UBUD. A NAME THAT WOULD PROMPTLY EVOKE AN IMAGE OF EXOTIC CULTURE, OF VERDANT RICE TERRACE FIELDS, OF A SERENE SPOT WHERE SPIRITUALITY IS HONED AND NURTURED. UBUD IS INDEED ALL OF THAT, AND MORE.

Perched to the north of Bali, Ubud derived from the word “ubad” meaning medicine can be somewhat far removed from the hustle and bustle of the touristic hot spots in the south of Bali. It’s a place where the sound of nature intermingles with the soothing sound of gamelan playing somewhere in the distance; a portrait of old and new Bali as it is considered as the epicentrum of the island’s art and culture. It’s a cool, breezy town of artisans, yogis, dancers, spiritual healers, writers, naturists, and, the creative souls searching for quiet inspiration. So which one are you? If you are new to the town, worry not, because we’re here to guide you to the miscellaneous things to do in Ubud.

MORNING MOTION

With verdant view and peaceful surroundings, no wonder Ubud is such a haven for yogis. From hatha to vinyasa to kundalini you’ll find the many branches of yoga practiced in Ubud. Places like Radiantly Alive, The Yoga Barn, and Intuitive Flow have been major players in driving forward the local yoga scene with daily classes led by registered yoga teachers with the Yoga International Alliance.

Like its namesake, Radiantly Alive’s mission is to unearth the radiance within and with 80 open level yoga and movement classes available we’d say they got the job done.

They have only two yoga studio, which creates a more intimate yoga experience, and the eco hip joint also caters to other spiritual and inside out physical healing practices such as pranic acupuncture and colonic, and if you intend to follow your yoga teacher’s footsteps, then you may join their teacher’s training class (available from 200 to 300 hours of training classes).

RADIANTLY ALIVE

Jl. Jembawan No. 3, Padangtegal

(0361) 978055

www.radiantlyalive.com

INTO THE MUD

There are all kinds of wrestling you can find around the world. The Japanese have their sumo, the Russians have their sambo, the Americans has their WWE, and the Balinese? They have their mepantigan.

It involves two people draped in a traditional outfit a headband called udeng and sarong that are naturally wrapped short for easy movement stepping into a pool of mud near a rice field accompanied by the spirit-rousing sound of baleganyur (the Balinese gamelan). Thus the wrestling begins. The word mepantigan itself literally means “to throw” in Balinese.

The history of Mepantigan dates back as far as the 1930s when martial artist, I Putu Witsen, created the sport with the help of dancer Wayan Limbak (who invented the Kecak Dance); combining elements of Balinese folklore, traditional dance, and other martial arts such as Pencak Silat and Tae Kwon Do to craft a martial art that is quintessentially Bali.

Mepantigan is today still performed in Batubulan and Ubud area but occasionally are also held for touristic purposes (such as previously in ARMA in Ubud) but you can learn it too.

Just go to www.mepantiganbali.com for details.

ART GAZING AT THE MUSEUM

Beginning in the 1930s, Ubud has been a melting pot for local and international artists. Hearing about the exoticism of the island, painters like Spaniard Antonio Blanco and German Walter Spies come flocking in. The eccentric Blanco has his legacy enthroned in the vast, two-story The Blanco Renaissance Museum, his former house/studio, that displays 300 of his paintings that mostly depicts the sensual images of bare-breasted Balinese women (on which his Balinese wife, a celebrated dancer, frequently posed as the model).

BLANCO RENAISSANCE MUSEUM

Jl. Raya Campuhan, Sayan, Ubud

(0361) 975502

www.blancomuseum.com

PLAY WITH CLAY

Holidaying in Bali doesn’t always have to involve shopping for ready-made souvenirs you can always make one yourself! If you’re into ceramic or pottery and wants to bring one home as gifts then head up to Ubud to start your experience behind the (spinning) wheel.

One of the top courses is at Sari Api Ceramic Studio where you can peacefully spin in an open verandah overlooking verdant rice fields. You can enlist in one of their classes and workshops on wheel-throwing and hand-building, with some classes being taught by the founder herself, Suzan Kohlik. It’s not exclusively for the novice, though experienced visitors can rent studio rooms to further honed their craftsmanship.

Another mentor to seek is I Made Artha, founder of ART’ha Ceramic, whose studio is equipped with two gas fired kilns, three potter’s wheels, and two large working tables. The studio has a homier vibe and you can even bring your children since Artha also offers Kid’s Pottery Class for them to play with clay.

THAT HEALING MAGIC

These healers (or Balian in the local vernacular) are endowed with the gift of foresight and heightened sense, and in fact, the Balinese have been seeking advice and wisdom from them since time immemorial. Ida Bagus Alit Kencana (Jl. Ambarwati) and Man Arya Dunung (Jl. Tirta Tawar no. 12) are two of the Ubud based healers. To visit them, wear respectful clothes and a sarong and bring sesajen, the offerings made from banana leaves and filled with various local flora, and, if you wish, you can also slip a donation in return for his advice. You can either seek a simple advice, a reading (based on your birthday) or ask to be “cleansed” (or melukat in Balinese).

Speaking of melukat, visit the water temple Tirta Empul (literally means “holy water spring”) for a cleansing and refreshing bath in its holy springs. Located at Tampaksiring village, the temple complex (dedicated to the god Vishnu) acts as a sort of pilgrimage destination for Balinese Hindus as they held ceremonies in the complex and purify themselves in the bathing pool and pray under the 13 sculpted spouts that lines the edges of the pool.

TIRTA EMPUL

Jl. Tirta, Manukaya, Tampaksiring

SHOPPING DELIGHT

Though you’re in Ubud for the cultural and spiritual experience, but that doesn’t mean you can’t have a bit of fun shopping? Don’t expect cavernous and fancy shopping centers staying true to the town’s reputation, the shopping experience is still art-related. Ubud Art Market in the heart of Ubud is by far the most visited and crowded market with rows of stalls selling various local handicrafts from weaved bags to wood carvings to statues to stoned bracelets to paintings to refrigerator magnets that are sourced from artisans living in the surrounding villages like Tegalalang (the famous terraced rice field where you can find similar markets). Just remember that no prices are fixed here: learn numbers in Indonesian and negotiate.

UBUD ART MARKET

Jl. Raya Ubud