20 THINGS TO SEE AND DO IN UBUD

Ubud, translated as a "place of healing", is the second most visited city in Bali, but, unlike Kuta, Ubud has managed to preserve its traditional atmosphere and its welcoming character. It is a good place to base on the island and learn more about Balinese art and culture. Also inUbud and its surroundings there are many things to see and do , today we are going to tell you what the 20 essential ones are for us.

1. In the heart of Ubud is the Puri Saren (known as the Royal Palace). It is the home of the royal family, so you can only visit the central courtyard. Admission is free.

2. Don't confuse it with the templePure Taman Saraswati, a few meters away, dedicated to the goddess of arts and wisdom and with a beautiful pond full of pink lotuses. It is an oasis in the middle of the city, and this is also free.

3. Contemplate a balinese dance show, in which dance, music and theater are mixed. Ask at the tourist office (there are usually every night) and prices are around 75,000-100,000 IDR. Although a good idea is to see it in the Royal Palace itself and so you kill two birds with one stone. We recommend you buy tickets in advance and arrive early to take the seats in the front rows.

4. Shop around traditional art market, in front of the Royal Palace, and the local market, then. It is a good place to buy some typical souvenir and learn more about local traditions.

5. One of the main things to do in Ubud is to visit the Monkey forest, a small tropical forest where a peculiar community of monkeys lives. The walk is very nice, there are also quite handsome temples. But please, do not bring food and try not to interfere with their natural behavior, it is always best to leave the animals free, in their own air. Not only for them, sometimes they can jump and stir. The ticket is worth 50,000IDR (about € 3).

6. If a rainy day has touched you, do not despair: Ubud has several museums and art galleries. These are the most prominent options:

- The ARMA Museum (Agung Rai Art Museum), an open-air gallery with a magnificent collection of traditional Balinese art.

- The Puri Lukisan Museum, with copies of the different Balinese art schools and a beautiful garden.

- The Antonio Blanco Museum, with the work of the extravagant Filipino-American painter, of high erotic load and winks to the work of the great Dalí

- The Neka Gallery, with samples of Balinese painting of the twentieth century and other works of European painters.

7. You can also protect yourself in any of the most beautiful coffee shops in Southeast Asia. Having tea or coffee between rice paddies is something you have to remember about this trip! We recommend the Lazy Cat Café, the Gangga Coffe and the Cafe du Monyet.

8. Gluttons will also be in luck, Ubud is the gastronomic capital of Bali. There are countless small family restaurants where you can try local specialties, in this post we recommend 7 restaurants where to eat in Ubud well and cheaply.

9. Another thing you can do in Ubud is sign up for a course, either from batik (a typical pictorial technique of Indonesia), of surf or of balinese cuisine. We made the latter and it is one of the best experiences to take home, more than anything because now we can prepare typical Indonesian dishes whenever we want). Here you can see more information.

10. Ubud is surrounded by beautiful rice paddies Where to get lost It is possible that your accommodation is close to one, although if you really want to enjoy a memorable walk, you have to go to Campuhan Rige Walk, a scenic route through trails that will take you through the mountains and rice paddies. You pass through a village and a small cafe where you can rest for a while and have a drink. They are about 5 or 6 km (two hours round trip) and it is best to do it as early as possible, to avoid the heat of the day (bring water!).

11. If what you need is relax in Ubud you can go to one of the spa and massage centers They are spread throughout the city. They say the best is the Jaens Spa (The Relaxation Spa Package lasts 3.5h, includes Balinese massage, scrub, and bath, and costs 500,000IDR).

12. You can also sign up for a yoga group. There are dozens of options, both for beginners and for more expert people (there are even courses and stays of several days). Some of the best rated are Ubud Yoga House Y The Yoga Barn.

13. A very interesting and quite rare temple is theGoa Gajah (known as Elephant Cave). A great terrifying mouth carved into the rock gives entrance to this cave where the Balinese come to pray and meditate since the 10th century. The natural environment, with gardens and swimming pools, is very cozy, you can't miss it! Admission costs 15,000 IDR.

14. Simply get lost in the streets of Ubud: Sometimes it's the best way to get to know places full of charm and find your favorite places. You will see typical Balinese houses, craft shops, altars, more humble and cheap restaurants (warung) and friendly people.

15. The accommodations in Bali are usually spectacular and at very affordable prices. Ubud is no exception. For the same price as a normal hotel room in Europe here you will have a super balinese villa with pool and breakfast! Take a look and compare the accommodation where to sleep in Ubud).

You have three options to know the surroundings of Ubud:

1. The first (our favorite and not only because it is the cheapest, badly thought, but also for this hehe) is to rent a motorcycle
2. The second is to hire a private driver (calculates about € 40 for renting a car with a driver for about 8-10 hours)
3. The third is to sign up for tours.

Y what to see and do around Ubud? These are the routes and places that we recommend:

16. North Route: that will make you go through the first rice terraces of Tegalalang, a place as handsome as visited and possibly one of the most photographed in Bali. Here are two of our favorite temples: theGunung kawi, a set of sanctuaries carved in rock in the eleventh century. And theTirta Empul whose pools are believed to be healing. And finally you get to tour the Lake Batur area, with splendid viewpoints of the lake and the volcano.

17. Northwest Route: something more complicated to do than the previous one, but with a special charm. The highlights are the Taman Ayun temple, with the typical religious constructions. The next stop is at the foot of the sacred Mount Batukaru, the second highest volcano on the island, and it is the templeLuhur Batukaru, a place especially sacred to Balinese Hindus. Then it will go through rice terraces of Jatiluwih, named a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. And if there are still energies, we will make the road that passes through the three lakes, and visit the famous templeUlun Danu Bratan, the temple on the lake, which will sound safe to you.

18. East Route: for true adventurers. The essential stops of this part of the island would be theBesakih pure temple, also known as "the mother temple", more than 1,000 meters high. The royal pools of Tirta Gangga, whose name literally means "waters of the Ganges". The Lempuyang temple, on top of Mount Lempuyang, at 1,058 meters high, preceded by nothing more and nothing less than 1,700 stairs! And our last stop on the road would be the water palace Taman Ujung.

19. If you don't care early (especially if you have a great adventure with you) then you have to go up to the Mount batur and see sunrise from its top. They are excursions that are made in the day, they pick you up at the accommodation about 2 or 3 in the morning, they take you to the beginning of the trekking (it starts at 4) and you climb to the top, from where the sunrise is contemplated, there they give you a breakfast,
and then back to the hotel (you arrive around 10 or 12). You can book the tour here.

20. In the surroundings of Ubud there are also a few waterfalls that the most adventurous will want to explore. The best are: Tukad Cepung Waterfall (about 30 km from Ubud, direction Pura Besakih if you want to combine the visit), Tegenungan Waterfall (only 10km from Ubud), Tibumana Waterfall (about 15 min from Ubud) and the Kanto Lampo Waterfall (about 11 km from Ubud).

And of course do not stop reading this post where we tell you 35 things to see and do in Bali 🙂

Have you visited the Island of the Gods? What do you think about it? Do you know more things to see and do in Ubud? Leave us a comment, we would love to expand this list with more recommendations.

* Photocredit: Shutterstock

Video: Best Things To Do In Ubud, Bali. Rice Terraces, Bali Swing, Aling Aling Falls (April 2024).