After Uluwatu, we set off for Ubud. Ubud, if you don’t know anything about it, is a cultural hub in Bali. Surrounded by picturesque rice paddy fields but utter chaos in the centre. The contrast of slow and fast place life sets Ubud apart, and though we’re normally ones to avoid chaotic environments, Ubud remains to be one of our favourite places.
Retreating from the chaos
I think we managed to enjoy the hustle and bustle of Ubud, because we had someone quiet and peaceful to retreat to at the end of every day. Green Paddy Hostel was the ultimate place to base ourselves during this trip. Out of the noise and into the fields (where my Norfolk heart finds comfort), it was truly a sanctuary within the madness.
Taking it slow
There is no shortage of things to do in Ubud. From quad biking through caves to a sunrise climb up Mount Batur, Ubud is the one place you won’t get bored. One visit won’t be long enough to see and do everything. We weren’t keen on a jam packed schedule though, and wanted to carve out time to relax and go at our own leisurely pace.
Taking the opportunity of the ultra-cheap spa treatments in Bali, I dived into a spa at the beginning of a long, tropical downpour (it’s still rainy season after all!) and treated myself to a pedicure and a leg massage. Later in the week, we went to a different spa where Ben got his first ever manicure and we both enjoyed a Balinese full body massage, for less than how much we paid for a bottle of suncream later that day (outrageous! I don’t know about you, but I think a better form of sun protection is staying inside and getting another massage).
A souvenir for a lifetime
A silversmith workshop is a popular thing to do in Ubud and has become one of my most memorable days on this trip. There are plenty of workshops central to Ubud, but we decided to go to Pande Silversmith workshop about an hour’s drive on Scooter in Sideman. Once we got off the main roads the drive was stunning. Winding up above the tiered paddy fields the view was breathtaking. The Pande family was a four generation silversmith family, with Pande actually meaning ‘blacksmith’ in Balinese. The family were so friendly and welcoming to us.
Making our own rings
We were given a bunch of rings to take inspiration from, then went through the entire process of making our own rings. They explained to us we were using 100% silver as it would be more malleable and easier for us to work with. We weighed the silver, smelted it, poured it into a mold, squished it to the right length and thickness, then went about personalising it into our chosen design.
We also stamped words on the inside of the ring to make it even more special. Ben’s says ‘Mule keto’, meaning ‘that’s life’ or ‘it is what it is’ in balinese. Mine says ‘Bintang’, which means star in balinese (and is also the name of the popular lager over here!). I then became really indecisive with my choice of design, but they were so patient about it and brought me over more rings to help me decide. I got there eventually and decided on a hammered look with a rising sun! Ben knew what he wanted from the off and ended up with a beautiful beach scene carved into his ring.
The end result was exactly what we were after and it’s a day to remember forever and a souvenir to cherish (that doesn’t take up too much room in the backpack either).
Ceremonial cacao, sound healing and yin yoga
When in Bali right? Before arriving, I had asked Ben if he’d try out something a bit on the spiritual scale while in Bali. Be it a relaxing, yin yoga class, a meditation class, something he’d never done or even thought about doing before, because if you’re only going to do it once, well, it may as well be while you’re in Bali, right?
He’d agreed to a meditation class (although I personally thought a yin yoga class would have suited better, if you don’t know, in yin yoga you lie down in around 5-6 supported postures for 7-15 minutes, easy peasy). Before we’d found the right one for him, I came across a Ceremonial cacao/Sound healing yin yoga class. SOLD. Even just for the cup of cacao. I attended the class and, get this, had a beautiful spiritual experience.
A spiritual experience
Spiritual or not, stay with me here. It’s not the only way to describe it either. To sum it up for you, I have never felt so much self-love and gratitude at one time. It was liberating, uplifting, light, and honestly, I think the world would be a better place if everyone experienced something like that. I go into it in more detail in my blog post My spiritual experience in Bali, check it out if you’re interested in hearing more about what happened.
Other than the delicious indonesian food we had while we were there that pretty much sums up our week in Ubud! Ubud is what you make it, and we made it a pretty relaxing holiday! Wouldn’t change it for the world. Off to the next place: Nusa Lembongan!
