Drive to Ubud, More Monkeys and Butterflies Too!
Before leaving for Bali, I had spent countless hours researching the what was available to see and experience.
I knew this was probably going to be a once-in-a-lifetime adventure for me, and I wanted to make the most of every moment. I carefully planned where I wanted to go, what I hoped to see, and which experiences mattered most.
Lovina Beach had been my first destination because it gave me a chance to see the quieter countryside of Bali, enjoy the dolphin sunrise boat trip, and spend a little time near the ocean before heading inland.
But Ubud was always one of the places I was most excited about.
I wanted to spend time in Bali’s famous artist community, explore the mountain landscapes, visit the terraced rice fields, and of course finally see the Sacred Monkey Forest for myself.
There was one more stop I absolutely did not want to miss along the way:
The Bali Butterfly Gardens near Tabanan.
The Drive From Lovina to Ubud
When my driver, Wayan, picked me up to take me from Lovina to Ubud, I reminded him several times that I hoped to stop at the butterfly gardens during the trip.
He laughed warmly and assured me, “No problem!”
Wayan was incredibly friendly. Once we started driving, he asked if I would like some music.
On my earlier drive across Bali I had fallen completely in love with traditional Balinese music. Everywhere I went throughout the island I heard the soft sounds of flutes, bells, drums, and melodic rhythms drifting from restaurants, passing cars, and tiny roadside shops. It gave Bali a magical atmosphere unlike anywhere else I had ever visited.
So when Wayan put music on, I expected more beautiful Balinese music.
Instead, Bob Marley suddenly filled the car.
I had to laugh.
It was not what I expected at all, but somehow it fit perfectly with the relaxed spirit of Bali.
One More Monkey Stop
As we drove higher into the mountains, I realized we would likely be passing the roadside monkey area I had visited on the drive to Lovina.
At first I debated whether or not I should ask Wayan to stop again.
After all, I had already seen the monkeys once, and I would soon be visiting the Sacred Monkey Forest in Ubud anyway.
But as we got closer, I thought:
Why not?
How many chances does a person really get to hand-feed monkeys on the side of a mountain road in Bali?
Wayan happily pulled over, and I practically scrambled out of the car to buy bananas and peanuts from the roadside vendors.
This side of the mountain gave a completely different view from the first time I had stopped there.
The monkeys were everywhere along the guardrails and roadside walls, casually watching tourists and waiting hopefully for treats.
One monkey had somehow gotten hold of a glass bottle and was amusing himself by playing with it.
A little while later I suddenly heard glass shatter loudly on the pavement behind me. I never actually turned around to confirm it, but I strongly suspect the monkey had grown tired of the bottle and tossed it onto the road.
That seemed very much in character.
The Peanut Thief
After passing out all my bananas, I opened a bag of peanuts.
Nearby stood a young couple with two small children watching the monkeys nervously but excitedly. I asked the parents if the children would like to help feed the monkeys using some of my peanuts.
They smiled immediately.
As I held the bag out toward the little girl, who was probably around six years old, a large monkey suddenly charged in from nowhere, grabbed the entire bag from underneath my hand, and ran off triumphantly with it.
There was absolutely no chance I was going to argue with that monkey over ownership of the peanuts.
I managed to scoop up a few peanuts that had spilled onto the ground during the monkey robbery and handed them to the children instead.
The kids were thrilled.
And honestly, so was I.
Moments like that are the kind of travel memories you never forget.
Valleys, Mountains, and Rice Fields
Back on the road, we continued climbing through Bali’s mountain countryside.
The scenery constantly changed.
Sometimes we passed busy commercial streets packed with shops and scooters. Other times we wound through quiet villages filled with temples, carved stone gates, and beautiful homes tucked among tropical plants.
Then suddenly the landscape would open into enormous green valleys and rice terraces stretching across the hillsides.
The drive itself became part of the adventure.
Every curve in the road seemed to reveal something new.
Arrival at the Butterfly Gardens
Eventually we arrived at the Bali Butterfly Gardens near Tabanan.
I tried not to get my expectations too high.
Not long before this trip I had visited a butterfly garden in Thailand and, unfortunately, there had only been a handful of rather ordinary brown butterflies. I had walked away disappointed.
But this place immediately felt different.
A giant butterfly sculpture welcomed visitors near the entrance, and the beautifully landscaped gardens already hinted that this was going to be something special.
Inside one small enclosed nursery area were rows of chrysalis cases and newly hatched butterflies.
An attendant asked if I would like to hold one.
Before I could even fully answer, she gently placed a huge butterfly onto my hand, then another onto my shoulder, and another in my hair.
These butterflies were enormous.
Some looked nearly six inches across, with brilliant greens, yellows, reds, and black patterns glowing in the light.
I was completely amazed.
A Garden Full of Surprises
Just beyond the butterfly nursery was another exhibit filled with enormous exotic insects unlike anything I had ever seen before.
Some looked like leaves.
Others resembled sticks or strange alien creatures.
The attendant explained that many of them came from the island of Java.
The gardens themselves were also beautiful to explore even aside from the butterflies—lush tropical plants, ponds, flowers, and quiet pathways made the entire place peaceful and relaxing.
I could easily have spent the entire afternoon there.
But we still had a long drive remaining to reach Ubud, and Wayan still had to make the long journey all the way back to Lovina after dropping me off.
Reluctantly, I finally said goodbye to the butterflies and climbed back into the car.
Ubud was waiting.
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