3 Days in Ubud, Bali

I was recently lucky enough to visit beautiful Ubud in Bali. A destination rich in culture, spirituality and positive energy, I instantly fell in love. Luscious green rice paddies and bright blue skies make for a truly stunning backdrop to the established and abundant health and wellness scene. With plenty of cafés and restaurants offering wholesome and nutritionally dense food, open-air yoga studios and spas on every corner it's safe to say I was in heaven. My friends and I embraced all the goodness on offer, indulging in raw, vegan salads, wheatgrass shots, a sweaty vinyasa class and of course a soul-soothing massage. All in all it was the perfect beginning to our holiday - what better way to recover from a 16 hour flight?

There were so many places I wanted to see, but here are just a few of my favourites...

Alchemy

Situated just a 10-minute walk from our amazing apartment, Alchemy Café was our go-to spot for organic cold-pressed juices,  locally sourced raw chocolate delights (the peanut butter cups are to die for), and impressive breakfast and salad bars. This place has such a cool vibe and is frequented by bohemian types and ex pats. Not just a café, this haven of health also has a shop selling everything from superfood powders to jewellery as well as a clinic offering all sorts of alternative therapies. 

Our first breakfast in Bali didn't disappoint - giant green juice, a medley of fresh fruit, raw granola, chia jam and cashew strawberry 'yoghurt' made for the perfect start to day one.

Wise words!

The salad bar was abundant with such healthy and vibrant options, it was hard to choose. This is a combination of courgetti, parsley tabbouleh, sauerkraut and avocado (among other things!) 

Sari Organik

Set deep within Ubud's beautiful rice fields, Sari Organik is an eatery with a view. The menu is mouth-watering with a mix of local delicacies and vibrant salads, juices and desserts. We struggled to decide so opted to share a selection of equally delicious dishes. Their Balinese take on falafels was particularly delicious, as were the chicken satay skewers. 

Colourful and beautifully presented food from Sari Organik. A true feast for the senses. 

Rice fields in Ubud.

Yoga Barn 

At the centre of Ubud's Yoga community is the gorgeous Yoga Barn. We opted for an early morning 90-min vinyasa flow class with Les Leventhal, an enthusiastic and instantly inspiring teacher. Our studio was airy and open walled with a panoramic view of the surrounding rice paddies (a recurring theme in Ubud that never gets old). After a sweaty session we headed straight for Yoga Barn's onsite Garden Kafe and were in for another treat in terms of delicious food and drink. Feeling a little dehydrated, coconut water, brightly coloured smoothies and wheatgrass shots were all sampled in one sitting. 

Coconut water straight from the source - complete with bamboo stick straw, naturally.

Yoga Barn's Tiger Bowl:  brown rice, sauteed bok choy, cashews, steamed veggies, carrots, kim chee, marinated local seaweed topped nori and sesame seeds. Yum!

A selection of beautiful juices.

Wheatgrass shots to put a post-yoga spring in your step. 

All photographs taken by myself and Scarlett Santi Brooks.