The "Inn for Spiritual Travelers"

Although I traveled all around Ubud, I had to pick a location that would be my temporary home despite my nomadic two-wheeled roaming. I got to experience some of the Christian and Muslim culture in Java, so I decided while I was on Bali I should truly round out the inter-faith experience. So on Friday evening I checked myself into an ashram.

I stayed at the Anand Ashram, 3 kilometers north of the main street in Ubud. It was absolutely gorgeous and the two locals who live and work at the ashram are so nice and welcoming. I am so glad I decided to try a different type of housing for my time in Bali. It was really rewarding, and for the most part I didn't even mind the early morning wake up times to make all the pre-dawn programing.

The main inn for the ashram residents. (I think the ashram can hold up to 8 people at a time.)

However I was reassigned to a hut they had on the premises due to another person wanting a traditional room.

Although I personally just think he or she must have been afraid of spiders. I got to shower outdoors with this not so little fellow and some of its friends only inches away from my body. (This one was probably 4 inches in diameter.)

The main center of the ashram. Downstairs and upstairs there's a sort of all inclusive temple. The upstairs is a meditation room and downstairs is a gathering area for yoga or other activities.

The view from the second floor, outside the meditation room.

There was nothing radical or life changing about just three days at the ashram, but it was a beautiful place with an amazing vibe. Everyone passing through on their travels had such great stories and experiences and it was nice to stay with people who valued something other than coming to Bali to get raging drunk on the beach. I think staying here was one of my favorite things I've done in Indonesia.