Bali travelogue ,Day 3

Tags

Asia, Bali, Balinese, bamboo creations, Batik, Goa Gajah, Indonesia, Monkey Forest Road, Paddy field, shopping, Tegalalang rice terraces, Ubud, Wayan Cafe

Bali ,Day 3

On the third day ,we decided to don our tourist caps and explore the wonders of Bali . Our first stop were the Tegalalang rice terraces of Ubud .The road leading to the rice terraces is gently hilly and dotted with craft villages and shops throughout the way .

Tegalalang rice fields in Ubud

The vast , green  paddy fields are a visual delight and one of the  most picturesque spots of Bali . After  spending a few minutes admiring the view ,we decided to get in the car as it was too hot .

The town of Ubud is home to number of artisans and craftsmen such as goldsmiths ,silversmiths ,carpenters  etc. As we came across the wonderful creations in wood ,  batik ,ceramic ,mirror work and bamboo ,I was already regretting not having enough space in my bags for shopping . Ubud is really a shopper’s paradise, especially for those with artistic tastes . Many tourists also visit workshops and art villages in Ubud to actually see the professionals in action and understand their work in more detail .

Marvelous shopping options in Bali

Since it was almost lunch time ,we decided to try out Wayan Café and Bakery restaurant in Monkey Forest Road . It is one of Ubud’s most popular spots amongst locals as well as tourists. The ambience of the place is amazing , and  the  garden settings  are definitely amongst the best I have encountered in a restaurant ,yet it exudes a warm and homely feeling   . It seemed to be the kind of place where one could sit for hours , with a good book in hand ,digging into some great food .The food complemented the ambience ,and even though Balinese food is their specialty ,we found the other fare very decent as well . I remember having a  pasta which was yummy (I have discovered that’s it’s surprisingly difficult to find good pasta when eating out ) . Since Wayan Café’s Bakery is famous , we topped of the meal with some warm apple crumble ,accompanied by ice cream .

Our original plan after lunch was to head towards Tanah lot ,a very famous beach temple and watch the sunset . However , as it was raining quite hard and Tanah lot is quite far from Ubud ,we had to modify our plans and defer visiting Tanah Lot to some other day . We instead headed to Goa Gajah ,or the elephant Cave ,which is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site . Goa Gajah is a temple cave , which dates back to the 9^th century and the complex was supposed to be a massive bathing place in ancient times  .

Entrance of the Goa Gajah temple

Evening was spent in roaming the streets of Ubud main Market , and exploring the infinite shopping options that Bali has to offer .Like most local shopping streets in Asia ,here too ,the scope for bargaining is huge . I purchased some earrings ,a few handmade soap and spa packs for gifting ,along with some beachwear in preparation for the next few days that we were going to spend on the beach .