Ubud, Elephants & Orangutangs 

This trip to Bali was my third time, it was a last-minute decision to go and was a quick five days taking in the Melbourne Cup weekend public holiday meaning I only had to take two annual leave days.  A real bonus for me because I never seem to have enough annual leave! 

This trip I wanted to leave Kuta and Legian behind and head to Ubud where it looked much more serene and quiet the last time I was there (10 years ago) when we visited the monkey forest and explored the neighboring markets for the day.  We chose accommodation with one of those iconic infinity pools overlooking the jungle and arrived wanting to escape the crowds and unwind after what had been a hectic year.  The Tanadewa resort was amazing, a little out of town but the free shuttle would solve that problem and besides we were here to relax. 

Anyone who knows me would laugh at me thinking I could relax the whole five days, so it wasn’t long before I was itching to get out and explore my surrounds.  It is fair to say I was taken by surprise at how much Ubud had changed.  It appeared as the tourists went north to stay, the Balinese followed setting up markets, restaurants, massages, hair braiding and everything in between.  Don’t get me wrong, I love to shop so I chose when I would enjoy the serenity of the resort and when I would immerse myself in the streets of Ubud. 

The next big surprise was the Monkey Forest.  On our last visit the driver dropped us on the side of the road and we wandered freely in the forest.  Now a massive entrance had been constructed and an entrance fee and souvenir shop awaited us.  Mind you I didn’t mind the entrance fee; the Balinese rely on the tourist dollar to survive, and the price was reasonable to witness these amazing creatures in their natural habitat.  The Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary is a nature reserve and temple complex. The Sanctuary is home to over 1260 long-tailed macaques, who are considered sacred by the local Balinese people. We were warned these monkeys were cheeky and it wasn’t long before we heard a tourist screaming behind us as a monkey attempted to take her bag and all its contents spilled across the path.  A local employed by the sanctuary to protect the monkeys came to her rescue and the rest of us were laughing and amused by the spectacle.  It truly is an amazing experience, I found myself lost in their world fascinated by how human like they are as they went about their daily life.  I could have sat in this stunning forest all day marveling at this natural show that was unfolding before me. 

The Bali Zoo was on our list to visit on this trip.  We wanted the full experience which included breakfast with the orangutangs and a mud bath with the elephants. Held in the open-air Gayo Restaurant, we were provided with a generous full buffet breakfast in the company of some of the zoo’s Sumatran Orangutans.  Part of their rescue and conservation program, the orangutans were saved from the logged forests of Sumatra and incorporated into the zoo’s ongoing breeding program. The orangutangs were on wooden platforms closely watched by a couple of attendants each. Guests are not allowed to touch the animals, but you could get up close and personal to take some amazing selfies.  

Although the ideal place for elephants to live is in the wild, this is not always possible. Many elephants have been rescued from temples, zoos or circus-style attractions; they may have been orphaned or injured, and it is rarely safe or feasible for them to be returned to the wild. In this case, they may be cared for in elephant sanctuaries or rescue and rehabilitation centers, and these center’s supplement their income (elephants are unsurprisingly costly to house, feed and care for) by opening their gates to tourists. However, it is difficult to know whether a place that brands itself as a sanctuary or rehabilitation center like Bali Zoo, is as ethical as it claims to be. The Elephant Mud Fun experience has been introduced by the zoo as they phased out elephant riding.  The zoo has 15 Sumatran elephants – all of them rescued from Sumatran logging camps, and I can’t overstate what an overwhelmingly exciting and privileged experience it was to be up so close and personal with these majestic creatures.

We were given food to share with the girls as we were each introduced to them, then followed them down to the large, muddy ponds next to the river.  Each elephant had her own mahout who maneuvered them into a pond and onto their sides, using nothing more than treats.  Scratching, massaging and washing these gentle giants is an extraordinary experience and one they tolerated with contented patience – they clearly love a good bath. After quite some time getting down and dirty, everyone – elephants and visitors – troop off to oversized showers for a rinse, before heading back to a slightly deeper pool for more fun bathing and splashing around with these gentle giants. Read about this amazing bucket list experience here.

For a last-minute trip to relax and recharge with my sister and our husbands it turned out to be one which provided so many opportunities to tap into and embrace our Sense of Adventure!