu populair bij literici, kunstverzamelaars en connoisseurs. Ubud staat bekend om de traditionele hindoe-cultuur.

De hoofdstraat van Ubud is de Jalan Raya Ubud met vele winkels (vooral kunst), cafés, restaurants, hotels en het Puri Saren Agung paleis. Laatsgenoemde is een grote trekpleister voor toeristen met optredens van diverse Balinese dansgroepen. Ook de markt (pasar) is altijd druk. In de omgeving van Ubud bevinden zich prachtige rijstvelden. Bekend is het museum Puri Lukisan, bestaande uit 3 gebouwen met moderne en traditionale Balinese kunst. Ook bekend is het Apenwoud (Monkey-forest) met de beroemde Apengrot, een oud hindoestaans tempelcomplex dat tegenwoordig wordt bewoond door een grote kolonie van meer dan 200 makaak-apen

Arriveren

• CasCades Restaurant, Jln. Lanyahan, Br Nagi, Tel: (+62/0) 361 972 111, [1]. Classical French food made with local ingredients. Dishes include Un Petit Jésus Dans Une Culotte de Velours (pan-fried duck liver on onion, date compote with passionfruit sorbet). Expect to pay about Rp.400,000 per person.

Drink

Ubud has quite a few hip places for a quiet drink, but the strictly enforced regulation that all live performances must end by 10:30 PM puts a bit of a clamp on the local nightlife.

• Ary's Warung, Jl. Raya Ubud 35 (opp Puri Saraswati). Don't be fooled by the name, this is a stylish watering hole with a large bar downstairs, complete with sofas and cow-leather bar stools, and a rather less busy restaurant upstairs. Drinks are expensive but generously sized.

• Jazz Cafe, Jl. Sukma No. 2 Tebesaya (in Peliatan), tel. (+62/0) 361 976 594. Outdoor jazz bar with live bands nightly. A limited food menu and an overpriced selection of drinks (Rp. 50000 or so). Cover charge Rp. 20000.

Sleep

Budget

• Shana Homestay, Jl Gautama No 7 Padang Tegal, (+62/0) 361 97 481. Very near to the traditional & art market and Nomad restaurant, Shana is a place where you feel stay in Balinese family. You wake up in a serene garden-like bangalow with breakfast ready and greetings from all the family members. Total of 3 bangalow, each comes with 2 beds for 3 persons. Breakfast included, starts from US5, definitely worth a stay.

• Narasoma Homestay, Gang Beji off Jalan Monkey Forest, (+62/0) 361 973 404, [2]. Just down a little lane off busy Jalan Monkey Forest, Narasoma is a family home and accommodation surrounded by coconut palms. Nyoman and Charlotte welcome you into their family to experience life in a Balinese compound. From the top floor you will be able to see the sacred mountains to the west of Bali. 'The sunrises and sunsets are great!

• Rumah Roda Homestay and Restaurant, Jalan Kajeng 24 Ubud, Bali 80571, (+62/0) 361 975 487, [3]. Lovely family compound with rooms for less than $10. The restaurant is also a treat - catch the Sunday evening buffet. The book A Little Bit One O'Clock is about this place and family.

Mid-range

• Oka Kartini, Jl. Raya Ubud 35 (just across the bridge in Peliatan), +62-361-975759, [4]. Quirky old Balinese house complex on the edge of town, the rooms here are a bit long in tooth but decorated with more carvings and gold paint than the average temple. Friendly staff watched over by the remarkable lady Oka Kartini herself, large art gallery, small but pleasant garden pool, shadow puppet shows three days a week(separate charge). Fan/AC rooms $30-$45, including breakfast.

• Sri Bungalows, Jl. Monkey Forest Road, +62-361-975394, sribungalows@hotmail.com Centrally located with 16 bright bungalow-style rooms tucked into lush gardens. It's only about 50 meters from the busy road, but it's very quiet except for the singing of birds. The rooms are simple, but nice. They have bamboo furniture, western toilets and hot water. There's a large pool in the back, and rice paddies beyond the pool. An internet cafe is also on the premises. Fan/AC rooms $25-$35, including breakfast.

Splurge

• Barong Resort and Spa Jl. Monkey Forest, Ubud, Bali, 80571. Tel: +62-361-971759. Nestled in the paddy fields of Ubud, the resort provides both accommodation and spa facilities that reflect Bali's tranquility. Offering 5 star hotel rooms, prices start from USD 200.

• Bumi Ayu Villa [5]. A two storey, two bedrooms, bungalow in the forest on a cliff overlooking the river behind the village of Sebatu. Sebatu is on the road from Ubud to Kintamani. 120 euros/person/day, including driver available for the full day.

• Villa Vajra, [6]. A 3 bedroom villa located right in the heart of Ubud. Rates run from $450-560 per night (dependning on season).

• The Viceroy Bali, Jln. Lanyahan, Br Nagi., Tel: +62-361-971-777, [7]. The Viceroy Bali is a luxury resort situated 5 min by car from the center of Ubud and offers private villas with pools, satellite TV, bath, shower, king beds, free broadband internet access and helicopter transfers. US$ 800 - US$ 2,500 per night.

• Elite Havens, Jl Raya Semer #883, tel +62 361 731-074. [8]. This villa agency provides a wide range of private luxury villas for rental with staff in Ubud and other locations on the island. All villas are fully staffed and feature private swimming pools. US$200-2500 per night.

• Bale Bali, Jl. Pendidikan no. 86 Sidakarya Denpasar - Bali, tel +62-361-7400442 [9]. This private villa agency provides a wide range of private staffed villas for rental in Ubud and other locations in Bali. From budget private villas to luxury villas. All private villas are fully staffed and feature private swimming pools.

• Bukit Naga, +62 361 730 668 [10]. A 6 bedroom private villa with a full staff and private car.

• Villa Alamanda, [11]. A 3 bedroom staffed villa of classic Bali design.

• Como Shambhala Estate, [12]. Formerly the Begawan Giri Estate. Price range US$275-$3600 per night. About a 15 minute drive from Ubud. Private residences, the ultimate in luxury.

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