Ubud, Bali - Hidden Secret Amidst the Rice Fields

Signs leading to my guest house

Our car stopped right in the middle of a path, surrounded by plots of rice fields. From a distance, I could see a lonely bungalow, standing majestically all by itself amidst the rice fields. The surroundings were all so serene and peaceful. As I walked along the pathway, crossing the rice fields to the bungalow, I could hear the cheerful sound of birds chirping and the soothing rhythm of a flowing stream, welcoming me to Ubud, Bali.

Breathtaking view of the rice fields

Ubud is located in the centre of the Bali Island, amongst the rice fields and steep ravines of Gianyar district. It is the heart for fine arts, craft markets, traditional music, and cultural dances. However the true Ubud is behind the façade. Her scenic rice fields, picturesque villages, natural comforts and inspiration yearn to be unveiled for discovery.

‘Welcome to our home in Ubud’, greeted Made at the entrance. Made is the caretaker of the bungalow. As I stepped into the compound of the bungalow, I could feel the atmosphere bringing back memory of my days living in a village. Walking to my room along the pebbled stone pavement embraced by the green tropical grass, I needed to cross a small bridge over the stream which then led me to an exquisite garden and a lotus pond in front of my room’s terrace, a sheer contrast to the hustle and bustle of a city.

Chickens playing in the rice field

Carved wooden door

The bungalow had 12 individual separate rooms, each stand facing into the rice fields. Each of the rooms was richly embedded with the Balinese style architecture. The first that captured my attention was the brightly colored carved wooden door which retained the traditional wooden locking mechanism with two brass rings. In Bali, doors formed a main structure of the house architecture, and apart from being merely a channel for entry and exit, it was an artistic expression of the Balinese.

Staying in the room was back to basic living. The furnishing was simple yet sufficient. It had a four-post wooden bed with a hanging mosquito net, a bamboo shelves and a ceiling fan. The terrace in front of my room allowed me to sit and nestle into the armchair while enjoying the panoramic sight of the rice fields and the evening sunset. The sun in the far horizon glowed like a fireball and painted the sky with flaming orange. As the golden sun gradually sunk into the hanging clouds between the hillsides, it shined and splattered the sky with a diversity color of hot reds, speckled pinks, yellow tints and a combination traces of blues and purples. Amazingly this was the first time ever in my life I could feel myself so near to the sun, like almost touching her! The Mother Nature revealed her concealed side of beauty, besides being the planet creatures’ dependence for warmth and survival.

As the day drew to a night, a drastic change to the environment was noticeable. As I sat in the terrace with a chilly can of Bintang beer, the weather got cooler, and the breeze of wind whizzed against my face. I let the wind gently toss and caress my hair. Unexpectedly, it began to drizzle. A sudden freezing cold merged with trickling rain droplets rendered no alternative to me except to make my way back into the comfort and warmth of my cozy room.

View of my room at night

The drizzle grew to a steady rain fall, just light enough to hit the earth and the trees to make everything seem so well orchestrated. The night had now been transformed into a philharmonic orchestra hall which was accompanied with the harmonious symphony of nature composed by the running stream, the rattling raindrops, the crickets’ singing and the frogs’ croaking. All these elements had perfectly created the most gorgeous masterpiece of lullaby that craddle me to my dreamland, Zzzz...

A mysterious night was over and another new day was dawning. The continuous shrills of the early cuckoo birds and the intermittent crowing of the roosters awakened me from my deep slumber. Rays of daybreak sunshine stealthily pierced through the thatched roofs of the room. The air inhaled became remarkably refreshing after a night of rainfall. When I opened the door, the first to greet me a brand new morning was the paddy field land which was abounded with so many natural resources. Marvelous! Nothing sounded so promising other than the rising sun as she knew everyone would have their time to shine. I began to realize that though seasons altered, everything would eventually be alright. How I wished I could have stayed longer in this tranquil place!

As I walked out of the rice fields heading to my next destination, Ralph Waldo Emerson’s quotes kept lingering in my mind:

“Nature belongs to the eyes that see it; though we travel the world over to find the beautiful, we must carry it with us or we find it not …”