In Reply to: Accomodation ideas.. Go! posted by babybean on Wednesday, 26. December 2012 at 17:10 Bali Time:
I love staying in Ubud for a night or 2. Ubud Bungalows ($45ish) is a good place as it's in the thick of things & you probably won't need transport for getting around the Ubud town shops. V popular.
One BIG problem in Ubud is that there are no taxis. So each & every time you need transport it's a pain negotiating. You are tired after a morning shopping, laden with bags. A trip that would cost next to nothing down on the coast costs heaps after haggling - not fun. Although many if not most hotels offer free drop off & pick up there are places in Ubud where mobile phones just don't work.
On such occasions I usually just find a gorgeous young Balinese guy with a motorcycle & a helmet for me. Far cheaper than "transport" & a bit of a thrill for this old duck.
That said, though, it's a good base to do a bike ride (plenty of info here - fave is Baik Bike), including a visit a fruit & coffee plantation & sample their wares, a basic (late) brekky overlooking the volcano at Kintimani, mainly gentle ride through villages & rice fields with informative stops en route (can stay in the support vehicle if you are wheels-challenged like me). With an excellent Balinese lunch at the end.
A half day trip from Ubud along the Tegalalang road is fun. Stopping at the many, but spread out homewares shops, great view points. Have lunch at Kampung Kafe - HIGHLY recommend this trip.
In Ubud, across the bridge, the Neka Art Museum is well worth a visit. Blanco's place on the way at the base of the hill. A great vegetarian restaurant in the rice fields & you can do an informative walk learning about Balinese plants & herbs & remedies.