{"id":849,"date":"2013-12-23T16:39:33","date_gmt":"2013-12-23T16:39:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.travelcake.net\/?p=849"},"modified":"2025-04-20T18:12:08","modified_gmt":"2025-04-20T18:12:08","slug":"what-its-like-to-live-in-ubud-bali","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.travelcake.net\/en\/what-its-like-to-live-in-ubud-bali\/","title":{"rendered":"What it’s like to live in Ubud, Bali in 2013"},"content":{"rendered":"

So\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 What\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Life in Bali Really Like in 2013?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve been asked the question dozens of times:
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153What does your life in Bali look like?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/strong><\/p>\n

Every time, I launch into a passionate description of Ubud \u00e2\u20ac\u201d the spiritual, artsy town we now call home. Yet somehow, people still look at me blankly and say,
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153I still don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t really get what you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re doing there\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 but you sound happy.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

Fair. Words don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t always cut it. Sometimes, you need the full sensory package \u00e2\u20ac\u201d the smells of incense, the taste of dragonfruit, the daily scooter rides through rice fields, the gentle hum of jungle life in the background…<\/p>\n

But until we invent scratch-and-sniff storytelling, here\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s my best attempt.<\/p>\n

\"rice<\/a>
rice fields around Ubud<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

We live in a house surrounded by a lush tropical garden where flowers and fruit grow wild and free.<\/p>\n

\"frangipani,<\/a>
frangipani, bugainvillea, aloe vera and orchids in the garden<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"pineapple<\/a>
pineapple<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"banana<\/a>
banana’s<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Balinese<\/a>
daily dose of Balinese passion fruit from our garden<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Eating out is cheaper than cooking at home. And since most of the food is fresh, organic, and full of flavor, we take full advantage. We eat out almost every day.<\/p>\n

\"gluten<\/a>
gluten free vegetarian burrito<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"fruit<\/a>
fruit salad with yogurt<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"tofu<\/a>
tofu and brown rice salad<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\""healthy"<\/a>
“healthy” treats<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The food may be healthy, but temptation is everywhere \u00e2\u20ac\u201d think shakes, bakes goods, pizza, homemade ice cream, and chocolate that even Belgians would approve of. I try to balance out the indulgence with jogs, dance classes, and yoga. Try<\/em>, being the keyword.<\/p>\n

\"fantastic<\/a>
fantastic pizza<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

We both work from home \u00e2\u20ac\u201d in comfort, and on our own schedule. We work every single day, 7 days a week… unless we really don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t feel like it.<\/em> That\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s when we \u00e2\u20ac\u0153do weekend.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d On a Tuesday, maybe. Ubud time is… fluid.<\/p>\n

\"my<\/a>
my office…<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\n

Ubud is small and walkable, in theory. But walking under the midday sun feels like a slow roast in a human oven. We ride a scooter instead \u00e2\u20ac\u201d wind in our hair, dodging the dogs and potholes like pros.<\/p>\n

\"driving<\/a>
driving down our car free street<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"gas<\/a>
the gas station<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

When I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m not working, I take yoga classes and chip away at learning Indonesian.<\/p>\n

\"Indonesian<\/a>
Indonesian class<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I treat myself now and then to a fancy coffee or a spa session.<\/p>\n

\"Sunday<\/a>
Sunday capuccino<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"hot<\/a>
hot springs<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Our evenings and weekends look a lot like they did back in Europe: concerts, talks, parties, outings with friends. Only now the backdrop is a little more exotic.<\/p>\n

\"BBQ<\/a>
BBQ with friends<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"dancing<\/a>
dancing at a concert<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
<\/a>
brunch<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"a<\/a>
a day at the beach<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Ubud is an artistic haven. Both locals and expats live and breathe creativity here. Inspiration flows and it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s contagious.<\/p>\n

\"Blanco<\/a>
Blanco museum<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"anyone<\/a>
anyone can be an artist<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Balinese are deeply spiritual. Every day, they place offerings to the gods \u00e2\u20ac\u201d small handwoven trays filled with rice, flowers, incense, sometimes even coffee and cigarettes. You\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll smell sandalwood and frangipani everywhere. There’s always a stick of incense burning somewhere, and it wraps the town in a quiet, fragrant reverence. You catch yourself exhaling:
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Ah\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 Bali.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"cremation<\/a>
ready for the royal cremation<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Bali<\/a>
ceremony<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Bali<\/a>
offerings everywhere all the time<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Now, Ubud is also home to a growing New Age crowd. You\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll find energy healings, crystal shops, breathwork sessions, cacao ceremonies, Kirtan chanting, tantra workshops, Tibetan bowl meditations… You name it, someone\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s offering it.<\/p>\n

Now I do have an open mind about expolring spitiruality \u00e2\u20ac\u201d truly. I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve dabbled in a few of these things myself. But I must admit that I’ve been stunned<\/em> (and occasionally amused) by some of the more… creative healing methods on offer in the \u00e2\u20ac\u0153neo-hippie\u00e2\u20ac\u009d community.<\/p>\n

\"photo<\/a>
event posters<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Of course, it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s not all frangipani and fresh coconuts. Traffic jams can be horrendous. Ants swarming up your kitchen as soon as you attempt to prepare a salad. The construction noise is relentless \u00e2\u20ac\u201d something is always being built, knocked down, or drilled. The centre of Ubud is wildly touristy, and not always in the charming way. And no matter how many times I walk the same street, I still get at least ten \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Taxi? Maybe?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d before I reach the end.<\/p>\n

But despite the few negatives, I love<\/em> living here.
Ubud is messy and magical, peaceful and noisy, ancient and Instagrammable, all at once.<\/p>\n

And I wouldn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t trade it for anything.<\/p>\n

\"ducks<\/a>
ducks and rice fields<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

<\/h4>\n

Have you ever lived abroad? Would you like to?<\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\n

The post “What it’s like to live in Ubud, Bali<\/a>” first appeared on Travel Cake<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Want to stay updated? Join me on Instagram<\/strong><\/span><\/a> for more pictures<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

So\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 What\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Life in Bali Really Like in 2013? I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve been asked the question dozens of times:\u00e2\u20ac\u0153What does your life in Bali look like?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Every time, I launch into a passionate description of Ubud \u00e2\u20ac\u201d the spiritual, artsy town we now call home. Yet somehow, people still look at me blankly and say,\u00e2\u20ac\u0153I still don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":893,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"image","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_hide_featured_image":false,"_jetpack_featured_image_duplicate_dismissed":0,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"{title}\n\n{excerpt}\n\n{url}","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"_wpas_customize_per_network":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[23,117],"tags":[5,63,105,31,33,27],"country":[203],"class_list":["post-849","post","type-post","status-publish","format-image","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-asia-destinations","category-indonesia","tag-asia","tag-bali","tag-digital-nomads","tag-indonesia","tag-islands","tag-photo-essay","post_format-post-format-image","country-indonesia"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/phrKJj-dH","jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.travelcake.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/IMG_1240.jpg?fit=1024%2C683&quality=89&ssl=1","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.travelcake.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/849","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.travelcake.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.travelcake.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.travelcake.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.travelcake.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=849"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.travelcake.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/849\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4509,"href":"https:\/\/www.travelcake.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/849\/revisions\/4509"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.travelcake.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/893"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.travelcake.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=849"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.travelcake.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=849"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.travelcake.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=849"},{"taxonomy":"country","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.travelcake.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/country?post=849"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}