Travel Diary #4: (BALI) Trinkets Galore in Ubud Market and Dance in Ubud Palace

Photo of the Day: Balinese Dance in Ubud Palace, Bali

Ubud

Ubud is located near the heart of the island of Bali. Compared to Kuta, which has become the de facto party district of Bali, it retains the rustic charm of traditional Bali and hints at what Bali must have been like in the past. With that being said, various developments have also made the small town more tourist-friendly. It's in that sweet spot in the middle of the spectrum.

Step into Ubud and you see the traditional Balinese architecture lining the streets while motorcyclists and cars jostle for space on the streets. Walking on the narrow sidewalk, I felt like I was always in somebody's way as I kept wanting to stop to take pictures.

Ubud Traditional Art Market - Trinkets Galore

On the way to the Ubud Palace, I visited the Ubud Traditional Art Market, an outdoor market with hundreds of booths selling lots of different trinkets, souvenirs, and small pieces of art.

Like many markets of its kind in Asia, you quickly find that the wares offered for sale by any of these hundreds of vendors end up looking very similar very quickly. You can almost be sure that a large number of them were supplied by the same factory or manufacturer. That's just economics at work, because it is cheaper to make thousands of the same thing. To find something unique as a souvenir for yourself, you just have to look harder.

Want to try any of the hundreds of bags we have here?

Ubud Palace

The palace can be regarded as a landmark of Ubud. It was the official residence of the royal family of Ubud, but has since been re-purposed as a tourist site. Parts of the palace are closed off to tourists though.

I was fortunate to be there for the daily performance at 7.30pm in the courtyard of the palace. In the evening, the palace courtyard is transformed into a stage for a magnificent Balinese traditional dance.

The dancers used their bodies and expressions to narrate a story, helped by the live musicians in the background.

A great end to the night!

Hi, I'm Nicole ( @nicolexu1337 ). I recently completed my undergraduate degree at the University of Oxford and I am taking a year off to travel around the world. Come see the world with me!