Rice Paddy Terraces

Ubud, Bali, Indonesia Travel Guide

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Rice Paddy Terraces

TEGALLALANG RICE PADDY TERRACE
How many movies show a lone character on the sand at the beach during sunset? That person is usually “taking stock.” There’s a place somewhere more enchanting and serene and aesthetically appealing. Yep, you got it. Rice paddy terraces in Ubud. The lone person is working, being productive.

There are a few famous terraced rice paddy vistas in Bali. The spot I visted was located in small village called Tegallalang. It’s still in the Gianyar province and it’s quite a bit north of Ubud so you must take a cab or hire a driver. It’s a definite stop. I would have overlooked it if the driver had not stopped the SUV. When we got out, I was excited, particularly because there was a quaint cafe, Rice Terrace Cafe (also spelled Rice Teras Cafe), at which we relax. The road we stopped at was on a peak. When I looked beyond the cafe, I saw the rich, terraced rice fields. Spectacular. They looked like natural, grassy pyramids with large steps. Surrounding the terraced rice fields was the dense, tropical jungle of Bali.

A sense of awe rushed down my spine. The vision was surreal. It reaffirmed the traveler’s vision of adventure and inspiration in me. Sitting on the patio of the Rice Terrace Cafe, my eyes, enraptured, soaked in every last drop of water and plants from the scenery. A bowl of roasted peanuts was placed on the table when sat down at the Rice Terrace Cafe. We ordered coffee. Delicious Bali Coffee. I took a broad sweep of the landscape and finally rested a tiny image of a worker at the bottom step of the rice paddy terrace. During the entire visit, my friend and I were the only tourists around. It was quiet and sunny: it was a great time to “take stock” of nature and man’s handiwork.

OTHER RICE PADDIES
There are other exceptional rice fields to visit. The terraced fields are some distance away from Ubud’s city center. Close to home (city center), however, I found these: The Three Monkeys Cuisine and Art on Jalan Monkey Forest has a lovely rice paddy adjacent to the back of the open-air restaurant. As a matter of fact, the Three Monkeys restaurant was my favorite restaurant because of the rice paddy. The beautiful hotel resorts (very inexpensive and always rated number 1 or 2 in travel reviews), Tegal Sari and Greenfield Hotel and Bungalows, are located along rice paddies themselves. These hotels are not wheelchair accessible but if you don’t need wheelchair accessible hotels in Ubud, stay at one of these hotels because of the breadth of beauty next door, literally.

You must check out the terraced rice fields if you visit Ubud, Bali.

Location: Tegallalang, Ubud, Gianyar, Bali

Cost: The cost comes from the cost of your driver taking you there as well as the shops and cafes that service the terrace rice paddies.

Accessibility: The rice fields themselves are not wheelchair accessible. Of course the purpose of seeing terrace rice paddies is to view and take them in.

Getting There: Hire a driver