Staying at a Bali villa

Started in the early 1920s the Balinese royal family, who has been living in Ubud until now, ensured that the most talented teachers of dance, music and drama were brought to Ubud to entertain the king and pass on their knowledge. Just about 15 minutes drive from Ubud, in a place called Bona village, you can experience watching the performance of Bali's most talented dancers and musicians.

Ubud has a cooler temperature and is quieter with the streets which are less crowded than the other urban parts of Bali. Staying at a Bali Villa for rent in the central of Ubud will always be convenient because you can get around on foot easily. The central of Ubud only has three main streets: Raya Ubud, Monkey Forest and Hanoman. The famous Ubud market is located at the corner of Monkey Forest and Raya Ubud street. At Ubud Market you can find a number of stalls selling colorful and different kinds of woodcarvings, batik shirts, sarongs and souvenirs. On Monkey Forest street, there are a number of art galleries and cafes. Hanoman street, which runs parallel to Monkey Forest street, is a bit quieter and more pleasant for walking.

Staying at a Bali villa for rent in Ubud also gives you an opportunity to visit several temples and historical sites which are located within a convenient distance. The Elephant Cave is one of the places worth visiting. The center piece is a ninth-century cave with an ornately carved mouth of a demon as the entrance. This site is nominated as a UNESCO World Heritage. The next place is Gunung Kawi (Poet Mountain), Tampak Siring, a burial complex of King Anak Wungsu and his many wives. The location is at the bottom of a steep valley and can only be reached by climbing down 371 steps. Besides the historical sites, Ubud Monkey Forest will also make a visit worth remembering. This natural forest is inhabited by wild monkeys who often steal cameras, bananas or even handbags. Yet these monkeys also give fun entertainment for the visitors.

The main tourist areas of Bali have very different personalities and are suitable for different groups of holiday makers. Kuta is the party central of the island with lots of choices of clubs, restaurants and endless shopping opportunities. For a quieter, more family friendly location, consider Sanur with its calm beaches with shallow water that's great for children to swim in. Honeymooners will love the exclusive resorts of Nusa Dua, some which have their own private beaches.

There are lots of hotels in Bali to suit all kinds of holiday makers and budgets, but if you really want a holiday to remember you might want to think about hiring your very own private villa. Hiring a villa in Bali means you have somewhere to come back to after your day out that really feels like home. Most villas come with their own staff including security, housekeeper and cook so you never need to worry about cleaning up or preparing dinner. Of course most people will want to eat out at least occasionally but what could be nicer than enjoying a home cooked meal in your own villa overlooking the ocean or a beautiful rice field? Many villas also come with their own private swimming pool and a car with driver who will take you wherever you wish to go.

Villas are available in all sizes to suit couples to large families or groups of friends. If you are travelling in a large group it can often work out cheaper to hire your own villa rather than staying in separate hotel rooms and of course is much more social, allowing you to eat and hang out together.

Some people might boast about how beautiful Ubud is. Believe it or not, this place offers even more than a beauty. Terraced rice fields and mountains are surely some of the views that you can enjoy around Bali Villas for rent in Ubud but this place is also the perfect place to see the real traditional Balinese dances and dramas.

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About the Author:
I am stevenherter read mathematics at Stanford and remained there for his MS. From 1998-1999 on researched in Evolution and in Animal Behavior in Camrbidge, UK. I was was then a professor in the departments of Anthropology and Biology, New Jersy College, USA. Now teaches at the department of Zoology. Carried out research in several areas of evolutionary biology, particularly in sexual selection and the comparative method.