This isn't a piece about seeing all the sights around Ubud at a cracking pace, but rather about suggesting some tips on doing what one can really do best in Ubud: chill out, eat, relax, eat, take it easy, eat, hang out... eat -- you get the picture.

No sights. Just treats. Just this one day.

Check into your hotel -- see our recommendation below, or choose from our overall picks here -- in the late afternoon, and make a stop somewhere like Three Monkeys for a drink as you ease into the vibe of Ubud.

Chill, man.

Then head over to the Yoga Barn, a 20-minute walk away on Jalan Hanoman, for a sunset session of Iyengar-inspired restorative yoga. The frogs and crickets and other insects will come out to perform a fantastic orchestra as a few dozen yogis lay around in various positions of repose, eyes closed and breaths deep and energising; this is a great way to sort of sink into Ubud's embrace. (I've covered the session in more detail here.) A drop-in class is 110,000 rupiah.

Shhh!

Jump into a transport car as soon as you're back on the street and head up to Spa Hati for a late massage session. This spa is a little out of the way but go on, make the effort in the name of a good cause. The cute outdoor massage room, with sliding doors and surrounds for privacy, is something a little special in this price range -- a one-hour "blissful dream" massage is 165,00 rupiah -- this compares to say US$69 dollars for a one-hour Balinese massage at the much more upmarket Maya Ubud spa.

The next morning, have your hotel breakfast, but if you take our suggestion on where to stay you may want to head out instead -- Tutmak does super coffee and great breakfasts too.

Protein and coffee and you're ready for yoga... in a bit.

Get in early and you won't have too full a stomach for a session of yoga at Taksu, a short walk away. Check the schedule -- there aren't as many classes as at the Yoga Barn -- the Barn's schedule is here -- but you'll likely find something that fits and the little oasis of a spot is worth making a detour for while you're on your relaxation retreat.

Taksu also offers an array of alternative therapies and massage treatments -- you could do worse than hanging around for a few hours in their spa.

Zen magic.

Meandering back along Dewi Sita, a top good-for-you spot is Soma, where a range of delicious juices are on offer with raw treats and meals as well.

Treats that are good for you, of course.

Juiced up, if you haven't had a Taksu session, stop at one of the two Reflexology Bali spots on the same road. A one-hour foot, hand, back and shoulder massage costs 110,000 rupiah -- again, to compare, you're looking at 425,000 rupiah for a one-hour session of reflexology at the spa at Alila Ubud. Simply but tastefully decorated, an hour getting your foot knots worked out here will prepare you for a spot of window shopping.

Put your feet up. But not as high as the sign.

From Jalan Dewi Sita, loop around Jalan Monkey Forest, Raya Ubud, and back down Jalan Hanoman to window shop your way past some of Ubud's retail offerings. We've already written a piece on shopping in Ubud -- while a lot is still relevant, we were amazed how many new places had popped up since our last visit this time around.

Oooh, shiny!

By the time you get to Hanoman it'll be time for lunch -- look no further than Clear Cafe for an amazing, your-body-is-a-temple meal. And they have takeaway biscuits. If you're keen on trying Balinese food though, stop at Ibu Oka's, close to the junction between Monkey Forest and Raya Ubud.

Did we mention this is all about treats?

For your afternoon hedonistic splurge, book into the small and basic but decent Sang Spa 3 on Monkey Forest. In terms of facilities, this spot makes an effort, but it's at the budget end of the spectrum. The massage I had here -- my first-ever four-hand treatment -- was superb and professionally done. The one-hour "good karma" massage was 220,000 rupiah -- a four-hand massage at the Four Seasons Sayan? 75 minutes is 1,650,000 rupiah.

Be warned: I was hit by a motorbike going down one-way Jalan Monkey Forest the wrong way on my way here, so do keep your wits about you.

A simple spa, a simple state of mind.

Ubud is your oyster when it comes to dinner -- you could undo all your good work with a few martinis at Naughty Nuri's, but if you want to stay on track, a meal at Kafe would do the trick -- they're open until 23:00 daily.

Where to stay?

We have already recommended Ubud Lestari as a great, family-friendly place to stay but if you're on your own little retreat, it also works perfectly. It's spotlessly clean, tasteful, central, spacious, has a pool and paddy views, and you won't see too many other people as there are only a handful of rooms. The only hiccup here is getting a booking, as the staff, though friendly, don't speak great over-the-phone English.

Wishing for seven days...

I actually began my stay at Merthayasa Bungalows, also on Monkey Forest Road, as Ubud Lestari said they had no rooms when I called ahead. But when I dropped by they did; I didn't hesitate to forfeit almost a night's payment to move, as when I had pointed out the table in the room at Merthayasa as being dirty, the staff member simply brushed the pile of plastic tags and knots of human hair onto the floor. Nice! Expect to pay 350,000 for a fan-cooled room (air-con optional 50,000 extra) at Ubud Lestari.

Happy hedonistic relaxing!

Tags: Taksu, ubud lestari, Yoga Barn

You're thinking jewellery, ka-ching, can't afford to buy jewellery in Bali, bananas, are you crazy? But this isn't really about buying, necessarily. John Hardy jewellery is probably Bali's most famous jewellery export, which isn't a bad achievement considering how many silversmiths the island plays host to. You won't however actually find John Hardy jewellery retailing anywhere on the island (I don't think) as it's almost all exported around the world, via their headquarters in Hong Kong, to the likes of Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus. Ka-ching, indeed.
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Tags: Green School, jewellery, John Hardy

If you've travelled too light to Bali and you need a few more toys or books to keep your kids entertained while you're here, a few excellent little toy and book shops have sprung up close to each other on Jalan Raya Kerobokan in recent years. You can tie a visit in here with a wander down Jalan Laksmana for kids' clothes. Obviously the toy shops are more targeted at people living here (and expats at that) but you might find some interesting stuff here -- and some of the larger stuff can be flat-packed for shipment home.
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Tags: books, Kerobokan, toys

Jalan Sulawesi in Bali's capital Denpasar is a stretch of road full of getting-dilapidated shophouses packed with all kinds of imaginable fabrics -- as well as things like, um, cupboards, carved wooden chairs, plastic buckets and jewellery boxes.
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Tags: batik, kebaya, saris, silks

In my experience as a six-foot-tall woman, shopping in the enticing-looking boutiques along Jalan Laksmana in Seminyak can be rather disappointing, with not too much available in my size.

Shopping for kids, however, is another question entirely. Quite a few lovely shops selling children's clothes have sprung up in this area over the past few years, making a slog along the crappy footpaths here (and around two corners onto Raya Basangkasa) worth your effort.

Begin at Indigo Kids, half way down Laksmana, a little further east from Cafe Bali. Branches of this 1983-established store are scattered across Bali now, selling breezy clothes for babies from three months through to kids aged 12. The Indigo Kids brand is a big export hit, and the items have slightly more of a mainstream* feel than some of the other labels in this area but there's a reason they're popular.

Further east on the same side of the road you'll find Clara Mia, a tiny boutique with exquisite girls and boys clothes. Items are not cheap, but they're oh-so-pretty. Designer Anne Jegou takes French vintage clothes as her inspiration, reinterpreting dresses she wore as a child from the far reaches of her grandmother’s cupboard as well as shirts and shorts her grandfather once wore.

Continue on the same side of the road until gorgeous Kidsagogo. Sue Hadinata is the creative talent behind this label, opening her first store in 1989 and continuing to create fresh, clean looks for kids with a slight batik influence through to today. Pretty Balinese-influenced homewares and accessories here are worth a look, too.

Next door is Kiki's Closet, which tends toward sequinned, strappier dresses for girls -- sort of miniature versions of grown-up dresses for little girls. It's not quite to my taste, but worth a look if it's yours.

Boys clothes on display at Dandelion

Across the road, still heading east, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang has selected kids' clothes up the back as well as its main adult range. The Tuckshop (or Corner Store) is the spot to stop for an excellent cup of coffee and to browse the gorgeous Littlehorn range of baby and children's clothes. Their signature look is bright, colourful prints on good quality cottons.

Cornerstore is also the place to snap up items from the Coco and Ginger girls' range. This range is ethically produced, paying Balinese women a fair wage to create. The emphasis is on embroidery, but simple, flowing dresses that little girls love also come in pretty prints. (disclosure: we're good friends with Coco, Ginger and their parents).

Now, head around that corner, to the right, then to the right again, and you're on Raya Basangkasa. Dandelion along a way to your left has European-inspired smart clothes for girls and boys -- their T-shirts in soft cottons for boys in particular are a big favourite of mine.

Across the road, eco-friendly Milk & Roses has a small but lovely range of cotton-y clothes worth looking out for, kind of in the Clara Mia vein of more fragile, dainty outfits -- and also French-inspired.

* My original post said "mass-produced" but after receiving Sophia's comment, I corrected to mainstream.

Tags: Clothes

Rio Helmi is one of Indonesia's best photographers – his work was mentioned in this month's Bali travel piece in the New York Times – and he currently has a sale on his prints at his gallery on Jalan Suweta in Ubud. His sumptuous prints chronicle lives around Asia in places as diverse as Bali, Papua, Kerala, Thailand and Cambodia.

Canoes tied up over the seaweed farms between Nusa Penida and Lembongan off the coast of Bali

"These are mostly prints that I've done for different exhibitions," he told me, adding that both works done on assignment and his personal work are in the mix. "Some of the images go back 20 to 30 years, but the prints are probably five years old, with some newer."

Many of the images, which are mostly discounted by 20-30%, are "artist's proofs". Why are these so special? "When an artist or a photographer pulls the first print, it's like the proof of what you're going to do," Rio says. "In terms of collectors, those are usually considered the most valuable because it's the first print that was ever made of that image."

The sale will go for another month or so, Rio says. Why the purge of beautiful works from his possession?

"The reason I'm selling those prints is that I have so many prints in my studio and gallery right now that I'd rather move them than let them stay and get damaged because it's so crowded in there."

Check out Rio's Facebook page to see the prints on sale. But please don't look at this one – we want it!!

If a print's out of your budget, you could consider buying his new book Memories of the Sacred. The book, published in October, looks back across three decades of rituals in Bali.

Rio Helmi Gallery
Jl. Suweta 5, Ubud
T: (0361) 972 304
http://www.riohelmi.com/

You've seen Eat Pray Love right? No? Lucky you.

In the middle of the Bali portion of the film, Julia Roberts takes a stroll through the central market in Ubud and careful watchers will notice that the market doesn't appear to be "traditional" (muddy and full of flopping fish, shivering ducks and long dead cows) at all, but rather is packed to the rafters with tourist knick-knacks. Yikes! Tourist trap!

Fresh produce at the Ubud market

Many a time I've wandered down Jalan Raya Ubud and overheard travellers bemoaning that it's just a "crap tourist market" and they want the real thing. Well the thing is, it is the real thing. There's a basement level to it that has all the grime you'll need for your authentic Ubudian experience (though to be honest many Ubudians probably shop at the Bintang Supermarket over on Jalan Raya Campuhan, but lets not worry about that little detail).

Meats and walls in need of painting at the Ubud Market

So the basement level is actually pretty interesting, with lots of fresh produce and dead animals, though by God do the walls need a coat of paint. The funny thing is, it's not difficult to find: wander near the main market for a bit and you'll invariably come across some older women carrying either stuff on their head or innumerable tiny plastic bags. Follow them and when you spy the staircase heading down into the bowels of the market, you're on your way.

Enjoy!

Tags: markets, ubud

This uber-groovy spot at the intersection of Drupadi and Laksmana in Seminyak is a great little spot to have breakfast if you have kids in tow as they offer a couple of high chairs, something of a rarity in this area. The coffee here is great, the service breezy and you can browse the snappy range of Little Horn clothes – offbeat prints make the label really stand out – as well as homewares, all designed by owner Sean Cosgrove. This is also a good spot to pick up the gorgeous Coco and Ginger girls' range (disclosure: designer Saffron is a friend). A small attached gallery also has good local artists' work on display as well.

A few adult labels are also hooked over racks meaning everyone will be occupied while waiting for their excellent hash browns with rocket (Susie’s breakfast) or Coco Pops.

You may have to elbow aside fashionistas typing on their Macbook Pros to get a table, but go on, one day they’ll have kids and understand.

Tags: cafe, fashion, food, seminyak