The Kintamani road is nice and quiet. When you go down the other side, about 8 Km or so from memory, there is a funny shaped turn off (the turn off actually is to the right and then the turn off road goes above the main road for a few meters, so it looks a local, going nowhere road). That is the road down through some supposed Bali Aga villages, down to the coast near Tejakula; you should give somewhere like Alam Anda or Agung Bali Nirwana a try sometime.

Or, take a right at Singaraja to do the coast route taking in Air Sanih (public natural water baths) and Ponjok Batu temple; Puri Bagus used to have a restaurant overlooking it.

Sounds like Ubud has improved . I guess it was your favorite diggs again in Penestanan? Has the rice field area around it been spoiled (built on) yet?