UBUD ULTIMATE CITY GUIDE

We only spent one full day in Ubud but we were amazed at all the things we got to experience in such a short time. If you have the opportunity to stay longer than we did, I suggest you do! Traveling Bali has been amazing and Ubud is definitely one of the highlights of this trip. I have put together the ultimate guide to visiting this beautiful Balinese city (based on my personal experience). I hope you enjoy it!

How to get there

We landed at Denpasar Airport in Bali, which is about 2 hours away from Ubud. Our hotel had arranged to have a driver pick us up at the airport for 350.000Rp (approximately 25$ US) and it was perfect. We were so happy to have someone to drive us after a long flight. In my opinion, the best way to get to Ubud is to find a driver that you trust and that knows how to drive in Bali (ideally a local). Our driver’s name was Nengah and he was amazing.. if you need a driver, feel free to contact him through Facebook. Once in Ubud, many people choose to rent motorbikes to drive around.

Where to stay

We stayed at a very nice hotel called Budi’s Guest House. The rooms were beautiful and clean, and the hotel even had a pool! Every morning, the staff brought a delicious free breakfast to our room. The hotel was honestly perfect for us; great staff, big rooms, and perfect location right in the heart of Ubud (and they even had the cutest puppy ever).

If you have a bigger budget, there are many other amazing hotels in the Ubud area (that are very Instagram friendly haha!). Staying at one of those beautiful bamboo hotels overlooking the rice fields seems so worth it!

Where to eat

Ubud is filled with amazing restaurants and great food. We fell in love with so many cute little eateries so it’s very easy to come up with good recommendations. Here is a list of our favorite ones:

-AtmanKafe (their breakfast menu is amazing and they make very good omelets and smoothie bowls)

-Milk and Madu Cafe (there’s another one in Canggu and it is very good and popular)

-Alit Warung & Bar (good for diner and they have live music most nights which creates a fun ambiance)

-Mudra Cafe (they have the most amazing smoothie and poke bowls)

What to do

Ubud Market

The Ubud Market is definitely a popular spot (both amongst tourists and locals). If you go to the market in the morning, you will find fresh fruits and veggies, fresh fish, a lot of spices, and almost anything you can dream of. It’s more of a food and goods market where locals get what they need for the day. In the afternoon, they change it up and it becomes a tourist market. They sell clothes, decorations, souvenirs, and tons of typical Balinese things. In my opinion, it is worth a visit both in the morning and later in the afternoon.

Holy Spring Water Temple

If you like visiting temples, this one should be on your list while visiting Ubud (Tirta Empul in Indonesian). It is full of culture and the water in the temple is used for many Hindu religious ceremonies. Visitors can participate in self-cleaning from the spring water but they need to comply with certain rules (for example long hair needs to be up in a ponytail or a bun, ladies can’t enter the temple if they are menstruated, etc). The rules are outlined on a big poster at the entrance. The fee to enter the Tirta Empul Temple is 30.000Rp per person (2$ US) and it is open daily from 7:00 am to 5:00 pm. We loved walking around the temple and witnessing all the culture and spectacular architecture.

Monkey Forest

The Monkey Forest is one of the best attractions in the Ubud area. Not only can you see hundreds of monkeys, but there is over 180 species of trees in the forest. It is a beautiful, spiritual, and educational place that tourists love to visit. The forest is open daily from 8:30 am to 6:00 pm and the entrance costs 50.000Rp per person (about 4$ US). My only advice is to be careful around the monkey and remember that they are wild animals (many of our friends got bitten or attacked).

Coffee Plantation

Coffee plantations in Ubud are breathtaking. We visited the Alas Harum plantation (the entrance is free and a guide takes you through and explains everything which makes the experience very special). There you can learn about the coffee-making process, you can sample Luwak coffee and many other kinds of coffee and tea, you can swing over the plantations and you can take amazing pictures. We spent a whole afternoon there and we loved it.

Tegalalang Rice Field

Although there are many rice fields in Ubud (and all over Bali), Tegalalang is the most popular. We stopped there quickly on our way to the coffee plantation (to take a few pictures) but we did not actually go inside. The entrance fee is 10.000Rp (less than 1$ US) and when you cross some of the bridges and different pathways you will have to make small donations (so all and all you might pay around 3-4$ US). My best advice would be to go to the Tegalalang rice field very early to avoid the crowds (the site is open 24 hours).

The Yoga Barn

If you are a yoga lover, the Yoga Barn is going to make you very happy. In fact, many tourists travel to Ubud just to go take a few yoga classes there. The barn has a guest house so you can actually stay there if you want. If not, you can just go to a class.

There are obviously many other things to do in Ubud (if you have more time than we did) but the ones I highlighted here are the ones we really appreciated. Ubud is considered to be the cultural heart of Bali and that is why tourists and locals love it so much. I highly recommend visiting Ubud and really immersing in the typical Balinese culture. I hope this city guide helps you plan your trip!,

Indonesia, Asia, Southeast Asia, Ubud