Ubud Bali, Art and Cultural Center

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Why? Well, partly because one of the reasons I am attracted to Bali in the first place is its exotic nature. Unlike the more Westernized parts of the island, Ubud strikes a balance between providing comfort and familiarity for the traveler and retaining its unique cultural flavor.

What do I mean by this? Well, in Ubud, you will find many restaurants that serve up Balinese fare—but the restaurant décor and service caters to what any American, Japanese, European or Australian visitor would expect in a restaurant at home. What you won’t find, thankfully (at least not yet, and let’s hope it stays that way) are the stereotypical chains that seem to be appearing everywhere these days—no McDonald’s, or Starbucks.

Further, although there are many luxury hotels and villa options, for the most part most of these are on the outskirts of town, while in town there are smaller, family-style accommodations. The town itself, while commercialized, sells Bali products and is not congested to the extent of other popular Bali destinations like Kuta and Seminyak. Also, it is a very “walkable” destination.

That being said, Ubud is not for the partier. Everything seems to slow down, and eventually close down, as night falls. Also, Ubud is located in the central portion of the island (aka, the middle) and so you will not be able to walk out of your hotel and find a beach within a few minutes, unlike Kuta, or Sanur.

On the plus side, again, is the central location—you are within a reasonable drive to almost any part of the island in Ubud. The temperatures then to be cooler in this part of the island, which is 650-1300 ft. (200-300 meters) above sea level. Finally, most of the true arts districts are in the Gianyar region, the heart of which is Ubud.

Ubud, and Bali itself, became famous worldwide with the arrival of westerners Miguel and Rose Covarrubias, Margaret Mead, Walter Spies and Rudolph Bonnet in the 1920's. They are credited with introducing the Balinese artistic talent to the world, and their influence is still felt today.

Bali culture, art and dance seem to be the driving force of this small island town…and if that is what you are interested in, this is the place for you.