Day 9 We woke up excited to be moving across town. We ended up finding a really nice 5 star hotel that was about $22 cheaper per night then our villa and with all the western amenities we were missing. After moving in we went for a walk around our new neighborhood then grabbed lunch by the hotel pool before enjoying a mid day nap. Later that night we went out for another walk and more food before watching a movie and calling it a night.
Day 10 Our last full day in Ubud and so much to do! We got an early start and headed north on our scooter. The drive took us along the coast again before turning in land and up into the mountains. Our first stop was Tirta Gangga (translation- water of the Ganges). It was a former royal palace featuring tiered fountains, gardens and stone sculptures of mythical creatures spouting water in to bathing pools. The grounds were absolutely stunning and in it’s day it must have been quiet peaceful and relaxing. Now it’s filled with tourists looking posing in reflecting pools and kids swimming and playing in other pools. We came we saw we bolted. As we left the small town we turned off the main road and when in search of a viewing spot with no tourists where we could get a view of the rice fields and Mount Agung in the background. When we found the perfect spot we pulled over a launched the drone. Within minutes some local kids saw us and came swarming to see out toy. It was fun seeing how excited they were, then just as quickly the lost interest and left. Our next stop was to see the famous rice fields but along the way there we realized we were passing dozens of just as spectacular rice fields without the crowds of tourists. The only difference in these were that they didn’t have the Instagram spots, lines and admission fees. The owners just didn’t want you trekking in their fields but they had no problem with us stopping for pictures and flying our drone. Serenity! Since we were having so much luck off the beaten path we decided to look for a small hidden beach called Virgin Beach we had read about online. Before we knew it we were walking along the shore of the bluest water we had seen yet on this trip. The beach was set in a small cove and there was 4 or 5 food shacks lining the beach so we picked one with rooftop seating and enjoyed a great lunch with an even better view. The day had been perfect so far and trying to improve it would have been futile so when we finished lunch we headed for our hotel. We returned our scooter, picked up our laundry and took one last walk around Ubud. Tomorrow we head for Uluwatu for some beaches and culture!
