It may be hard, but let’s step away from Bali’s beaches for a little bit. Situated amongst the green glowing rice paddies and steep valleys in the central foothills of the island lies the ever so charming Ubud. If you are an art aficionado, then this is where you need to go. We’ve already mentioned the gorgeous rice fields. Nature lovers, this is where you need to be as well. In other words, you cannot miss Ubud if you are in Bali.

Once you step foot into this town (or a collection of villages), you can’t help but be overwhelmed with the art! Everything from canvas paintings, sculptures and the outright imaginative work are all on display. Some must-see galleries include The Blanco Renaissance Museum (which is dedicated to the artist Antonio Blanco), ARMA Museum (one of the best permanent collections of Balinese and Indonesian paintings) and Tiliem Gallery (known for its fine wood carving collection). Art also includes performances, so this is where you will see the best of the best Barong dances, Pura Dalem performances and shadow puppeting.

Nearby is Monkey Forest. Yes, you guessed right, it is a forest park filled with monkeys. More than 300 of our relatives live there and in addition, about 115 species of trees call the park home. Be careful though. Bringing food or anything edible into the reserve is asking for trouble. These little guys will just snatch them from you. And you better give it to them, otherwise they’ll be aggressive.

And now to a more sinister and disturbing cultural site. Why do we say that? Well, if you look at it and walk through its entrance, you’ll see why. This is the Elephant Cave, a 9^th century sanctuary featuring stuff from your nightmares! Menacing beasts, creatures and demons decorate the place (for lack of a better word). And the entrance? A mouth of one of these evil beings.

The area surrounding Ubud is also home to diverse landscapes, ideal for an adventurous Bali tour. Whether it is trekking, rafting or cycling you’ll definitely get your fair share of thrills and adventure. Once you’re done with that, you may want to reward yourself by basking in the always tempting Balinese beaches. Find out more with our Indonesia and Bali tours.

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