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Ubud is a town on the Indonesian island of Bali in Ubud District,
located amongst rice paddies and steep ravines in the central
foothills of the Gianyar regency. One of Bali's major arts and
culture centres, it has developed a large tourism industry.
Ubud has a population of about 8,000 people, but it is becoming
difficult to distinguish the town itself from the villages that
surround it.
History
8th century legend tells of a Javanese priest, Rsi Markendya, who
meditated at the confluence of two rivers (an auspicious site for
Hindus) at the Ubud locality of Campuhan. Here he founded the Gunung
Lebah Temple on the valley floor, the site of which remains a
pilgrim destination.
The town was originally important as a source of medicinal herbs and
plants; Ubud gets its name from the Balinese word ubad (medicine).
In the late nineteenth century, Ubud became the seat of feudal lords
who owed their allegiance to the king of Gianyar, at one time the
most powerful of Bali's southern states. The lords were members of
the satriya family of Sukawati, and were significant supporters of
the village's increasingly renowned arts scene.
Tourism on the island developed after the arrival of Walter Spies,
an ethnic German born in Russia who taught painting and music, and
dabbled in dance. Spies and foreign painters Willem Hofker and
Rudolf Bonnet entertained celebrities including Charlie Chaplin,
Noel Coward, Barbara Hutton, H.G. Wells and Vicki Baum. They brought
in some of the greatest artists from all over Bali to teach and
train the Balinese in arts, helping Ubud become the cultural centre
of Bali.
A new burst of creative energy came in 1960s in the wake of Dutch
painter Arie Smit (1916-), and development of the Young Artists
Movement. There are many museums in Ubud, including the Museum Puri
Lukisan, Museum Neka and the Agung Rai Museum of Art.
The Bali tourist boom since the late 1960s has seen much development
in the town; however, it remains a centre of artistic pursuit.
Town orientation and tourism
The main street is Jalan Raya Ubud (Jalan Raya means main road),
which runs east-west through the center of town. Two long roads,
Jalan Monkey Forest and Jalan Hanoman, extend south from Jalan Raya
Ubud. Puri Saren Agung is a large palace located at the intersection
of Monkey Forest and Raya Ubud roads. The home of Tjokorda Gede
Agung Sukawati (1910-1978), the last "king" of Ubud, it is now
occupied by his descendants and dance performances are held in its
courtyard. It was also one of Ubud's first hotels, dating back to
the 1930s.
The Ubud Monkey Forest is a sacred nature reserve located near the
southern end of Jalan Monkey Forest. It houses a temple and
approximately 340 Crab-eating Macaque (Macaca fascicularis) monkeys.
Ubud tourism focuses on culture, yoga and nature. In contrast to the
main tourist area in southern Bali, the Ubud area has forests,
rivers, cooler temperatures and less congestion although traffic has
increased dramatically in the 21st century. A number of smaller
"boutique"-style hotels are located in and around Ubud, which
commonly offer spa treatments or treks up Ubud's mountains.
The Moon of Pejeng, in nearby Pejeng, is the largest single-cast
bronze kettle drum in the world, dating from circa 300BC. It is a
popular destination for tourists interested in local culture, as is
the 11th century Goa Gajah, or 'Elephant Cave', temple complex.
See more about Ubud
Ubud Travel Guide from Wikitravel
Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary
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