Located in the middle of the island you’ll find the cultural heart of Bali: Ubud. It’s surrounded by lush forests and rice fields, sacred temples and artsy shops. It’s busy, but in a very different way than the other touristy places on the island. Here’s some inspiration for things you can do in Ubud!
1. Tegalalang Rice terraces
If there is one thing Ubud is famous for, it’s the breathtaking Tegalalang rice terraces. It’s not huge, but big enough to stroll through and escape the crowds. If you really want to see it at it’s most beautiful, go very early. Around 7 am the first sunrays start peeking through the palm trees and, together with the morning haze, it’s one of the most magical sights ever.
You used to be able to walk everywhere, but now certain parts are closed off. It makes sense, as it’s gotten a lot busier over the years and the main purpose of the terraces is still to grow rice. There are some parts though, where locals charge you a few dollars to further down, to take pictures for example.
Tegalalang is beautiful all year round, but try to avoid the month right after harvest as they’ll be mostly brown and muddy. You can find the harvest periods online.
2. Waterfalls
Ubud is home to some of Bali’s most beautiful waterfalls. One of our favorite things is just to rent a motorbike and explore! Some of our favorites are Suwat, Tukad Cepung and Kanto Lampo (shown from left to right in the pictures).
As with most tourist highlights in Bali, these waterfalls can get quite busy. If you don’t feel like sharing it with many other people, go around/just before opening time which is usually around 8.
3. Visit the Ubud Art Market
Ubud has a vibrant city center with lots of shops selling anything from colorful clothes to handcrafted homeware. Especially if you’re looking for furniture or decorations for your house, Ubud is the place to go. But even if you don’t have space for any of that in your suitcase, the Ubud art market is an awesome market to visit, whether it is to buy souvenirs or just to go for a stroll.
* don’t be afraid to bargain a little bit, it’s part of the culture. The price they start with is usually far too high, so don’t agree with it right away!
4. Monkey forest
At a short walk from the main street of Ubud, you’ll find the monkey forest. It’s a beautiful little forest and home to a couple of hundred monkeys, that are super fun to watch.
Don’t forget however, that no matter how cute the monkeys look, they’re still wild animals. They have become used to tourists and they’re getting more and more cheeky and, in some instances, even aggressive. So keep your distance, keep your food out of sight and make sure to keep your glasses safe (mine were once stolen by one of those little angels).
We’ve seen a lot of people luring them into their laps with food for a cool photo, just don’t. There have been many stories of people who got bitten or scratched, in which case you need to go to the hospital right away to get your rabies shots.
5. Kintamani bike tour
If you’re interested in doing something a little bit different, and see another side of this area, this is for you. The bike tour leads you along beautiful rice fields, temples, coffee tasting and really gives you a peek into the real, local way of life in Bali. The starting point is quite far from Ubud itself, but you get picked up by car. It drops you off at a high location which means you’re only cycling downhill, quite nice in the Bali heat! You end the day with lunch at Tegalalang village, and the whole tour, including driving and lunch, takes about 6 hours
6. Temples
One of the most amazing things about Bali is the culture, and the Hindu religion is a huge part of that. All over Bali you can find these beautifully decorated temples, and Ubud is no exception. Some temples to put on your list are:
- Saraswati temple – located in the middle of Ubud so easy to walk to from the market for example.
- Tirta Empul – an extra sacred water temple people come to to get purified. You can get into the water and wash your face with the holy water if you want, just make sure you respect the local culture.
- Ubud palace – also located in central Ubud, this temple is often used for balinese dance shows.
There are many, many more temples in Ubud, just keep your eyes open and explore the ones you come across!
Note: make sure you wear clothes that cover your shoulders and knees. If not, usually temples provide you with a sarong to cover up
7. Alternative healing
When you arrive in Ubud, you notice straight away that this town is very different from Seminyak or Canggu. It’s freer somehow, and more spiritual. There are yoga shalas everywhere, many vegan restaurants, a lot more people in harem pants and lots of energy cleaning, soul healing retreats. If you’ve come to Bali to heal or find yourself, Ubud is a good place to start.
We tried did a sound healing session in the Pyramids of Chi, which was definitely a whole experience! It’s not for everyone, but interesting to try out some time.
8. Rafting
What could be more exhilarating than following a rapid stream in a rubber raft, surrounded by the lush forests and rugged gorges of Ubud? If you want a change from the shopping and sightseeing, this an awesome activity. The surroundings are breathtaking, the water is nice and cooling and it’s just a really nice active way to spend your day!
You get picked up and dropped of at your hotel.
9. Campuhan ridge walk
If you have some time to spare and like going on walks, walking the Campuhan ridge walk is a nice way to end your day. You walk on a ridge (surprisingly), there are some palm trees, some rice fields and it can be really nice and peaceful.
But, in all honesty, its rather busy, not that spectacular and if you don’t have that much time this would be the first thing we’d scratch from the itinerary.
10. Taman Dedari
Taman dedari is a fairly new restaurant/venue, it was only built a couple of years ago. What’s special about this place isn’t really the restaurant itself, but the beautiful big statues in the garden! Go here around sunset and enjoy a drink while watching the sun set behind the giant statues.
11. Cretya
Beach clubs are nothing new to Bali, but this place is something else. Instead of looking out at the ocean, at Cretya you can relax in a beautiful pool while overlooking incredible rice terraces. It does get pretty busy, so if you want to take photos in the pool, make sure you’re there a little bit before opening time at 9 am.
There is also a whole park around it with Bali swings, nests and all sorts of photo spot in which you can roam around as long as you want.
In order to get to the pool you have to pay the entrance fee to the whole park, which is 50k ($3). If you want a seat on the sofa area there is a minimum spend of 300k, and for the day beds it’s up to 1 million rupiah (for 2)
Hi! We're Sara & Arjen!
In 2018 we quit our jobs and decided to travel around the world. 5 Years later we’re still at it and now we’re sharing our experiences and tips with you!
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