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The Indonesian island of Bali offers much more than its famous beaches, writes
Nivedita Choudhuri
MENTION Bali and the immediate images, which conjure up, are of spectacular beaches. But the island has much more to offer than that. A discerning tourist can head towards hills in the beautiful interiors of the island where time moves at an entirely different pace from that of the tourist resorts at the coastline. Ubud, one of Bali’s major art and culture centres located around 25 miles north of the island’s capital in Denpasar, provides such a setting. Ubud was earlier an important place as a source of medicinal herbs and plants; so it gets its name from the Balinese word ubad (medicine). In 1920s the Ubud’s royal family invited German artist Walter Spies and the Dutch painter Rudolf Bonnet for a visit to the town. Spies was an ethnic German born in Russia, who taught painting and music, and dabbled in dance. Spies, Bonnet and another foreign painter Willem Hofker entertained celebrities, including Charlie Chaplin, Noel Coward, Barbara Hutton, H.G. Wells and Vicki Baum. They brought in some of the greatest artists from all over Bali to teach and train the Balinese in arts, helping Ubud become the cultural centre of Bali as well as an international arts centre. The result is a town filled with art galleries, crafts shops and bohemian cafes. Ubud is located in a natural setting of rice paddies and steep ravines in the island’s central foothills. Chilli, basil, banana and bamboo trees abound in the area. The town also has an impressive backdrop of volcanoes. Apart from Ubud one can
also find hotels in the village of Kedewatan, which is a short
distance away from the town. Situated on a ridge above the Ayung River
valley, it offers Hinduism is woven into the fabric of life in Bali. Every morning, locals place offerings of incense, flowers and food outside the doors of their homes, shops and hotels, in small palm baskets. Good luck is big business in Ubud. Flower and incense sellers are a common sight in the markets. It takes quite an effort not to tread on these gifts to gods. Although this cause more worries to tourists than to the local residents. Puri Saren, Ubud’s royal palace, is the main attraction in the town. The palace dates back to the 1890s. Its monumental gates were created by famous Balinese artist I Gusti Nyoman Lempad. Built in a classic design, a grander version of the traditional family compound, the palace is divided into a series of pavilions, each serving a particular purpose. The local royal family still lives here. Though one can wander around most of the large compound exploring the many traditional and not excessively ornate buildings. At the centre of town is the junction of Monkey Forest Road (officially called Jl Wanara Wana) and Jl Raya Ubud, which has a bustling market. In the main streets of the market persistent bargain hunters often get good antiques and handmade finds, especially woodcarvings. Colourful sarongs and T-shirts, jewellery and pottery are some of the other things one can splurge on. The Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary, a small nature reserve, is located at the end of Monkey Forest Road and has its own temple. It houses 200 long-tailed macaques. They make an interesting sight grooming each other, snuggling together and nibbling on small bananas. It is advisable not to carry any valuables and snacks, especially bananas if you don’t want to be mauled by these apes. The eleventh-century rock-hewn hermitage at Goa Gajah lies within a couple of kilometre near Ubud. Besides the cave itself, there’s a traditional bathing pool, whose elegant sunken contours dominate the courtyard at the site. The cave has a massive carved face entrance. The huge gaping mouth of cave, framed by the upper jaw of a monstrous rock-carved head, is thought to represent either the Earth god Bhoma, or the witch Rangda, or it is a hybrid of the two. The cave itself is small and airless and contains niches in which are placed some Hindu and Buddhist statues. The cave also contains shivlings and a Ganesha statue as well. Another place of interest around Ubud is Pura Puseh, a magnificent temple in the village of Batuan. Batuan’s recorded history goes back 1,000 years. In the 17th century its royal family controlled most of Bali. The decline of its power is attributed to a priest’s curse. The temple’s has many shrines and ornate carvings, a proof of Bali’s famous building arts. The temple also has elaborate gold-painted woodwork. Batuan is dominated by art galleries. Huge emporia line the main road while there are many smaller studios in houses of the village. For those with an adventurous spirit there is river rafting on the Ayung River. Most tour operators provide return hotel transfers and the costs range between $ 40 and $ 45. This usually includes lunch, equipment and the services of an experienced guide. A visit to Ubud is incomplete if one doesn’t visit its spas. Some of these offer massages, facials and body scrubs in thatched huts and cool suites that are screened by white curtains in natural surroundings of rice fields. These highly affordable sanctuaries enhance the feel-good factor and will make you want to come back to Bali again and again.
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