Magical Ubud
The first big change is the traffic....be aware that the traffic in Bali is madness and so busy. We arrived into the domestic terminal, after transferring in Jakarta to be told by Kimmy, our driver that the journey could be anything between 50 minutes to 2.5hours! It did take about 2 hours of nose to nose traffic all the way, with motorbikes dashing around us. I am so glad I was not driving.
We had booked into the Ubud Wani resort on the outskirts of Ubud. What a fantastic sanctuary this place was. We had booked a family suite, which had 2 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms, one of which was an outdoor bathroom. I recommend you try a shower at least once in an outdoor shower. It is a wonderful experience. The hotel is on Monkey Forest Road and is only a 20 minute walk into Ubud, although the hotel also runs a shuttle bus. There are lots of lovely restaurants and bars near the hotel and that is where we stayed at nice, happily eating my favourite Nasi Goreng.
I am glad we walked into Ubud as it brought back so many memories for Paul and I. There are lots of shops and stalls to look at on the way and an abundance of Australian Surfer Brands which the kids loved. Our main aim was to get to the Royal Palace in Ubud. This is where we stayed when we visited last time. It is still a great place to wander, however I do not think you can stay there anymore. It was a strange experience last time as you would be sat having breakfast in your little hut with tourists wandering around outside. The kids thought this was so funny.
Ubud is the cultural centre of Bali and has lots of arts and craft shops, however if you have the time get a driver to take you to the nearby villages that produce the wood or batik and you will get a better price.
The walk back to the hotel gave us the opportunity to visit the Monkey Forest. This is an area that is filled with temples, waterfalls and walkways and lots of monkeys. It is a lovey place to wander, we was later in the day and so not very packed. The monkeys are such fun to watch, however you have to be careful of your belongings as they may try and take them.
If you are in Bali then I would recommend a couple of days in Ubud. It is such a magical place once the day trippers have gone and some amazing hotels and restaurants.