As rice paddies give way to jungle, you enter the temple gates leading to the town of Ubud on the island of Bali, Indonesia. With views of the volcano to the north, Ubud is set in a lush river gorge that winds its way down to sea, which is about an hour away on both the east and west sides of the island’s southern coastline.
Around every corner are vestiges of Balinese culture—centuries-old temples, colorful processions, handmade offerings, the scent of incense… It’s been the place to be in terms of art, craftmanship, and dance since the late 19th century, when feudal lords made Ubud their base and bankrolled its art scene.
Its reputation as a place of artistic inspiration reached far and wide, attracting painters, playwrights, socialites, and more from around the globe… It was put in the spotlight in 2010 thanks to the film, “Eat Pray Love,” starring Julia Roberts.
Some of the most picturesque scenes in the movie feature Julia riding her bicycle down narrow laneways, dotted with ducks and flanked by rice fields on either side of the road…
Spoiler alert: Ubud was the setting for the “love” section of the story. The natural backdrop of the film that contained scenes of airy open architecture, rice terraces, and ancient temples made it seem like there was no other option but for Julia to find love
at this story’s happy ending.
Today, Ubud continues to inspire, with signs of innovation present in its art, design, and culinary scenes. Modern, award-winning architecture is sidled alongside the ancient temples, with concepts like sustainability and mindfulness incorporated into the blueprints…
Surrounded by rolling green hillside (it’s perched at an elevation of 600 meters (2,000 feet) above sea level), Ubud inspires not only deep thinking but rest and relaxation.
It’s a mecca for mindfulness, meditation, yoga, spas, and relaxation-focused resorts (including high-end luxury accommodations with Michelin-star restaurants). At spas all over town, you can have high-quality Balinese massage treatments done on the cheap.
There’s something about the gentle breeze, sounds of the jungle, and the green hills etched with rice paddies that lulls you into a state of peacefulness in Ubud…
