Ubud is a central city on the island of Bali. It is a popular tourist destination as well as a good jumping off point for various day trips. Ubud was, without a doubt, my favorite city on Bali’s mainland – it’s a spot you simply can’t miss!
How to get to Ubud
Book a taxi or shuttle with your accommodation or use the app Grab to get a ride. Grab is equivalent to Uber or Lyft and is often much cheaper than any hotel-provided transportation or taxi.
NOTE: Many tourists opt for one of the many cheap, luxury villas around central Bali. This is obviously very exciting, especially for budget travelers, however, be sure to read reviews before booking anything!
Many places do not live up to their online profile and you will end up disappointed in your luxury experience. I am not saying all of these villas are bad, but just do your research and read the reviews so you know exactly what to expect!
Explore the City Itself
Don’t spend your entire time in the City center but definitely take a day to wander its streets as it is filled to the brim with cute activities and amazing restaurants!
A visit to the Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary is essential during your time in Ubud. It only costs 50,000 IDR ($3.50 USD) for the opportunity to get up close and personal with Balinese monkeys! You can pay extra for photos with a monkey or just enjoy their goofy personalities.
NOTE: Follow the warnings posted around the sanctuary. The monkeys can become aggressive at times and they will try to steal your things. So follow the guidelines of the sanctuary (don’t steal their food, don’t look them in the eye, etc) and keep your belongings tight to you so nothing gets stolen.
If you don’t get your animal fix from the Monkey Forest, head to the Cat Cafe Ubud. The entrance fee is 20,000 IDR ($1.40 USD) to hang out with the cats and you can pay for additional coffees or breakfasts during your time there!
Another thing to do in the City Center is to learn more about Balinese culture. The Agung Rai Museum of Art (100,000 IDR entry) has a series of collections featuring local artists and pieces representing Balinese life, religion, and culture. The Saraswati Temple and Ubud Palace are also beautiful sites to see and learn about.
Of course, you will need to eat at some point in Ubud. Some of my favorite spots include Atman Kafe, Mozzarella Ubud, and Ubud Warung. The best food experience overall, though, was at Merlin’s. The magical and unique premise of Merlin’s is that the food chooses you through a Tarot card drawing. If you choose this experience, you get a three course meal – each course represented by a card you randomly select (don’t worry, if you don’t like your card you can draw again!). Please note, this is definitely a splurge spot for Bali as the tarot reading is 600,000 IDR ($40 USD).
Take a Day Trip
Although Ubud itself is fun and easy to wander around, renting a motor bike and getting out of the city is really where it’s at! The central landscape of Bali is absolutely stunning so definitely don’t miss these top tier day trips:
Chase Waterfalls
There are SO many waterfalls to hunt down outside of Ubud. Do some research of your own to find ones you really want to see but some popular ones to the east are:
- Kanto Lampo
- Taman Sari
- Suwat
- Tegenungan
To the north is Leke Leke and some others, these are simply a bit further of a ride outside of Ubud.
Hike Mount Batur
The difficult trek up Mount Batur for sunrise is an extremely popular activity. If the weather is bad, you will not have a good sunrise at the top, however, you will still be proud of yourself for climbing the famous volcano. Depending on the tour you have, you may even get to stop at a coffee plantation for a tasting following your descent.
The tour I booked is no longer the same online – but you can either book online or with your accommodation. It should only be about $60-70 USD but it can be cheaper with GetYourGuide or other online tour companies.
Experience a Water Temple
Tirta Empul Temple is a Hindu temple where you can be cleansed by the water pool inside. You must wear a sarong and change into a different, rental sarong for entering the pools (10,000 IDR). You can have a guide explain everything to you for an extra fee but it is not required.
Relax over Rice Terraces
You can simply drive to viewpoints of the Tegallalang Rice Terraces and have an amazing day taking in the beautiful scenery. However, another more luxury option is to visit a pool club that overlooks these terraces. I visited Cretya Ubud but there are plenty of options that are all equally as luxurious and stunning.
NOTE: Cretya was not my favorite because the entrance fee did not cover any interior costs. So after paying 50,000 IDR to enter, I still had to pay for any food, drinks, or even seats that I wanted. I didn’t mind as much about the food and drinks, but I was disappointed to find how few free seating areas there were to relax in.
There is so much to do in and around Ubud. I definitely recommend staying here for the longest period of time during any Bali trip as it is so easy to rent a motor bike and find things to do each day. I recommend spending 5-7 days in this fun-filled region!
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One response to “Ubud Travel Guide”
I really really like the way the photos are edited. Very professional and aesthetic. We should get macarons sometime and talk about trees 👍
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