Rice fields in Ubud. Rice terraces in Bali, Ubud - Tegallalang

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“I want to spend this morning away from the hot stones, let’s better go see the rice terraces,” I said to Pasha, who was just looking for where to stick our moped in the parking lot near Royal Palace Ubud. Of course, I really like the local architecture and the stunning Balinese courtyards, when looking at which it is not always clear what is in front of you: a temple or a house, but today I wanted something green, fresh, pastoral. Pasha tried to be indignant at my feminine frivolity, but a few minutes later we were already rushing into the unknown.

We had no idea where to look for these terraces, we only knew that they were somewhere north of Ubud. So we left the city and endless restaurants, supermarkets and souvenir shops gave way to shops of artists and craftsmen, and now we passed a rice field with peasants in straw hats. “Somewhere here, probably,” Pasha suggested, “we’ll look,” and pulled the gas handle towards himself. But before we had time to accelerate, a whistle was heard. We stood on the side of the road and a Balinese man in a sarong and with a badge on his colorful shirt approached us. “Where are you going, to see the fields? Then pay 10 thousand rupees for two.” Pasha took a crumpled, almost decayed bill out of his pocket and handed it to the man. “Park there,” said the Balinese, and leisurely went back to the checkpoint (of course, this Balinese peculiarity of charging an entrance fee from scratch is touching, thanks also to the fact that they allow you to go to the beach without a ticket).

1. Rice terraces Ubud.

2. View of Tegallalang from the observation deck.

The Tegallalang Rice Terraces are carved out of a gorge formed by a river. These fields are counted. The emerald slopes of the gorge, cut by terraces forming intricate patterns, go down to the water. Unfortunately, clouds rolled in and the photos turned out a little gloomy.

There is a path along the terraces that anyone can walk along, but many people prefer to simply have lunch in one of the many gazebo restaurants, sitting comfortably on cushions at low tables. We decided to walk anyway, despite the fact that the smell of food made our mouths water.

3. Nice cafes overlooking the fields.

If you, like us, want to take a walk, wear some comfortable shoes, I kept slipping out of my sandals, risking flying down the hill. A local woman, taught by experience, overtook us, with a bucket of fruit on her head and flip-flops in her hand - better barefoot than in unreliable shoes.

4. That's what experience means.

According to some sources, the first rice terraces appeared here about two thousand years ago. Generation after generation completed and expanded them. Rice is the main food for the Balinese (as well as for the Thais). The word "rice" is synonymous with the word "food" for them. Previously, only one harvest was harvested per year, but now, thanks to the use of fertilizers, it is possible to harvest as many as three harvests. Even fertile volcanic soil cannot withstand such exploitation and the Indonesian government recommends that the Balinese reduce the load on the land and grow spices instead of rice.

We quickly descended to the bottom of the gorge and crossed to the other side along a flimsy and slippery bamboo bridge. Somewhere below, a stormy stream roared underfoot. From here, the rice terraces were somewhat reminiscent of the pyramids of Mesoamerica.

6. At the foot of the “pyramid”.

7. This is the rice.

Quite quickly we climbed to the very top, not forgetting to stop and enjoy beautiful views emerald fields. Almost at the very top, a little man sat on a bench and slowly smoked. When he saw us, he pointed to the sign: “Whoever reached this place, please pay 5,000 rupees each.” At first we tried to be indignant at this impudence, but then we gave the man our hard-earned 17 rubles (half as much - that’s enough for him), just so that he wouldn’t bother chasing us for half an hour. The Balinese were spoiled by the universal love of tourism, oh how spoiled they were...) However, later our tractability played into our hands.

8. Terraces on the border with the jungle.

9. Razvodilkin with a sign.

If you walk along the gorge a little further along a small path, you can see how peasants cut ears of corn and dry rice on large mats. Unfortunately, we were only able to see this from afar. A wall of rain was rushing towards us, so we quickly galloped out of there.

10. House for spirits.

11. In some places the rice has already been harvested, in others it is just beginning to ripen.

12. Cloud politely hints.

13. Peasants.

True, a minute later the rain still covered us, but that same peasant came to the rescue. He invited us under a shed, where for an hour he listed all the names of countries he knew (five of them), yawned often and noisily, sold us an overripe coconut for two dollars (we had to take it for a dollar), then tried to sell coffee, then took it from Pasha from the legs of some kind of insect I won't pay him a dollar for this!, then the rain died down and we finally left our overly hospitable host.

In general, the walk turned out to be interesting, and the rice terraces left the most pleasant impressions, even despite our kindly rascal.

One of the main natural attractions of the island of Bali is the rice terraces. Their area covers thousands of hectares, and some are over 1,000 years old.

In this article I will tell you about the most beautiful rice terraces in Bali, how rice is grown and harvested on the island. I will also introduce you to the most popular rice fields, tell you where they are and how much it costs to visit them. In addition, here you will find useful tips by visiting the terraces.

On this site you can read about many of the island's attractions. For your convenience, I have divided them into categories. You are now in the Rice Terraces section. To get acquainted with another category, go to the “Places by category” section and click the link that interests you. Full list attractions is available in the “All Places” section.

G allalang rice terraces) are located in central Bali, 9 km north of Ubud. They are located at an altitude of 800 m above sea level, in a river valley. This is one of the oldest and most visited attractions on the island.

What rice fields are there on the island?

Rice is the main crop for the Balinese people. It is used to prepare many dishes and is eaten almost every day. Rice is grown both on the plains and in mountainous areas. There is not so much fertile land on the island, because local residents They try to use every scrap of it.

Interesting fact: the word “nasi”, which translates as “rice”, also has a second meaning - “food”. This indicates the great importance of this culture for the Balinese.

There are two types of rice fields here:

Terraces
These are steps created on the slopes of hills. Some of them date back thousands of years. It is the terraces that attract tourists the most, as they look very beautiful and unusual.
Fields
They are located mainly on the plains in the western, southwestern and central parts of the island. Similar places can be seen in any agricultural region of the world, which is why tourists rarely come here.

The most interesting terraces are located in the central part of the island, around Ubud. Eat Beautiful places in the east and north of the island, in the area of large lakes.

Here is a list of rice terraces that I would recommend you visit:

They rank first in terms of attendance. Located a little north of Ubud. It is believed that this is where the most beautiful views and it turns out the best photos. There are several good cafes near the terrace, observation platforms, souvenir shops with products of local residents.

Prices:
5,000 rupees may be asked at the entrance to some areas of the field
It costs 10,000 rupees to park a car near the terraces
You can visit the terraces at any time of the day
Address: Jalan Tegallalang, Teg allalang, Kabupaten Gianyar

The rice terraces in Bali are a very beautiful sight, bright green colors, the sun reflected in the water, beauty and that’s it! There are many places in Bali where you can see rice terraces, but the most beautiful and spectacular, where tourists are often taken, are the Tegallalang rice terraces.

Tegallalang Rice Terraces are very close to Ubud just 5 km and 40 km from Kuta. You can get to the rice terraces on your own by moped or car, or as part of an excursion. This place is included in almost all excursions on the island. We got to the Tegallalang rice terraces on our own on a moped and from our hotel in Kuta, Bliss Surfer Hotel, the journey took about an hour.

Our visit to the Tegallalang rice terraces

We arrived at the rice terraces around lunchtime, on a moped. We thought that the entrance was paid, but it turned out that everything was free, only parking was paid. For mopeds in Bali, cheap parking is everywhere: 1000-3000 rupees per moped, for a slightly more expensive car about 10,000 rupees.

I expected to see rice terraces about the same as we saw along the road when we were driving. That is, not particularly big. But everything turned out differently. We approach the terraces and cannot say a word with admiration! This is such beauty! The rice terraces are very large, go far down, and are very beautiful! They are made in even levels, the colors cannot be expressed in words - everything is very bright, picturesque, green shades of colors simply excite the eye! And how they sparkle in the sun is a must see!

There are a lot of different cafes where you can eat overlooking the terraces. And many who come here do just that, take pictures against the backdrop of rice and then go to a cafe overlooking the terraces, and that’s it, they leave. We didn't do that. I immediately noticed that figures of people were moving along the paths, between the rice, and naturally, there was a desire to also walk along the terraces themselves.

We found a small passage and began to go down along a narrow path. Our shoes were very comfortable - sandals, so walking along the rice terraces was not much of a problem. I advise you to choose suitable shoes if you also decide not just to take pictures against the backdrop of the rice terraces, but also to walk along them, for example, sandals, sports shoes. I don’t recommend slates, as we saw how a girl accidentally stepped into rice, and her slate ended up deep underground, since the ground is damp. It was very funny when the Indonesian finally got her a slate covered in dirt, and she began to take pictures with it (the slate) with laughter. So further, we went down to the very bottom of these terraces, there is a cliff where the water flows, and there is a small bridge. Everything is very picturesque.

Next we need to go upstairs, which is what we did. The paths are very narrow, such that only 1 person can pass. And there are many options where to go, the paths go to different directions. We went along the main one - you can recognize it by the way it looks - more trodden and dry.

We went up several levels and then saw a small wooden building, into which we had to go inside in order to go further to the terraces. There are 2-3 Indonesians sitting there and asking for entry to the next more high levels donation (donations). Moreover, these donations were required to pass further. In front of us, a German woman was indignant for a long time that since these are donations, and they are voluntary, and she does not want to give anything, then they should let her through. I want to say that this made me feel a little funny. Bali, in general interesting place, here you don’t need to regret giving the locals a little money, for us it’s 4-20 rubles, but they are so pleased! I want to say that your kindness will return to you! We had this situation in Bali - on the first day, we went to the ocean and decided to spend the whole day there. We paid for a sunbed, as it later turned out, 2 times more expensive than on other days. We decided not to bargain on the first day and paid the amount that the Indonesian asked. After spending the whole day on the beach, in the evening we began to get ready to go home, and it so happened that, having already moved about 30 meters from our sun lounger, we heard an Indonesian calling us and running after them. He shouted that we forgot our phone and, having caught up with us, gave it back. My husband and I were in such shock!!! So, do good and it will come back to you! Let me return to the story, so the German woman was indignant, but still gave the money, we also did not argue and gave a little money. We went to a higher level - it got hotter here, but the view is simply stunning!

You can see the place where we started our descent, you can also see all the cafes standing on the edge of the road near the rice terraces.

Then there were almost no people, everyone looked and decided to go back. But not us! I naturally wanted to go even further, so that there were still paths. So there you go! If you go even further, there is a similar checkpoint with mandatory donations. But no one was sitting there and we went in the other direction - as it turned out, correctly, we went several more levels higher, bypassing this checkpoint. Ha! There is truly beauty, silence and peace there. There was no longer rice around, we entered a small bamboo forest.

As a result, the forest ended, and we kept walking and walking further, the terraces were no longer visible, not a soul was around. We walk together and emerge from this forest into a clearing of rice! God, what beauty there. A small rice field surrounded by forest. There was nowhere to go further; we saw several houses. And here, in this place, such peace and tranquility suddenly rolls over. We could probably live here. 🙂

After walking around and enjoying our state of mind, we decide to move back, since we have a planned visit ahead. The return journey is not as interesting as the first. Personally, I tried to retain all these feelings that suddenly arose in me here, to remember everything around me, all this extraordinary beauty, made by the hands of Indonesians.

If you're in Bali, be sure to take the time to visit these Tegallalang Rice Terraces in Ubud. And be sure to walk along the narrow paths, I’m sure you’ll enjoy it!

The rice terraces on the island deserve special attention, thanks to which you can see how rice grows. The stepped rice fields are striking in their beauty; it is a pleasure to stroll here. There are rice fields in the outback of Bali. In this article I will talk about the most popular of them. Getting to know them will leave you with only pleasant impressions.

This is the most famous and recognizable place in Bali, and it is where most tourists visit. The terraces received their name in honor of the province of the same name, Tegallalang, located 20 minutes’ drive from the city of Ubud. Due to the fact that the fields are located quite high and not far from the road, a light breeze always blows here. Not only tourists come here, but also nature lovers and even artists. The terraces are famous for their stunning scenery, and photos taken against their background cannot be compared with any other similar place.

There is a winding path between the terraces, along which you can walk and see how rice is grown with close range.

There is a version that the Tegallalang terraces were founded in the 9th century. Today it is important tourist site, which boasts a well-developed infrastructure. There are numerous cafes and restaurants, souvenir shops and even art shops nearby. Formally, visiting the terraces is free, but there are several services for which you will have to pay. For example, parking, photos, and fees are also charged before entering certain fields. Tegallalang is open to visitors throughout daylight hours.

Near Tegallalang there is a small village called Pakudui, where real craftsmen and artisans live. Skillful wooden sculptures are made here, and carving skills have been passed on from generation to generation for many years.

Jatiluwih Rice Terrace

These are another famous terraces on the island, located on the slope of Mount Batukaru, near the city of Tabanan. The fields are located at an altitude of about 700 meters. Tabanan is practically the center of Bali, which is much more favorable for growing rice than southern regions islands.

The area of the terraces is 303 hectares; they are artificially created steps. The rice here is grown by hand and harvested every 3-6 months (depending on the variety). From 1 hectare you can get about 4 tons of crop. Both white, black and red varieties of rice are grown on the terraces. Peasants look after the fields; buffaloes help in cultivating the fields.

The infrastructure here is well developed, there are service points Catering, souvenir shops, parking available. Religious ceremonies are often held in the vicinity of Jatiluvi, the purpose of which is to appeal to the gods for the sake of a good harvest.

The terraces are open to the public from 8 am to 5 pm. Price entrance ticket 30 thousand rupees.

Rendang Rice Terrace

Terraces take up enough space large area, they are located near Mount Agung, next to the Besakih temple complex. The peculiarity of this place is that the terraces here are closely intertwined with the fields. The area is surrounded on all sides by jungle. The Unda River flows through the entire territory of the terraces. The top of Rendang Rice Terrace offers stunning views of the surrounding area. It will take at least 6 hours to walk around the entire territory. You can visit the terraces at any convenient time, as they are open 24 hours a day. The entrance is free.

Kekeran Busung Biu Rice Terrace

Terraces can be found in the northern part of the island, near the village of Munduk. This place remote from popular tourist sites, so it is not in particular demand among travelers. The most convenient way to come here is during a trip to northern lakes or to Lovina. The terraces are located on the hills, among which a river flows. In addition to rice, spices and fruits are grown here. Visiting the area is free, but you can always purchase locally produced goods from the population. Terraces are available at any time of the day.

Ubud Rice Terraces

Around Ubud city a large number of terraces They smoothly descend into the valley of the Ayung River, thereby forming the most beautiful landscapes. Prestigious hotels are located near many of the terraces, allowing you to admire stunning views from your rooms. The most famous terraces are located near the villages of Sayan, Payangan, Penestanan, Pengosekan.

How is rice grown?

External features rice fields are directly dependent on the crop growing cycle. Modern varieties only need 110 days until full ripening, which allows them to harvest 2-3 times during the year. Traditional Balinese rice varieties take 210 days to ripen, which is how long a year lasts on the island. If you look at the local calendar, you will notice that the main part national holidays associated with the rice growing stage. This crop is considered the main one in the Balinese diet.

There are several varieties of rice, depending on the stage of processing:

Paddy is a crop that has already been harvested, but the stems and grains have not yet had time to thresh and process.
Gabakh - the grains have already been separated from the stems, but they have not yet been processed.
Beras – processed grains and ready for consumption. When buying rice in a store, you may notice that this word will be indicated on the packs.

The following varieties of rice are traditional for Bali:

Barak (also called red) is a sacred crop, this variety is considered the most expensive. Used during religious ceremonies. The grains have a pink tint.
Injin - grains have a dark purple hue, but they are often called black. Grown in small quantities. Rice has found use in desserts and various fillings.
Ketan (white rice) is the most common and is what the locals eat. Turmeric gives it a yellow tint, after which it is used for religious rituals.

The process of growing rice itself consists of several stages. Initially, grains are planted on small plots of land in order to obtain seedlings. At this time, the fields are being prepared; buffaloes are still used for plowing. When the seedlings grow to 15 centimeters, they begin to be transferred to terraces flooded with water. All work is done by hand; most often, women are involved in planting sprouts. Experienced farmers can plant about 20 m2 in a quarter of an hour.

After all the seedlings are in the fields, water begins to be directed to the terraces, and it is distributed evenly among all farmers. Fields of young rice, flooded with water, look the most beautiful, as they look like large mirrors in which you can see the reflection of the sky. Rice grows quite quickly; just a few days after planting, the terraces acquire a beautiful emerald hue. Before harvesting, the rice should be golden in color.

On the terraces, rice is harvested by hand; machinery can only be used in the fields. After the ears are cut, they are dried and threshed. The outer shells of the grains are cleared using special equipment, although previously the entire process was done manually.

After the crops are harvested, ducks are released into the fields. They collect remaining grains and small insects. And with their droppings they partially fertilize the soil.

A few rules you need to know before visiting the terraces:

Depending on the season, rice terraces have different type. If you want to see young shoots in fields flooded with water, then you need to get ready for your trip in late January–early February.
Best time for visiting - early morning or late evening. In the mornings, the number of visitors is minimal, plus there is a slight coolness. In the evening you can enjoy the sunsets, which are especially beautiful in these places.
Wear comfortable shoes as you will be walking on dirt paths.
You will be in an area with large accumulations of water, do not forget that this is an excellent environment for mosquitoes and their larvae. To avoid bites, take care of special means.
Only the terraces most visited by tourists are paid. There are plenty of rice terraces in Bali, which you can visit completely free of charge.
If you decide to take a photo with a farmer, it is better to ask him about it. Most farmers pose willingly, but there are times when they ask for money for photos. In any case, respect the Balinese and their personal space.
There are cafes near the most famous terraces. By staying in one of them, you can not only enjoy delicious cuisine, but also admire the beautiful scenery.
There are hotels near some terraces, so it will not be difficult to rent a room from picturesque view from the window.

Rice terraces on the map

On this map I have marked all the described rice terraces of Bali.

There are more than enough rice terraces in Bali. Each of them has its own characteristics. It is not necessary to pay money to get acquainted with this natural attraction. As you travel around the island, you can find lesser-known courses that are accessible to everyone and completely free of charge.