The cultural capital of Bali, Ubud was a pleasant place to spend the best part of a week, though the number of tourists was a shock after living in Timor-Leste, one of the least visited countries on the planet. Thankfully I stayed on the outskirts and found it relatively quiet and peaceful, with plenty of great places to eat.

I wasn’t quite sure what to expect, though I definitely expected and found plenty of yoga wear clad Westerners on scooters. There were also endless statues of Hindu gods, and seemingly most buildings looked like temples, despite most not being temples.

My enjoyment of Ubud improved significantly when I escaped the main roads and headed through quiet paths (other than the scooters) though rice fields. This idyllic loop started opposite the Neka Art Museum.

This was a pretty cool find in the supermarket, and there was a shrine outside in the car park.

There is definitely a Bali vibe to many of the places to eat.

Pura Dalem Ubud was definitely a temple, though closed when I visited, so I just took photos from the entrance, a familiar experience when exploring Ubud.

I also took a look around the entrance area of Museum Puri Lukisan.

Pura Desa Ubud is the main temple for the Ubud community and is usually closed apparently.

Thankfully Ubud Palace was open, mostly built after an earthquake in 1917 and still lived in by the royal family.

There are so many gates with shrines inside, making Ubud an interesting place to explore on foot (other than the traffic!).

Sananda Coffee & Food was a good place for a tasty smoothie bowl. Only when I went to use the toilet did I discover that behind the modern entrance was a temple complex.

I went for a walk every morning in Ubud, though some were more enjoyable than others. This one out west, in the rain, along mostly busy roads, wasn’t the best but there were a few moments of peace in the rice fields.

The Campuhan Ridge Walk is one of the most popular places in Ubud, but to be honest it is a pretty average walk. The main attraction is the absence of scooters, which make the walking less stressful than everywhere else in this busy town.

After the ridge I did a big loop through rice fields and bush, which was pleasant.

Sponsored paths seems to be a thing here.

There were a few things of interest along the way, and thankfully less busy road walking than the previous days’ walk.

My final morning walk in Ubud was a rather damp one, but I mostly followed paths unsuitable for scooters which made it more enjoyable.

To final with a few shots of Ubud from the air, with organic cafes and villas taking over what once would have been almost completely rice fields.