Ubud is a traveller’s dream. The mix of culture and natural beauty here is like no other. Set in the hills of Bali, Ubud is surrounded in every direction by stunning rice plantations that have been cultured over so much time that they blend seamlessly in to the landscape.

The town itself offers so much visual stimulus that you can walk the loop of Ubud for days and every single time find something new to explore or do. There’s endless yoga, massage, cooking classes, traditional dances, shows, and more. Everyone in Ubud also seems to be very conscious of health and well being and you’ll find amazing cafe after cafe serving power smoothies and nutritiously delicious meals.

The thing I loved the most about Ubud however, is the spirit of the people. The religious expression of the Balinese is a unique version of Hinduism, where scripture and law are not necessarily of the same preoccupation as art and ritual are. Art and ritual are completely interwoven with their beliefs and their daily lives, which is very evident everywhere you go. Every Balinese person belongs to a temple and these temples are dispersed throughout the villages and the countryside where offerings are made daily to the ancestral spirits. It’s an absolutely beautiful thing to see.