It's Thursday morning and we're currently en route to Gili trawangan on a boat! We've got an hour and a half to kill on a bumpy boat ride, so we thought we'd get you all caught up on what we've been up to over the last few days! Ubud was amazing, it was definitely both our favourite place that we've visited so far. We had a busy few days , hence not being able to write the blog. So here's Ubud in a nutshell!

Monday

On Monday morning we got up early , got picked up and drove to the elephant park. Here we first helped to wash the elephants, next was a dunk and swim with the elephants where we had to hold on tight to avoid getting thrown into the brown looking water. We then showered and had breakfast overlooking the elephants playing. Next was an elephant ride on 'Apa' the elephant on dry land.

Once we arrived back in Ubud we wandered up to the rice fields near our bungalow- we got chatting to some local farmers; admired some of the amazing artwork and at the same time avoiding yet more stray dogs! 2 hours later we eventually made our way back to Ubud,and it was time for lunch. We ate a local speciality at one of the small quaint cafés on our road- smoked duck cooked in banana leaf, rice and vegetables . It was another delicious meal, finished off with some banana spring rolls and ice cream. Our evening consisted of some more exploring Ubud during the evening.

Tuesday

1:30am alarm this morning was not greatly appreciated however it did mean that it was time to clubs Mount Tabur and see the sunrise! We got picked up at 2am and made our way to the base of the volcano... It was surprisingly cold at this time in the morning so we wrapped up best we could! We headed off with our group of about 10 people and 3 guides. The beginning was pretty easy, nice flat and smooth land, however this quickly changed once we got higher and we all struggled to not slip on the powdery floor and the loose volcanic rocks! The trek took 2 hours to reach the top bit it was well worth it! The sunrise was incredible and it rose over a mountain in Lombok, somewhere we will be heading in a week or so! Then came the clamber back down, another 2 hours of slipping down the side of a volcano! We did manage to stay on our feet though, luckily! Everyone was absolutely shattered when we reached the bottom! We got dropped home and collapsed into bed for a much needed 2 hour nap!!
We woke up around lunchtime, although could've slept all day! Time to try another local dish... Suckling pig! It was a dish with different parts of pig including crackling, ribs, and some black pudding type sausage! Was very yummy and only cost £2 !! After our tough morning we decided we should treat ourselves to a back massage! Was so relaxing! Es also had a ear candle treatment in attempt to unblock her ears! We then just chilled in a cafe and enjoyed some ginger tea before making it to our dinner reservation at Lotus Cafe. We were really looking forward to this meal as it had great reviews, and it did not let us down! Unfortunately though the dance performance that we were meant to watch simultaneously was cancelled due to a 3 hour downpour we experienced! During dinner we were sat to a brother and sister from London , so we spent most of the evening discussing ours and their travel plans! Then finally, it was bedtime !!

Wednesday

On Wednesday we had yet another early alarm and a pick up from a local taxi company. We headed to our Balinese cookery class. It was one of our favourite activities in Ubud. The man that took the class was very entertaining as well as knowledgable. We would definitely recommend the 'payuk Bali' cookery class - www.payukbali.com. First we were shown the local food market in Ubud , and new and interesting ingredients were introduced to us. After this we headed to our cookery school , which was based in the back garden of a Balinese home . The location was idyllic and had great views from the veranda from which we prepared our dishes and ate our feast. Our course was from 9-1pm and only cost £17.50 each ! Including all transfers and food/ ingredients etc. Very good value for money.

After returning to our room around 1pm we had a quick freshen up before our activity for the second part of the day . We had arranged a taxi to take us to explore the famous jatiluwih rice terrace. We spent a few hours there admiring the views and the fields upon fields of rice. Once we returned to Ubud we bought a ticket each to the Ramayana ballet . This was a traditional Balinese performance, and it was very interesting . The colours of the costumes were rich and bright, and their hands and eyes movements were magical. A lovely end to a great visit at Ubud.