Arrival in Ubud — Bali’s Artistic and Cultural Heart

Of all the places I had researched before coming to Bali, Ubud was the one I was most curious about.

Everywhere I read described it as the artistic and cultural center of the island — a place filled with galleries, music, temples, markets, and creativity.

And of course… monkeys.

When Wayon dropped me off Tuesday afternoon on Monkey Forest Road, I had absolutely no room reservations and no real idea where I was going to stay.

That may sound stressful to some people, but at the time it felt exciting.

I knew I wanted to stay somewhere within walking distance of the Sacred Monkey Forest. Seeing the monkeys had been one of my main motivations for coming to Ubud in the first place.

The first hotel I spotted was the Sagittarius Motel. I actually laughed to myself a little because Sagittarius happens to be my sign. I thought maybe it was fate.

Unfortunately, when I checked at the desk, they told me they were full.

So there I was standing on Monkey Forest Road with my luggage and laptop, trying to decide what to do next, when a young Balinese man approached me and asked if I was looking for a room.

Normally I might have been more cautious, but Bali had already given me a strong feeling of friendliness and hospitality. He motioned for me to follow him down a small alley directly across from the Sagittarius Motel.

With a little hesitation — but also curiosity — I followed.

The alley opened up into another small hotel tucked away from the busy street called the Dewi Ayu.

As we walked, I asked how much the rooms cost.

“165,000 rupiah,” he replied.

After a quick calculation in my head, I realized that came out to about sixteen dollars a night. Definitely worth taking a look.

As it turned out, the place was fantastic.

He asked if I wanted an upstairs or downstairs room, and I chose upstairs. He led me up a staircase to a large balcony with a single private room overlooking beautiful tropical gardens.

The room itself was simple, spacious, and very clean. No television, which honestly suited me just fine. There was a ceiling fan, which in Bali was really all you needed, and a separate bathroom.

It felt peaceful.

After getting settled in and completing the registration process, I headed back out to explore Ubud.

And almost immediately I understood why people fall in love with this town.

Simply walking along Monkey Forest Road felt like an experience all by itself.

Everywhere I looked there was beauty.

Intricately carved temple gates. Stone statues. Small shrines tucked into corners. Traditional Balinese architecture woven naturally throughout the town. Even ordinary buildings seemed artistic.

The streets were alive with interesting little shops, colorful displays, handcrafted items, paintings, masks, carvings, and textiles.

I walked slowly, crossing back and forth from one side of the street to the other, trying to take everything in.

One thing I loved immediately about Bali was how art and spirituality seemed blended into everyday life. Beauty was not reserved for museums or special places — it was simply everywhere.

At one restaurant and bar I noticed a sign advertising live Reggae music on Tuesdays, Fridays, and Sundays at the Lobong Cafe. I made a mental note of it and kept walking.

The streets were filled with travelers from all over the world. I heard many different languages being spoken as tourists wandered through shops and restaurants. English seemed to become the common bridge between everyone — Balinese locals and foreign visitors alike.

Later that evening I headed back toward a vegetarian restaurant I had spotted earlier called Warduni Warung.

Traveling as a vegetarian can sometimes be unpredictable, especially in a country you have never visited before, so discovering good vegetarian restaurants always felt like a small victory.

The food was excellent.

In fact, I ended up eating there many times during my stay in Ubud, sampling different Balinese vegetarian dishes from the menu.

As I sat there eating dinner, I remembered the sign I had seen earlier advertising live Reggae music.

Now, I have never really been much of a bar person, and I was certainly not someone deeply into Reggae music. But sitting there in Bali, halfway around the world from home, I found myself thinking:

Why not?

That had quietly become the theme of the trip.

Try new things.
Go on the adventure.
See where the road leads.

And Ubud already felt like exactly the kind of place where unexpected experiences were waiting around every corner.

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