mhohol

Sadly I will only have three nights and two and a half days to experience Bali. I will be there the end of February. I will be based in Ubud and would love some advice on what is essential to see. I am an avid photographer - mostly landscape and am interested in temples, cultural (dance shows) mountains etc, that are true to Bali's culture and that are really beautiful. I've listed some ideas below and would appreciate any comments on them (or any other places that are worthwhile/doable in two days)...

1. Ulu Watu or Ubud Water Palace
2. Gunung Kawi
3. Danau Bratan
4. Rice fields - there are many but where are some of the most pictureque?
5. Besakih
6. Tirta Gangga
7. Pura Lempuyang

many thanks for the thoughts!

rhkkmk

hire a driver like putu for the time...he also is a photographer and thus would be a great help to you....

cost about $40-50/day

marmot

mhohol, Bali is wonderfully photogenic. As rhk advised, a guide/driver will know where to take you for the best vistas.

There is always a festival going on somewhere in Bali. Again the guides know where they are, or you could ask at your resort or at the Ubud tourist bureau. Village events like dances, processions, religious cermonies offer magnificent photography opportunities.

In my opinion, the most memorable photographs from bali are more micro than macro. For wide landscapes it's hard to compete with postcards. To capture the essence of Bali look at village temples, roadside shrines and offerings, markets, field workers. If you just take a walk along the back lanes you will find a goldmine of images.

Ulu Watu is some distance from Ubud so although the sea and cliff area is also profoundly beautiful, I would suggest that you stick to Ubud and its surroundings.

Dances take place nightly all over the area. My personal favorite is the Kecak in Junganan, but the dances in Ubud Palace are also very good quality. If you'd like a daylight performance, try the Barong in Batubulang.

Usually there is dancing at village festivals, but you may have to be prepared to wait until the wee hours of the morning to see it. Well worth the wait however as you get some of the most intense performances in authentic surroundings.

mhohol

Thanks for the response on photography. Would you recommend staying in Ubud or slightly outside of Ubud? It sounds like some hotels or B&B's are about 20 min away from the city which doesnt sound so bad. I would be traveling alone (a woman) so I dont know how safe it would be in the city vs. out of the city. I'm looking into

Komeneka, Ketuts, Ubud Village Hotel, Sayan Terrace resort or Tjampuhan

Becalm

Hi
The following links are to sites of photos from around Bali and of Balinese life and people which may help you decide where you would like to go to take photos.

As Bob said Putu Arnawa is a very talented photographer. He is also a great guide/driver and a truly spiritual person. He took special care of us and I am sure he will do the same for you. He will also recommend at what time of day the lighting is best at each location. You can discuss a photo tour with him at [email protected]

These are his photos. I am so impressed with him and his photography I have recently offered to help him market his photos here in the US.

http://baliphototour.multiply.com/photos

http://balifriend.multiply.com/photos

http://www.balifriend.net/gallery/index.php

I would suggest your decision to stay in town or in the outlying area be based on your preference as I do not feel there is any undo concern for safety in either.

MichaelBKK

I'm just back from Bali. I had business in Ubud, so I stayed there a couple of nights. My Indonesian associates own a small group of villas there (Payangan Hideaway) which they sort of insist that I use when I'm there. It's about as far from town as you can get, but it's free.

One thing to keep in mind is that it is the rainy season in Bali. One day, it rained off-and-on from around noon to dusk. Of course, this was the day I decided to check out what was new in Ubud!

The good thing about this is that everything is green, and when it's not raining, the farmers are out working their fields. On my second day, I just went for a walk. The Hideaway is well away from the main road, in amongst some villages. One area was settled by some Chinese who were granted land here by the king of Ubud, so there are some Chinese graves near the villas, as well as forests of bananas, rice terraces and temples.

The other thing about this, which can be good or bad, is that the local wildlife is particularly abundant around this time. Every night was an absolute cacophony of croaking frogs, chirping geckos and crickets.

marmot

mholol, Bali and particularly Ubud is extraordinarily safe. Having said that you may find that accommodations outside of Ubud, while spectacularly beautiful during the day, are a bit remote and isolated at night. This is of course perception only because at any given time there are always several million people within shouting distance, but it feels like you're the last person on the planet.

The choice really depends on your comfort level. If you're a city mouse who likes having people around then I'd go for the town of Ubud. If you like nature and an excess of peace of quiet doesn't unsettle you then try one of the out of town places.

Of the places you're looking at I'd strongly recommend Ketut's and Komeneka. In both cases you'd get involved and friendly management.

I personally don't like Tjampuan as I think it's been allowed to get run down over the years. I'm not familiar with the other places.

For outside of Ubud I like the Alila for a more lively resort environment and Alam Sari for remote, but still secure-feeling spot.

MichaelBKK

BTW, which Komaneka were you considering? There's one right in the center of Ubud, and another 15 minutes out of town near the Alila. Both are very nice, but the one out of town is of course quite isolated.