Travelers prefer to visit Ubud

DENPASAR (indo.com): Dubbed the second landmark of Bali, Ubud is rapidly growing in popularity, with a number of domestic and foreign travelers ending up staying much longer than they originally anticipated. There are plenty of interesting walks in the area, to surrounding villages or through the rice paddies.

Visitors will frequently see artists at work in open rooms and verandahs, and the timeless tasks of rice cultivation continue alongside luxury hotels. Taking an organized tour is a good idea as many of the attractions around Ubud are quite difficult to reach by public transport, and finding your way around this part of Bali is not easy, even with your own vehicle. All travel agencies in Ubud can arrange organized tours, but it is worth shopping around as prices vary.

Ubud has hundreds places to stay, from small guesthouses to five-star hotels. The cheapest places are mostly in the central Ubud near the top end of monkey forest road, but there are plenty of equally good alternatives withing walking distance from here.

Ubud's plethora of restaurants probably offers the tastiest and most diverse range of food on the island. Visitors can get excellent western food, while authentic Indonesian and Balinese dishes will often be on the menu as well. For the cheapest meals, the market has food stalls, but they often close early in the evening. The prices of meals in restaurants and warungs is considerably cheaper in areas where budget travelers normally stay.

Entertainment in Ubud is more cultural, and certainly more sedate than you will find in other tourist centres such as Sanur, Kuta, and Lovina. For shoppers, the best advice is to visit a gallery or two and get an idea about quality and price, and then shop around until you see something you really like at the price that suits - and don't forget to bargain hard. Alternatively, you can use Ubud as a base to explore the amazing number of craft and antique shops all the way down to Batubulan Village.

Getting around Ubud can be achieved on two bemo (public transport) routes. This is straightforward and cheap, and will get you cheek by jowel with the locals. Shuttle buses are very useful for places which are not particularly easy to reach by public transport. But renting a vehicle is by far the best way to explore off the beaten track. There are very few taxis in Ubud, other than those that have dropped off passengers in Ubud from south Bali and are hoping for a fare back. They should use their meters, and you should definitely check this with the driver first.