bali yoga



ubud is a town on the indonesian island ofbali, located amongst rice paddies and steep ravines in the central foothills. one of bali'smajor arts and culture centres, it has developed a large tourism industry. ubud is famous as an arts and crafts hub,and much of the town and nearby villages seems to consist of artists' workshops and galleries.there are some remarkable architectural and other sights to be found, and a general feelingof well being to be enjoyed, all thanks to the spirit, surroundings, and climate of theplace. ubud tourism focuses on culture, yoga andnature. in contrast to the main tourist area in southern bali, the ubud area has forests,rivers, cooler temperatures and less congestion

although traffic has increased dramaticallyin the 21st century. a number of smaller "boutique"-style hotels are located in and around ubud, whichcommonly offer spa treatments or treks up ubud's mountains. while ubud seems to outsiders like one smalltown, it is in fact fourteen villages, each run by its own village committee. ubud hasgrown rapidly, and some central parts are creaking under the strain of coping with thenumber of visitors. that said, most development is sympathetic to the zeitgeist, if not designedspecifically in the local style. growth continues apace, but there are still terraced rice fieldsalong the rivers, and away from the town centre, regular, quiet village life carries on relativelyundisturbed.

the area around ubud is characterised by gentlyrolling rice paddies, and these create an impression of greenness which can be quitestartlingly beautiful. this is especially true to the south and southeast of the town.any visitor approaching from the south will appreciate this and it is worth a stop justto absorb the gentle beauty of it all.