Cooking in Bali with Desak, our villa chef, ended up being one of the highlights of our two-week stay at our Balinese villa, allowing us to tick off a few grand tour goals – learning from locals, learning to cook the local cuisine, and giving back. I taught Desak Western dishes in exchange for her … Read more
Threads of Life is a gorgeous fair trade gallery-cum-shop in Ubud that sells exquisite handmade textiles from Bali and the rest of the Indonesia that are ethically produced. Forget the tourist markets. This is my pick for a one-stop shop for your Bali take-homes. Most visitors to Bali buy their souvenirs – masks, carvings, sarongs, and … Read more
Ubud Monkey Forest must top the list of things to do for most visitors to Bali’s cultural heart of Ubud. It certainly made the top of our list – and it made our day. Ubud Monkey Forest – Monkey Business at Bali’s Macaque Sanctuary As animal lovers, we can’t resist getting up close to such adorable and amazingly … Read more
The artistic, cultural and spiritual heart of Bali for centuries, Ubud is serenely located up in the hills in lush jungle, surrounded by rice-paddies. Lined with galleries, cafés and craft shops, its narrow streets are a delight to wander. There’s no denying that Ubud has become increasingly commercial and its economy is more tourist-focused than ever. … Read more
Life in Bali is imbued with rituals – religious, spiritual and social; complicated and simple – from consulting the Balinese calendar to the daily offerings of incense and flowers made at Hindu and Buddhist temples. Which is why I learnt the art of making offerings in Ubud Every afternoon here at our home in Tumbak Bayuh, … Read more