Nusa Dua and Ubud

If you have only been in the Nusa Dua area (beach and 5 star resorts and shops), and if you have enough time, come up to Ubud (pronounced "oo-bood"). How much time is enough? Well, it takes about 1 hour each way by car. What would you see that's different from Nusa Dua? Terraced rice paddies (a healing, relaxing green), hills & trees, Balinese villages.

Different villages specialize in different arts - jewelry (gold & silver), wood carving, paintings (at least 7 different styles in 7 different villages), batik & ikat fabric making, basket weaving, carving & painting masks used in traditional dance and religious performances - and much, much more.

If the free afternoon includes evening, you could have dinner up here, too. Maybe try a Balinese specialty - bebek betutu (steamed spice duck - or you can get chicken prepared the same way), or grilled crispy duck. Or babi guling - roast pig.

If you want to stay near Nusa Dua, 2 favorite tourist sunset locations are the temple at Ulu Watu on the cliffs. And dinner at a fresh seafood restaurant at Jimbaran Bay; we've gone to "Aroma" several times. They usually offer at least 2 types of fish, shrimp / prawns, sometimes lobsters. And a choice of cooking methods and chili-spice levels. We usually go for grilled.

There's almost always a music (gamelan) or dance performance somewhere. While there are no major Balinese Hindu ceremonies Dec 10-15, there may be a village celebrating the "birthday" of its temple.

A mini-vacation with all 5 senses

Here's my recipe for a mini-vacation with all 5 senses:
- get something that smells tropical (perfume, essential oil, coconut scented suntan lotion, fresh-cut lemon...)
- put on music that sounds tropical (hula, gamelan music, Balinese bamboo & flute music...)
- turn on an oscillating fan (so you feel a tropical breeze)
- fix yourself some fresh fruit juice, or a pina colada or Singapore Sling so that you taste something tropical
- browse through this BLOG to see photos of beautiful Bali
or dream about your perfect trip to Bhanuswari Resort & Spa: http://www.BhanuswariResort.com/