Alright ya’ll, I can confidently say that Ubud, Bali is my new favorite destination. Hands down. The energy, the people, the vibe…! It meshed extremely well with my spirit. I can’t stop raving about it. Who wants to go back with me!? Lol.

If you’re thinking about going, you should! I will caveat: I went for a calming, relaxing, zen experience and that’s exactly what I got. If you want beach, tropical, party, then Ubud may not be the place for you (maybe other places in Bali would be, but I can’t speak to those).

First, the energy felt very pure and positive. There was never a point when I saw anyone bring rude, angry, unpleasant, frustrated, or dismissive. Nearly everyone I came across was warm, helpful, and friendly. Also, tourists aren’t given a second look by locals – people minded their own business/manners and respected everyone around them. Look at these adorable kids practicing their martial arts, not paying the growing crowd of onlookers any attention.

Here’s an example that reflects how awesome the people are (that I’m not used to in the states) — I went to a restaurant and had an issue with my credit card so I needed to use cash. However, I had run out of local currency and all I had was US Dollars. This was my 5th day in the country and at no time had I used dollars for anything, but I figured it wouldn’t hurt to ask. Sure enough, they were sympathetic and accepted them without ever giving me any grief about it.

Another aspect I loved was the blend of local Balinese culture with modern, contemporary. It was neat to sit back and watch the Balinese zoom by on their motorbikes, barely even holding on, being trailed by little old white Australian ladies. Haha.

While I’m not a foodie, I appreciate being able to eat well while I’m on vacay. At every cafe and restaurant I passed through, the menus had pages and pages of delicious sounding eats. At Clear Cafe (video of inside below), for example, there were 2-3 pages of juices, smoothies, and flavored water alone! Even the pasta I ate at an Italian restaurant was so tasty that I had to order a second round of it…yes, HAD to :).

Everything in Ubud was extremely affordable, from accommodations to clothes to food. You can enjoy it comfortably. It was __easy to get around, safe, affordable, clean, and the weather was good. __