Rating:
Weather:
Ideal duration: 2-3 days
Best Time: July to September Read More
Planning a Trip? Ask Your Question
Known to be the spiritual centre of Bali, Ubud's humble and understated nature is the antithesis to the loud, brash, hard-partying lifestyle that has come to define Kuta and Seminyak. Brought to the masses in the Julia Roberts film 'Eat, Pray, Love', Ubud is a quaint town of artists and is regarded as the arts and craft hub with all the galleries and artists' workshops in the town and nearby villages. Ubud oozes charm and old-world culture and offers visitors the quintessential traditional Balinese experiences.
The world-famous Jatiluwih rice terraces and its tranquil and verdant expanses, the multitude of temples scattered in and around Ubud, and the waterfalls that dot the landscape ensure that there is something for everyone looking for a Bali experience outside the typical Bali vacation. Ubud is also famous for the many art galleries and workshops they conduct. It offers the perfect avenue for tourists looking to buy authentic Balinese art or those who want to learn how to create it by themselves.
$ 12 onwards
$ 25 onwards
$ 74 onwards
$ 722 onwards
$ 12 onwards
$ 18 onwards
Historically, Ubud is a very rich place. Evidences of numerous archaeological finds in the area are proof of its rich culture and history since the Bronze Age. One of the most remarkable artefacts from that time is the bronze gong known as 'The Moon of Pejeng', displayed in Pura Panataran Sasih in Pejeng, east of Ubud. In the 8th Century, a Buddhist priest called Rsi Marhandya came to Bali from Java on pilgrimage with a group of followers and meditated at the confluence of the East and West Wos Rivers, met in Campuan, on the edge of Ubud, and declared the place holy. As a result, a shrine was established and later expanded by Nirartha, the Javanese priest regarded as the founder of Bali's religious practices and rituals as we know them today.
The Javanese Majapahit kingdom conquered Bali in 1343, and the key final victory was against the Pejeng Dynasty centred at Bedulu. This was when the Balinese culture flourished, and the ancestry of Ubud's current day aristocratic families can be traced back to this period. In 1900, Ubud became a Dutch protectorate at its own request, and the colonialists interfered little, allowing the traditional arts and culture of the area to remain relatively unchanged. The modern era of Ubud perhaps began in the 1930s, when foreign artists were encouraged by the royal family to take up a presence in the town.
Denis Dewata Dewata
2 years ago