Bali

Mona Helen Preuss
                     
We are weary and the hour is late. Arriving in Bali after nightfall allows us little sense of our landscape, and we drive an hour inland to the artist colony of Ubud, wondering what we have missed along the way. Sunrise, with its symphony of strange bird calls, reveals a tableau vivante so saturated with color and gorgeous detail, we gasp. Rice fields as far as the eye can see, framed by swaying palms. Women in paddy hats walk single file along the edges of the terraces, coming to harvest and thresh the rice by hand, one armful at a time. Graceful egrets swoop in large arcs overhead. The effect is mesmerizing.

Our hotel, Green Field, is close to the center of activity in Ubud, with much to see and do within walking distance: Temples, shops bursting with vibrant handwoven textiles, the sacred monkey forest, cafes, spas offering every conceivable treatment. The hotel itself is an oasis of calm and beauty, with patios overlooking a lotus pond, a salt water pool, and the ubiquitous rice fields. Each room is decorated with an artistic eye; the owner is a painter whose own work captures the Balinese style to perfection. In the morning, you’re likely to find a tiny offering of incense, rice, and flowers at your doorstep.

Beyond Ubud, there are dozens activities for the adventurous visitor, most of which can be arranged by the gracious Green Field staff: kayaking the rainforest, an elephant trek, visits to coffee plantations and chocolate factories, traditional Balinese dance performances. Brave a strenuous predawn hike up an active volcano, Mt. Batur, and watch a sunrise you’ll never forget. Grab a mountain bike and tour the Jatiluweh rice terraces, a stunning valley designated as a Unesco World Heritage Site whose name, our guide tells us, means ‘Beautiful Indeed’. We don’t even see the coast until sunset the evening of our departure, but like everything else we have encountered during our week-long stay on Bali, it is beautiful, truly beautiful.

STAY: Green Field Hotel and Restaurant www.greenfieldubud.com

DO: Mt. Batur Sunrise trek, Jatiluwih bike tour (enquire at hotel desk)

EAT: Rijsttafel at Warung Enak www.warungenakbali.com

SHOP: Sumptuous silks at Portobello www.portobellobalifashion.com