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About Ubud

(Information taken from wikitravel.org and put here with a few changes)

Ubud is located 33 km from Kuta and 10 km from Denpasar. Normal driving time from the airport is 1 hour. Far removed from the party or bikini scene in Kuta.. Above all Ubud is famous as a center of arts and crafts. Half --if not more-- of the town and nearby villages seem to consist of artists' workshops and galleries. There are some remarkable architectural sights, artistic gems to be found, and a general feeling of wellbeing to be enjoyed thanks to the spirit, surroundings and climate.

While Ubud seems to outsiders like one small town, it is in fact 14 villages, each run by its own banjar (the land-owning married men's association; in effect the local government). It's clear that Ubud has been growing rapidly and some central parts are coping less well with the influx of tourists than in previous years. That said, most developments are sympathetic to the zeitgeist, if not designed specifically in the style of Balinese architecture. Growth is continuing due to the popularity of the Ubud area, but there are still terraced rice fields along the rivers and regular, quiet village life carries on relatively undisturbed just a stone's throw away.

Due to its location 600 meters (about 1968 feet) above sea level Ubud enjoys a little cooler temperatures than the coast, although the midday sun can still be scorching.

As a center of the arts, Ubud has dance and shadow puppet performances every night. Plenty of spas for pampering yourself or re-synchronizing your healing chakras.

Orienting yourself in Ubud is fairly straightforward. There are three main streets, Jl. Raya Ubud (the " Main Road" of Ubud), Jl. Monkey Forest and Jl. Hanoman. At the intersection of Jl. Raya and Jl. Monkey Forest is the Ubud Market, the Ubud Palace and the main bemo (local van or mini bus transportation) stop. If you go west along Jl. Raya a bit more than 1 km, you'll reach the area across the bridge known as Campuhan. Jl. Hanoman is a bit quieter and makes for more pleasant walking. The primary cross streets are Jl. Dewi Sita and Jl. Gootama. The town sprawls around for several kilometers in all directions, but if you choose a reasonably central place to stay it's easy enough to walk about on foot. Central Ubud can be covered on foot, but you'll need wheels to explore the extended vicinity.