Ubud The Spirit of Bali

Only in Ubud can we enjoy a vertical experince with God and at the same time the positive horizontal relationships with other humans and with our natural surroundings. (Page xiii)

"Ubud is the kind of place where a stay of days turns into weeks." Lonely Planet (Page 1)

The Island of Bali, with an area of 5,632.86 square kilometers - only 0.3% of Indonesia's land mass - is famous throught the world. (Page 1)

U.S. President Barack Obama is said to have spent several months in seclusion in Bali while finishing his first book, "Dream from My Father". (Page 2)

Bali has several well-known areas, each with a different character. Unlike Kuta, which is "physically wild", or Nusa Dua, which is "professionally peaceful", Ubud is "naturally spiritual". (Page 2)

Ubud is indeed The Spirit of Bali... (Page 20)

As the King of Ubud, Tjokorda Gde Agung Sukawati wanted to improve conditions in his community. He had a vision of attracting foreign tourists to visit and stay in the palace, Puri Ubud. Luckily, he was fluent in English and Dutch, so he formed strong friendships with his foreign visitors. (Page 30)

Tjokorda Gde Agung Sukawati also had a vision of developing the art in Ubud. In those days, Balinese artist knew virtually nothing about Western art, and conversely, Western artist knew very little about Balinese art. Tjokorda Gde Agung Sukawati thought if western artists came to Bali, and specifically to Ubud, Balinese artists could learn from them and Bali's art would become better known to the outside world. (Page 30)

Puri Ubud is genuinely concerned with the people's economic and social welfare. (Page 37)

"The painters of Ubud are able to transform what is in their imaginations into paintings without needing models... this indicates that the people of the village of Ubud are excellent artistic observers, as they are themselves a part of this art." Arie Smit (Page 51)

During the 1920s and 1930s, Ubud was already known as a center of Bali's arts community. (Page 51)

As well as Walter Spies and Rudolf Bonnet, another painter who helped make Ubud famous was Antonio Blanco. (Page 59)

"If a museum is only collection of art or its buildings, then it has no purpose. A museum is successful only if provides a sense of history, development, and continuity." Suteja Neka (Page 73)

"It is not just the culture that has kindled my love for Bali. It is also the food." Janet DeNeefe (Page 133)

In Ubud we can enjoy a wide variety of cuisines - not just traditional Balinese dishes and food from elsewhere in Indonesia, but also taste treats from all over the world. (Page 133)

There are no fast-food restaurants or international outlets such as McDonald's or Starbucks. (Page 134)

"The cool natural atmosphere, the panoramas of rice fields, the clear refreshing Oos River, and the simple, straightforward, friendly, people living in harmoney - this is the village of Ubud, with all its love." Tjok Ace (Page 161)

The road (Jalan Kajeng) ends at a lovely rice field. (Page 166)

The library at Pondok Pekak has a collection of over 10,000 books in several languages. They also offer various courses: wood carving, painting, dance, music, banten making, silverwork, fruit handicrafts, bamboo weaving, and so on. The place is also used by expatriates to study Bahasa Indonesia, as it's a very conducive venue for learning. (Page 187)

The Ubud Writers & Readers Festival was conceived by Janet DeNeefe, owner of Indus and Casa Luna restaurants, author of the book "Fragrant Rice" and columnist in the Garuda Indonesia in-flight magazine. (Page 198)

Previously, Ubud was best known for its painters; now, with this festival, Ubud is also known as a place of inspiration for writers from around the world. (Page 200)

"Silence Your Mind and Learn to Listen to Your Heart", Bali Deep 2008 Exhibition (Page 217)

These hotels (the Pita Maha hotel group) have been built with a unique philosophy. (Page 222)

The building materials also come from the surrounding area. (Page 223)

Differentiation is an important element in the world of marketing. (Page 227)

"...Ubud, which became a tourism area earlier (than Sanur and Kuta), has still managed to preserve its natural beauty, culture, and social order." Tjokorda Gde Agung Suyasa (Page 245)

Ubud not only teaches "back to nature", as is currently popular in the West, but also "back to God" and "back to society". (Page 245)