Banjar Kutuh Kaja

Returning from the Mt Batur excursion mid-afternoon, we spent the rest of the afternoon wandering around the beautiful Ubud centre. Shops were either cafes, restaurants or handmade craft shops. As mentioned before, the crafts here are really nice and it was even better seeing locals make some of them. Crafts ranged from wood carvings to glass blowing to paintings and all to a high standard! As we walked into various shops, not once did we feel unwelcome and every time were greeted with a smile, but without the pestering we’ve been used to.
Strolling through central market street wasn’t the same mind you as the familiar ‘I give you good price’ or ‘special discount for you’ came back. We stopped to look at some nice handmade knives and of course carrying hand luggage only this was never an option, yet after explaining this, we were amused to be told that knives are okay in hand luggage and that we should still buy one.

Whilst walking along the main street, there were hundreds of side streets for public access, all needing to step through arches to enter. Wanting to explore we walked under a random archway and had a look around inside. Initially we found clothes outside to dry inside a courtyard but walking a little further along we found a small coffee shop. It was not signposted and arguably difficult to find as we stumbled upon it by chance, but inside was a black fox like animal sitting on a pedestal. The animal was a luwak. Why was a luwak inside a coffee shop? It’s because luwak excrement is the actual coffee bean. Their droppings are collected, roasted and used as coffee beans effectively. Apparently they have a richer fruitier taste but we weren’t to know.

Walking around Ubud itself is an absolute pleasure. Brightly coloured plants and flowers and intricately detailed architecture line the streets. Beautiful monuments are everywhere you look, down back streets, adjacent to shops, even inside shops all of which have fresh offerings inside or beside them.

There is a real sense of pride here and it shows more than anywhere we’ve travelled so far. When riding just outside central Ubud, the sun would often catch the water flowing over the rice terraces often looking as if you’re riding on a lake.Read more