Ubud, Bali Island (Indonesia)

Ubud is an ancient city in the central mountainous part of the island of Bali, located 10 km north of Denpasar at an altitude of 600 m above sea level.

According to zipcodesexplorer, Ubud is considered the cultural center of the island. There are a large number of museums here. The most famous museum, the Puri Lukisan Art Museum, was founded in 1956. Its building is located in a garden and is surrounded by fountains and statues. The paintings are presented here in chronological order of their writing, so that you can trace the history of the development of painting on the island. In addition to paintings, there is a jewelry gallery and a batik gallery.

West of Ubud, the Neka Museum is located in the Champuan district. He stands at the top of the hill. The exposition of the museum is collected by the artist Neka, who traveled all over the world, so it includes the works of masters of the island of Bali, Indonesian and Western artists. Also of interest are the house-museum of the artist and sculptor Lempad and the Museum of Balinese Art in the east of Ubud in the village of Pengosekan.

North of Ubud, in the village of Mas, there is a woodcarving center. The most interesting places here are the Tilem, Tantra, Anom and Sutarzha galleries. In numerous shops you can buy a variety of masks and other wooden products.

Around Ubud it is worth visiting the local temples. 18 km northeast of the city in the valley is the Gunun Kawi complex. It was built in the 11th century as the tomb of King Anak Wangsu. A staircase with 371 steps leads to the complex. It consists of a small temple on one side of the river, which became the burial place of the king’s wives, and of the main temple, where the tomb of the king himself is located, on the other side of the river. The tombstones at Gunun Kawi are carved into the rock in the form of sanctuaries and are located four on each side of the river in 7-meter niches. The temple complex of Puoa Saraswati, which was built in honor of the local goddess Saraswati (goddess of water), as well as the ritual place “Elephant Cave” are of interest. Apparently, it served as a place for prayers, meditations and ascetic practices. The entrance is made in the form of a demon’s head, who should guard the sanctuary, and his mouth serves as a passage. On the inside, the walls are decorated with stone ornaments depicting animals, human figures and plants. Both Hindu and Buddhist sculptures were found inside, and there is a small park around the cave.

Interesting temple complex Puoa Saraswati, which was built in honor of the local goddess Saraswati (goddess of water), as well as the ritual place “Elephant Cave”. Apparently, it served as a place for prayers, meditations and ascetic practices. The entrance is made in the form of the head of a demon, which is supposed to guard the sanctuary, and its mouth serves as a passage. On the inside, the walls are decorated with stone ornaments depicting animals, human figures and plants. Both Hindu and Buddhist sculptures were found inside. Ubud’s most popular attraction is the Monkey Forest. It is located on the southern outskirts of the city. This is a small nature reserve, which is a park with concrete paths. During a walk in the park, you will see more than 200 monkeys, long-tailed Balinese macaques. Usually visitors feed the monkeys, but care must be taken that they do not become aggressive because they think you have food. In addition to monkeys, there are 3 temples here. It is believed that they are the accumulation of magical power and the refuge of evil spirits.

North of Ubud, in the Taro jungle, is the Elephant Park. Here, visitors can hand-feed the elephants, touch them, watch them swim in the pond, and go on elephant safaris. Moreover, all conditions have been created for children to ride on these large animals.

On the river Ayang flowing near Ubud, you can go rafting and kayaking. While rafting on it, you can look at the local landscapes. Rafting here is suitable for tourists of any level of preparedness.

Ubud, Bali Island (Indonesia)