Ubud is the spiritual and cultural heart of Bali with beautiful temples, lots of restaurants (organic vegan to gastronomic/gourmet), and yoga amidst a background of jungle greenery. Definitely stop by the Tegalalang rice terrace.

While in Ubud, the Monkey Forest is also a popular stop. The monkeys are smart and cute, but they also can be aggressive! Keep your purses zipped and sunglasses/food/hats out of sight. One monkey stole my insect repellant from my purse and we had to chase after it.

Try some Luwak coffee at a coffee plantation (ie. Bali Pulina), a popular and more expensive coffee derived from coffee beans digested by a civet.

You can try all of their flavored coffees, such as coconut, vanilla, along with interesting flavors like turmeric and ginger. They also have teas in exotic flavors like mangosteen. The Luwak coffee surprisingly does not have a bad odor and has a nice bold aromatic flavor. Makes for a unique souvenir!

While in Ubud, I took a yoga class at Yoga Barn. The class schedules are listed online. The instructor was great, the class was challenging, and it was awesome!

I stayed at Viceroy Hotel in a Deluxe Terrace Pool Villa, which was stunning. The room was very spacious and the backyard terrace had a bale (Balinese gazebo) and a private plunge pool amidst a mystic jungle backdrop. We had the option of having breakfast buffet at the restaurant or in our terrace.

There are numerous temples to see in Bali. If you have a chance, I would recommend checking out Pura Gunung Kawi (Mount Kawi), a temple with massive stone carvings in a jungle river valley. Some people say the steps can be tiring, but it wasn't bad as long as you have a bottle of water.

For more information about my stay at Viceroy, Bali, continue to my blog post on Viceroy or to read more about other regions in Bali, such as Nusa Dua, continue to Bali - Part 3 (Nusa Dua).