Central Bali

Central Bali boasts many charms. The stupendous Batur Lake, Mount Kintamani, Trunyan, Tampak Siring, and of course Ubud which name is derived from the Balinese word “ubad” which means medicine (‘obat’ in standard Indonesian), as the town supplied medicinal herbs in ancient times.

Tampak Siring

The temple of Pura Tirta Empul is built around the sacred spring at Tampak Siring. Over 1000 years old, the temple and its two bathing places have been valued by the people because of the spring water’s curative powers. Regular ceremonies are held here for purification. Specialties of this area are bone and ivory carvings.

Mount Batur

The historically active Mount Batur is located at the center of two concentric calderas north west of Mount Agung. The south east side of the caldera contains a caldera lake. The wall of the inner caldera lies beneath Lake Batur, while the Batur cone has been constructed within the inner caldera to a height above the outer caldera rim. The first historically documented eruption of Batur was in 1804, and it has been frequently active since then. The caldera is populated with locals largely relying on agriculture for income but tourism has become increasingly popular due to the relatively straightforward trek to the summit of the central crater.

Kintamani

Kintamani is best reached from Ubud, which is about a one and half hour climbing journey through the mountain range. The first glimpse of the barren slopes of Mount Batur is enough to entice the indifference. The gushing wind of fresh mountain air can make anyone realize that Kintamani could possibly be a piece of heaven on earth. The view is amazing, but note that Kintamani also has its own group of hawkers that can easily irritate you.

Trunyan

Trunyan is an ancient village in Bali, inhabited by people who call themselves ‘Bali Aga’ or old Bali. In Trunyan, the temple Puser Jagat (Navel of the Universe) has an unusual architecture and stands under a massive banyan tree. Instead of cremating their corpses, the Bali Aga people simply place them under this banyan tree. The odor of death is mysteriously masked by a special arboreal fragrance emitted by the banyan tree.

Ubud

Ubud is perhaps the best known centre of what has been called Bali’s theatre state, the cultural and artistic capital of Bali. This rambling country town is located just one hour’s drive north of the airport, convention centers, and resorts of South Bali. Ubud is 300 metres higher and thus cooler than the south. The air is pungent, smelling of the earth, river, and forest. Bright stars crowd the sky at night. Wandering around in the town’s back lanes in the crisp night is both pleasant and safe.

Ubud boasts some of Bali’s most stunning resorts, spas and sophisticated stand alone restaurants serving the best of Asian and Wastern cuisines. A visit to this country town also offers the chance to savor such delicacies as smoked duck (bebek betutu) or the farmed spit roasted and mouth watering suckling pig (babi guling).

Ubud Palce and Puri Saren Agung share space in the heart of Ubud. The compound has many ornate corners and was mostly built after the 1917 earthquake. The local royal family still lives here and you can wander around most of the large compound explorting the many traditional and not excessively ornate buildings. Just north, Pura Marajan Agung has one of the finest gates you’ll find and is the private temple for Ubud’s royal family. Moving a bit to the west, there’s Pura Taman Saraswati (Ubud Water Palace). Waters from the temple at the rear of the site feed the pond at the front, which is a riotous tangle of pink lotus blossoms. There are carvings that honor Dewi Saraswati, the goddesss of wisdom and the arts, who has clearly given her blessing to Ubud.

There are lots of awe-inspiring walks to surrounding villages or through the rice paddies. Take your time strolling through the Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary. Continue south on the lane to the village of Nyuhkuning, and turn weat along the south end of the footbal field, then turn south down the narrow road. At the southern end of the village, follow the paved road across the brigde over Sungai Wos to Dangin Lebak. Take the track to the right just after the large Bale Banjar Dangin Lebak. From here, follow paths due north through the rice paddies, and veer left, westward to a paved road to reach Katik Lantang, continue north to Penestanan, where many artists live. Follow the paved road through the village, veering east, and back to Ubud.

The joy of Ubud and what makes people stay weeks instead of days is the cultural entertainment. This is where you can base yourself not only for the nightly array of performance, but also to keep up with news of scheduled events in surrounding villages. In a weekin Ubud you can see Kecak, Legong and Barong dances, Mahabharata, and Ramayana ballets, wayang kulit puppets and gamelan orchestras. The main venues are Ubud Palace, Padangtegal Dance Stage, Pura Dalem Puri, and ARMA Open Stage. Ubud is also one of the best places in Bali to see many religious and cultural events that are celebrated on the island each year. One of them is Ubud Writer & Readers Festival which brings together scores of writers and authors from around the world in a celebration of writing especially which touches in Bali.

Ubud also boast the charm of Bali Bird Walks. For the keen birdwatcher, a morning walk will give ou the chance to see maybe 30 of the 100 local species. Last but not least, visit Lebih, with its beach made of mica that sparkles with a billion points of light and Pura Klotek Beach, which has a small temple and an unique black sand.