Bali's cultural heart among the rice fields
Ubud sits in the green uplands of central Bali and has long been the island's centre of art, dance and craft. The Ubud Palace hosts traditional Legong and Barong dance performances in the evenings, and museums and galleries show Balinese painting. Long-tailed macaques roam the Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary, and walking trails such as the Campuhan Ridge lead out among the fields. The terraces of Tegallalang and the water temple of Tirta Empul, where Balinese come to be purified, are a short ride away.