Away from the coast and near the mountains of Bali you'll find Ubud, with a big spiritual community, delicious food (that's usually very healthy), gorgeous landscapes, cute shops, and plenty of Balinese culture. Having only two and a half days in Ubud I tried to do as much as possible. I began my first day with a kundalini yoga class, located at the top of a resort looking out over fields of rice; easily the best yoga class I've ever been to. I spent the rest of the day wandering through Ubud visiting the market and eating at Bali Buddha, a restaurant that serves vegetarian and local food. I then ended my day at a kirtan, a type of concert where someone plays guitar and everyone sings mantras.
The second day I spent in Ubud I visited the sacred monkey forest sanctuary, a little forest filled with lots of Balinese long-tailed monkeys who might jump on you or try to steal your stuff. After monkey forest I went to Pura Tirtha Empul which means Holy Spring Water Temple, built around an ancient holy spring where people go to receive blessings.
From there I went to the Luwak coffee plantation, where I tasted an assortment of coffees and teas including Luwak coffee. The process to make Luwak coffee starts when an animal called a Luwak eats the coffee beans off the plant. It then poops them out and someone collects the poop, cleans the beans and makes coffee. I can't imagine why anyone would ever think to do this, but the coffee is really good and doesn't need any cream or sugar. One of the last things I did in Ubud was go to see the rice terraces, which exactly as you would guess from their name are rice paddies built in beautiful terraces. At the end of my time in Ubud and Bali, I have to say I'll definitely be going back soon!
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