History about rice production in Indonesia
Rice production inIndonesia is a very important part of the national economy and has been part of the Balinese culture for at least two thousand years. So before I continue to tell more about the Tegalalang rice terrace Ubud, I want to share a little bit of background and history about rice production in Indonesia.
Indonesia is the third-largest producer of rice in the world and everywhere you go in Indonesia, rice fields shape the landscape. Rice is sold at markets and is served in most local meals both as a savoury and a sweet food.
The rice cycle is a process which takes in total 5 months! Just before planting the new rice, the fields have to be fertilised which is done by flooding them with water and cows or machines plowing the land. The fields then look like reflecting mirrors and are ready for planting. This is done by hand over several days. The little seeds are reflecting in the silvery water and are ready to grow. This takes two months after planting the rice before they have grown taller into green rice and are ready to harvest. After harvesting, the stubble in the fields are burnt or flooded, so that the old rice stalks slowly decompose under the water and the ground is being prepared for the next rice.
What is Tegalalang rice terrace?
The rice terraces Tegalalang is a series of rice paddies located just outside of the centre of Ubud. These rice fields are famous for its terraced layout which is a traditional Balinese irrigation system known as Subak Irrigration. Located in a valley, the Tegalalang rice terraces offer extremely scenic lookouts over the rice fields and surrounding green landscape. It’s a very popular tourist attraction in Bali, Ubud, and a must-see when you’re in Bali.
The Tegallalang Rice Terraces are impressively cut out into walls of the valley with up to 10 tiered levels of rice paddies and cascading water throughout. You will see the local farmers doing their daily routine harvesting the rice and maintaining the valley which makes it very enjoyable and picturesque for visitors.
Where is Tegalalang rice terrace
The Tegalalang Rice Terraces are located in a small village in the popular rainforest region of Ubud in central Bali. This makes it easy to put a visit to the Tegalalang Rice Terrace on everyone’s Bali itinerary. You can combine a visit the the Tegalalang Rice Terraces with many other to go places in Ubud.
How to get to Tegalalang rice terrace Ubud
The Tegalalang rice terrace is a short 20-minute drive north of Ubud. The road is mostly straight and easy to reach if you have your own scooter or car.
You can easily park your scooter along the road, but there is also a big parking area close to the rice paddies Ubud where you can drop your vehicle for a small fee (around 10,000 IDR). There are multiple entry points at Tegalalang rice terrace down into the valley. You can find a set of stairs down to Tegalalang via one of the cafes on the hillside where you just follow the path further into the rice terraces.
If you’re not confident enough to drive a scooter or car yourself, you can get a taxi or even better, book one of the tours below that include a visit to the Tegallang rice terraces.
