Ubud

• Ubud is a jackpot for people who like to buy art and crafts, and some of the best markets are in the craft villages between Ubud and Sanur.
• Batubulan and Singakerta are known for stone carvings, Celuk for silver jewellery, Batuan for paintings, and Mas for wood carvings.
• Located at the corner of Jl Monkey Forest and Jl Raya is the Ubud Market, where you can find wood carvings, batik shirts, sarongs and all kinds of souvenirs. However, avoid visiting this market between 11:00 - 14:00 because that's when it can get really crowded.
• The road between Ubud and Kintamani is lined with organic farms that have a wide variety of fruits growing on-site, as well as a few caged luwaks to make Luwak coffee.
• Other places to shop are Bali Etrade and Bali Biru for handicraft wholesale, Ganesha Bookstore at JI Raya for secondhand books, Sukawati Art Market and Threads of Life at JI Kajeng.

• While there are no dress codes in particular, it is advisable to carry cool and comfortable clothes with you because of the tropical temperatures.
• Also, if you plan to enter temples, make sure that you are dressed in appropriate clothing.
• Ubud's dress code is more conservative than that of beach resort areas. Some Ubud visitors adopt the Sarong.
• As far as etiquette is concerned, always give and receive things with the right hand, never left.
• Avoid pointing with the index finger, especially at a person: this gesture may be taken as a physical challenge.
• If you must point at something, only use the thumb of your right hand. To be very polite, do so while cupping your right elbow.
• Never point to anyone or anything with your foot.
• In a social situation with Indonesians where refreshments are served, wait until you are invited before you begin to drink or eat.
• Similarly, do not sit down until you are directed to a place.

• ATM machines are readily available throughout most of the more tourist visited areas so you may or may not carry a lot of cash.
• If you want the best possible rates, you may want to use your credit card to withdraw cash. Because when you use your credit card, you will get the exchange rate that Visa or Mastercard gets.
• USD is also accepted in several establishments.

Historically, Ubud is a very rich place. Evidences of numerous archaeological finds in the area are proof of its rich culture and history since the Bronze Age. One of the most remarkable artefacts from that time is the bronze gong known as 'The Moon of Pejeng', displayed in Pura Panataran Sasih in Pejeng, east of Ubud. In the 8th Century, a Buddhist priest called Rsi Marhandya came to Bali from Java on pilgrimage with a group of followers and meditated at the confluence of the East and West Wos Rivers, met in Campuan, on the edge of Ubud, and declared the place holy. As a result, a shrine was established and later expanded by Nirartha, the Javanese priest regarded as the founder of Bali's religious practices and rituals as we know them today.

The Javanese Majapahit kingdom conquered Bali in 1343, and the key final victory was against the Pejeng Dynasty centred at Bedulu. This was when the Balinese culture flourished, and the ancestry of Ubud's current day aristocratic families can be traced back to this period. In 1900, Ubud became a Dutch protectorate at its own request, and the colonialists interfered little, allowing the traditional arts and culture of the area to remain relatively unchanged. The modern era of Ubud perhaps began in the 1930s, when foreign artists were encouraged by the royal family to take up a presence in the town.