Ubud Travel Guide

Eat at the Dirty Duck restaurant. The place has no walls and it overlooks a large, very picturesque rice paddy. The owner could not decide on a name for the place; a couple of days before opening some ducks from the marshy rice field flew into the restaurant and waddled about with their wet feet covered in marsh mud. Sooooooooooooo...dirty duck restaurant. They specialize in duckling dishes (a form of revenge!?). Also, do not miss the shadow puppet shows. Go backstage either before or after the show; most of the performers speak English and they are more than willing to join you for an after-theater supper.

A good place to catch local dance in Ubud at at Padangtegal Dance Stage, located on Jl Hannoman. It is a simple, oven venue where you can find good Kecak and Fire dances. Tickets will be sold at the entrance right before the evening performance or a few days before. worth a few hours of your time.

Ubud is the cultural heart of Bali, already a cultural oasis in a kitschy land... While tourists flock to the beaches and frequent the bar, in Ubud we meditate, go to the local art museum or gallery, visiting painters and see them work, visit artisans at their workshops, and hang around cafes with tranquil lotus ponds and gamelan music in the background. The last time we're there it's quite packed, with tourists walking up and down its main street and alleys - it's ok, it's good for local economy! but you will have to tolerate it - still, shopping is more on the elegant side, you'll find the finest combination of Balinese style and craftmanship (while most of the goods might be made by Javanese sweatshop laborers) and western (should we say Australian) taste and materials. A rented motorcycle is a good way to travel around Ubud, then of course walking about.