Day Sixteen – The Cultural Heart of Bali, Ubud
The Ubud Village Resort was waiting for us with open arms. Some may wonder why we would go back to somewhere so far away from home for a second time. Well, this feeling, in this country, at this place, is exactly why. There is something warm and genuine about the people and culture in Bali that we are sure is a reason it is a popular destination. And it doesn’t hurt that our dollar goes a very looooonngg way here!
After a fun, yet chaotic few days on Nusa Penida, we have found the perfect place to embrace Bali, beginning with a leisure afternoon at the pool and an incredible spread at afternoon tea!
Jump in a shuttle provided by the hotel, and a short ten minute ride to the Ubud city center. As peaceful and perfect as the oasis at our hotel is, the town center of Ubud has become just the opposite. Its a zoo! It gives us Hanoi vibes: cars, motorbikes, people, & busy everywhere. Despite chaos, we navigate the streets and wander for a few hours, along tiny sidewalks (barely wide enough for 1 person), into and out of night markets, and taking in the energy of the scene in Ubud.
So, we mentioned a couple of blog posts ago, coming back to SE Asia is where our wanderlust really started. During our 2 month journey in 2013, Bali was our last stop. Unfortunately, at that point in time, we fumbled and never posted a blog from our last leg of that trip. It was actually written and somehow got deleted before it made it to post. So, you may hear a little bit of comparison throughout this post as we relive some of our memories this week.
Fast forward to now, and our experience in Bali this time is quite different. Obviously, we love to travel, take photos, create experiences, and embrace different cultures. The Bali of 2013 was that. The Bali of 2025 is not exactly that. The culture is still beautiful, and it is what will always make this place special, and it is still alive, just a little muddy with overtourism. However, too much tourism has its pros and cons, especially in Bali.
Pros: The locals can benefit from the economy boost & tourists can experience a special culture. We were told 90% of the people in Bali work in tourism. Maybe an exaggeration, but even if the number is close, that’s a lot of people.
Cons: Infrastructure isn’t capable of enduring this many people (lots of litter & polution) & social media influence can be good, but seems mostly for attention and overpopulates beautiful nature for attention seeking posts.
Okay, for us, we are still going to find our ways to enjoy Bali. So after dinner in Ubud at Simply Social,
we decide to rent a motorbike we can use to get out of town and find some more peaceful experiences outside of our incredible hotel.
Day Seventeen – Rice Terraces & Waterfalls
Our hotel has it all… and we start the day getting ready for a fun day. Two days in a row Scott has put the outdoor showers to good use, and after getting ready, we jump over to the hotel restaurant for a perfect breakfast!
One of the many memories we had of our last SE Asia trip was the delicious breakfast included in your stays.
Jump on motorbike (basically a scooter), and begin navigating chaos. There really aren’t rules. Pass on the right, left, use the sidewalk to bypass cars, take over the other side of the road if there isn’t a car coming, and if there is, they make room for you there too. Uniquely stressful and fun at the same time.
Eventually, we arrive at Tegallalang Rice Terrace. So, pictures will be cool, but the experience is kind of cheesy. Twelve years ago, we strolled down this terrace to find a local working the field, snapped some pictures and even got one with the local farmer. Enjoy some throwbacks to 2013 :).
Now, get ready for this: there is a swing (apparently they love putting swings everywhere now), a zipline across the terrace, a restaurant, and basically an entrance fee to you pay for any experience you want, including a fee to fly your drone (of course we paid that one 😎). Our current, 2025 pics.
We didn’t stay too long. It’s humid, and once again, we are on the hunt for something more peaceful and authentic. Maybe a bit extreme, but we decide to take the hour long motorbike ride to the Leke Leke Waterfall. Not the easiest ride, but worth it to get to see more of the beauty of Bali!
Located in the village of Antapan, the hike down to the falls is beautiful and it feels great to be off the chaotic roads and into nature. The hike back up… tough! Still worth it and the restaurant at the top of the hike gave us the perfect place to relax before we jump back on the motorbike.
Away from town, we are truly enjoying the natural appeal of the rice terraces, farmland, and local villages. Inching closer to town we arrive back at our hotel, and we couldn’t be happier to get back and relax around our oasis. Hard not to enjoy strolling around this gem!
For the evening, we decide to head back to town, Katie wanted to get a haircut & shop, Scott prefers the chill vibe at the hotel. Katie wins! Luckily, its a bit chiller (still chaotic though) in town this evening. Walking around we settle in at Maluku for dinner, live music and good food!
And a stroll for an after dinner crepe!
Day Eighteen – Oasis to Bambu Indah
We decided to split our time in Ubud between two places, Ubud Village Oasis & Bambu Indah. So, this morning, we are back to our most annoying task, packing. It’s a busy morning, since Katie has booked a hair appointment (she couldn’t get one last night) in town. Pack, quick breakfast, and jump on the motorbike to town.
Well, this is where things got a little dicey! We got stopped by police for not wearing helmets. Yes, we know, we should have been. We actually have been the whole time except now.
Pulled over, taken to small, hidden cove with the head police officer. This is where it got a little interesting. First, he told Scott he wasn’t getting his motorbike back until he went to courthouse to pay the fine, also claiming he didn’t have an international driver’s license (which is false, he has one). Then, he gave Scott a court in August (like that is going to happen). Finally, Scott, knowing Katie has an appointment to get to, figures out how to end this quickly and knows exactly what this police officer wants, $$$, and he’s probably going to hold him until he gets it. “Can I pay you now to get my motorbike back?” Funny how this solved the issue. Keep in mind, the police officer and Scott are using Google Translate to communicate. Glad this situation is over!
We got swindled, got our motorbike back, and made it to the appointment a little late. We definitely weren’t the only ones not wearing helmets, but they weren’t stopping locals. We think they got exactly what they want out of us 💵. Whatever, lesson learned. It’s not our country to argue laws and we really do try to be model citizens when we travel.
More importantly, a few pics from Katie’s haircut.
Our last mission for this morning, is to find a couple of fun ways to take pictures to celebrate Alicia’s birthday (Scott’s sister). We travel a lot in the summer, and it seems to be an annual tradition.
Back on our motorbike and we are on our way to one of our all-time favorites, Bambu Indah!
Two Wayfaring Wanderers 