Ubud for a Bag of Rice

The charming village of Ubud is about a 1/2 hour drive from the hustlers and hustle, bustle of Kuta.

The best way to get there is by car.  You can hire a driver for around 250,000Rp, or $27.00AUD.  They can either drop you off and wait until you are ready to return, or take you on a one way trip.

In the past, I have hired Made (pronounced Mar day), he is professional, polite and has a clean car and is a safe driver.  Email him and he will pick you up from wherever you choose.

Made Driver Website

Ubud, surrounded by lush green rainforest and rice paddies,  has a much more relaxed pace and has plenty of activities to keep you occupied.

My first day in Ubud, was made all the better from the kindness of Ketut from Pager Bungalows.  The bungalows are not high end, to say the least and they don't have a pool but what they will give you is a gentle, warm Balinese welcome.

My first night there, Ketut informed me that a festival was about to take place in the temple across the way and I should dress up and go.  People from the surrounding villages will make a pilgrimage and be dressed in their local colours.

Ketut dressed me up in beautiful bright clothes, some from her own wardrobe, put a frangipani behind my ear, told me I looked 'chantik' - beautiful and sent me on my way.

She assured me that the Balinese will be very happy to see me dressed with such respect, to visit their temple.  Even although there are normally signs everywhere, asking tourists to please cover up, quite a few still seem to disrespect this and turn up in singlets and shorts.

She was right.  As I entered, I caught a family, look at me, bow their heads, put their hands to their mouths and smile shyly towards me.  They approached me to compliment me on my clothes and for respecting the rules of their temple.  We started chatting and  before I knew it the husband had invited me to visit the neighbouring village of Kedewatan, his village of which he was very proud and wanted to show me around the following day.

With a little bit of scepticism, I agreed to meet him the next day.  I suppose I should explain my reason for feeling this way.  In Kuta, someone, somewhere, everywhere, is trying to scam you or sell you something, hair braids, manicures, watches, copy handbags and the list goes on.  I was nervous, that after our guided tour, a fee maybe asked for.

So I made a decision based on this.... everyone I spoke to was complaining about the price of rice, their staple diet, the prices had soared.  I would buy a sack of rice, keep it in my car, if, at the end of our 'tour' he asked for money, I would instead give him rice.

We walked up hills, down hills, through rice fields, through lush rainforest, over bridges, past the local school, where the children all called out hello and waved.  Stopping to admire beautiful vistas along the way.

After an hour or two we arrived back in the centre of Kedewatan village.  We sat in the communal bale, drank some water.  Then, he said he had to go, have lunch with his wife and children and afterwards go to work at a nearby resort.

But wait - he didn't ask me for any money.

I told him I had a gift for him and his family.

I rushed to the car, lugged back the large sack of rice and presented it to him, with thanks for showing me his village, the village he is so very proud of and wanted to share with me.