Enjoying the sunset at Ku Dé Ta, a chic Bali nightspot.
Correction Appended
SAY Bali and most people think paradise. There are stunning sunsets, sculpted rice terraces and a temple on almost every corner. And for less-spiritual seekers, this steamy Indonesian island also has great surfing and a rollicking nightlife. Sure, it's gotten pretty touristy, especially on the pub crawl along Kuta Beach, where beer-swilling Australians rule. And while recent terrorist bombings have rattled Bali's blissful pace (it is a Hindu-majority island in a Muslim-majority nation), they have done little to temper its popularity or discourage super-chic resorts from being built. Paradise, after all, is as close as the nearest temple, finding yourself on your knees with a blue flower pressed between your fingertips, asking for blessings from Brahma or one of the other gods.
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Friday
3 p.m.
1) MONKEYING AROUND
There's nothing like 200 macaques grooming each other, snuggling together and nibbling on small bananas to make you realize you're not in Kansas anymore. To find the Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary (Jalan Monkey Forest, Padangtegal, Ubud; 62-361-971304; www.monkeyforestubud.com) drive an hour north of Kuta Beach to the town of Ubud, often called the cultural heart of Bali. The monkeys, the town's most beloved residents, live in a dense, jungley stretch of green at the southern edge of town, complete with its own temple. A word to the wise: Leave your snacks at home and don't buy any bananas on the way in unless you enjoy being mauled by possibly rabid little tykes. When it comes to bananas, the monkeys will win. Admission is 10,000 rupiah, or about $1.10 at 9,270 rupiah to the dollar.
4:30 p.m.
2) FOUR HANDS BEATS TWO
It's said that labor is cheaper than electricity on Bali, so why not book a four-handed massage at Spa Hati (Jalan Raya Andong 14, Peliatan, Ubud; 62-361-977-578; www.spahati.com), a stone and thatched-roof compound at the edge of town. Add in a lulur body scrub — a traditional Javanese blend of rice flour and herbs — for 90 minutes of rapture (225,000 rupiah). Afterward, the unhurried staff lets you relax for as long as you want in the hot tub, listening to little frogs make big noises in the rice paddy next door. And about that cheap labor: spa profits help support the Bali Hati Foundation, which runs community programs, including a school for local children.
7:30 p.m.
3) DANCE, DANCE, DANCE
Bali is brimming with fire dances, mask dances, trance dances, monster dances and puppet shows, all of which have been refined over the centuries to the point that eyeballs, fingertips and toes all move in elaborate choreographed precision. On a typical night in Ubud you can take your pick from a half-dozen different shows. It's worth ducking into the Ubud Palace (Jalan Raya Ubud; 62-361975057; 80,000 rupiah) to watch good and evil duke it out in the Barong dance. Set in a Balinese-style pavilion, the dance is performed by two fat guys whose choreographed fight scenes draw inevitable comparisons to the WWF.
9 p.m.
4) GO FOR THE GRILL
For tasty Balinese food in a relaxed setting, expatriates flock to Naughty Nuri's Warung (Jalan Raya Sanggingan, across from the Neka Art Museum; 62-361-977547), a cozy hangout opened by Isnuri Suryatmi and her husband, Brian Kenny, who grew up in New Jersey. It does justice to classic Balinese dishes like chicken sate (27,000 rupiah) and nasi goreng — Indonesian fried rice with vegetables and meat (17,000 rupiah). But the main draw of this grubby little warung, or food stall, is the grill. There are succulent pork chops, steaks from Australia and even great hamburgers — and something uncommon in Asia, a good microbrew: Storm Pale Ale (12,000 rupiah).
Saturday
9 a.m.
5) GET DOWN IN THE RIVER
Most of the super-luxury hotels in Ubud are built along the top of the gorge that the Ayung River runs through. There's a good reason for that: the views are gorgeous. Down on the river, climb aboard a rubber raft and watch the thick vines, low-flying swallows and waterfalls go by. Bali Adventure Tours (62-361-721480; www.baliadventuretours.com) runs 90-minute trips down the river starting at $60 for a morning trip that includes a basic lunch of rice and egg rolls.
2:30 p.m.
6) MUSEUM MILE
Ubud's artistic appeal is, for the most part, historical. Its reputation dates to the 1930s when Western artists and intellectuals like Walter Spies, Colin McPhee and Rudolf Bonnet moved in, boosting the local arts scene and sparking foreign interest in this tiny island. To understand that history and see some fine examples of Balinese art, start at the Neka Art Museum (Jalan Raya Sanggingan, Campuhan; 62-361-975074; www.museumneka.com), which was founded in 1982 by Suteja Neka, an art dealer whose son now runs the slick Komaneka Fine Art Gallery (Jalan Monkey Forest; 62-361-976090; gallery.komaneka.com). For some high camp, make a quick stop at the Blanco Renaissance Museum (Jalan Campuhan; 62-361-975502; www.blancobali.com); the only thing grander than the peccadilloes of Antonio Blanco, a Spanish painter who settled in Bali in 1952, was his ego.
5:30 p.m.
7) BEST SHOW IN TOWN
Ubud closes early. By 11 p.m., everyone is home, leaving the streets to bands of marauding but basically harmless dogs. If you want to make a night of it, head south to Seminyak, a sophisticated beachside alternative just north of Kuta. The hour-long taxi runs about 150,000 to 200,000 rupiah ($16 to $22). For a front-row seat for the dazzling sunset, grab a chair at Breeze, a sleek beachside bar and restaurant at the Samaya Hotel (Jalan Laksmana; 62-361-731149, www.thesamayabali.com), and order a glass of wine (about 70,000 rupiah). The teak deck juts out so close to the surf you can almost feel the foam from the breakers.
7 p.m.
8) BUST THAT BIKINI
When the last ray of sunlight has faded, head next door for dinner at La Lucciola (Kaya Ayu Beach, Temple Petitenget, Kerobokan; 62-361-730838), a popular beachfront spot, for rich Italian fare like prawn and snapper pie with truffled potatoes (125,000 rupiah) and orecchiette with pancetta and gorgonzola (80,000 rupiah). There might be a line, but don't worry. Sit at the bar for free hors d'oeuvres and watch the frangipani flowers fall around you.
9:30 p.m.
9) BLING IS THE THING
Ratchet things up among the macramé-clad, flash-bulb popping babes at Ku Dé Ta (Jalan Laksmana 9, Seminyak; 62-361-736969; www.kudeta.net), a modern and trendy spot that faces the surf . It's shamelessly sceney — a DVD is sold showing highlights of the high season. Score a beachfront chaise and watch the waves, illuminated with floodlights, come crashing in. After hours, all roads lead to the Double Six Club (Jalan Double Six, Blue Ocean Boulevard, Seminyak; 62-361-733067; www.doublesixclub.com; 70,000 rupiah admission), which sports a giant dance floor and bungee jumping on weekend nights. But don't show up before 3 a.m.
Sunday
10 a.m.
10) ESPRESSO IT
If for some unfathomable reason you tire of Bali's thick, rich coffee, duck into Tutmak Warung (Jalan Dewi Sita, Ubud; 62-361-975754 ) for an iced latte (14,500 rupiah). It's a favorite of local expatriates — a casual, breezy place that looks out on a scraggly soccer field frequented by local kids.
11 a.m.
11) PARADISE WITHIN PARADISE
The six-hectare Botanic Garden Ubud (Kutuh Kaja, Ubud; 62-361-970951; www.botanicgardenbali.com) opened last summer — a magical park with white fairy lilies, weeping figs, a labyrinth, banana twist orchids and a miniature rainforest. Stay for lunch at the Chocolate House Cafe, which is housed in a 130-year-old jogglo, a traditional Javanese hut made of teak wood. The guava and passion fruit juices (12,000 rupiah) are garden fresh and the chicken kutu kaja, which is cooked slowly in banana leaves and served with red Tabanan rice, is a local specialty (42,000 rupiah). The menu rotates, but if it has it, don't miss the coconut and jackfruit ice puter, ice cream made with coconut milk in a hand-cranked drum.
2 p.m.
12) SARONG AS ART
Ubud is famous for art, which is probably why an awful lot of drek is now on sale. Fear not. For the good stuff, start at the Seniwati Gallery of Art by Women (Jalan Sriwedari 2b, Banjar Taman; 62-361-975485; www.seniwatigallery.com), which Mary Northmore, the British-born wife of Abdul Aziz, a prominent Indonesian artist, founded in 1991 after she was told by several Indonesian art experts that “Balinese women don't paint.” For textiles, stop in at Threads of Life (Jalan Kajeng 24; 62-361-972187; www.threadsoflife.com), which commissions local weavers to make textiles the same ways their grandmothers did, which is to say painstakingly. Even if you're not in the market for a handspun sarong for 4.3 million rupiah, it's well worth the visit.
The Basics
Cathay Pacific flies from Kennedy Airport to Denpasar, Bali, via Hong Kong. A recent Web search showed fares starting at around $1,500. From Ngurah Rai Airport in Denpasar, a taxi to Ubud costs 150,000 rupiah, or about $16 at 9,270 rupiah to the dollar. Taxis can also be hired for half-days or longer; negotiate a price in advance, but it should run about 350,000 rupiah.
Central Ubud can feel like an outdoor mall. If you're on a budget and want rice fields instead of retail, stay south of the Monkey Forest. Alam Shanti and its two sister hotels, Alam Indah and Alam Jiwa are situated along Jalan Nyuh Butan in tranquil Nyuh Kuning village (62-361-974629; www.alamindahbali.com). Rooms are $50 to $175.
For luxurious solitude, try the Four Seasons Resort Bali at Sayan (62-361-977577; www.fourseasons.com/sayan/). The hotel was built around a rice paddy, and villas come with private plunge pools. The hotel's Jati (Bahasa for teak) Bar is perched on the edge of the Ayung River and an excellent place for a sunset cocktail. Rooms start at $460.
Correction: July 1, 2007
The 36 Hours column last Sunday about
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