What to expect
Ubud is located in the central part of Bali, a peaceful and quaint village surrounded by rice fields. It is popular for its numerous waterfalls, temples, volcanoes, and rice fields. Additionally, it is a hub of spirituality, away from the bustling Canggu and Kuta. There are many cute restaurants, spas, and shopping areas to explore. Find out about all the things to do in Ubud in this guide!
We spent a week here staying at a hostel, visiting waterfalls in the morning and coming back in time to start our work day. Evenings are mostly about riding a scooter to the Ubud art market and trying out new cafes.
Things to do
1. Visit the stunning waterfalls
Ubud is the perfect starting point for your Bali waterfall itinerary, as most waterfalls are located within 70 km. On the first day, visit nearby waterfalls such as Tibumana, Kanto Lampo, and Taman Sari. If you’re not tired, drive a little further to Aan Secret waterfall.
On the second day, start early and head to the beautiful Tukad Cepung waterfall, followed by Gembeleng, which is known for its natural pools where you can swim and enjoy stunning views. However, keep in mind the weather conditions, as we drove to these points on a rainy day only to find out that Tukad Cepung was closed due to uprooted trees, and Gembeleng waterfall was somewhat flooded, which means no access to the natural pool, but the waterfall was fiery and majestic!
On the third day, gear up and head to the more remote waterfalls, including my favourite – Nung Nung and Leke Leke waterfalls, which are absolutely stunning!
2. The holy temples
As 90% of the population in Bali follows the Hindu religion, there are numerous beautiful temples starting with the Besakih Great Temple, the largest temple in Bali, further east there are Tirta Gangga, Ujung Water Palace which is the Saraswati temple, and the temple with the famous Instagrammable spot, Lempuyang temple. We couldn’t visit them all due to the distance and tight schedule but will surely return to complete our itinerary.
3. The rice fields
Ubud is surrounded by beautiful rice fields where you can take a relaxing walk during sunset. In some places, you can find super cute Warungs(local restaurants) amidst the fields to enjoy refreshing smoothie bowls and juice. The very famous one is the Tegalang rice fields with lots of Instagrammable spots and there are super cozy Airbnbs to relax for a couple of days and enjoy the view. Here’s the link to the Airbnb where I stayed.
Bonus Tip: Go to Sweet Orange Warung which is literally built in the middle of the rice fields with cute kitties and spend an afternoon there. You will not regret it!
4. Mt. Batur trek
This was one of the highlights of my Bali trip because it was my first proper trek, and to a volcano no less! We booked a tour from the hostel we were staying at, which included pickup and drop-off. Since you can’t hike the volcano without a guide, I recommend booking a tour from your hotel/hostel for convenience and affordability. The trek starts around 3-4 a.m., and you’ll reach the top at sunrise to see the majestic Mt. Agung and even Mt. Rinjhani on the Lombok Islands. Can you believe it?
5. Shopping and Cafe hopping
Evenings in Ubud can be spent strolling around the market and shopping for souvenirs. This area is famous for its silver jewellery and boutique shops, and there are many to choose from. If you’re interested in making your silver jewellery, consider visiting the Chez Monique silversmith class. You can share your design and either book a class to create it or have them make it for you.
One of my favourite things to do was hop between cafes and restaurants and enjoy pizza at Mama Mia cafe. And if you ask me, they have the best pizza in all of Bali! Other good options include Lazy Cats Cafe, Sweet Orange Warung, Milk and Madu, Lynked, and Murni’s Warung for the yummiest Nasi Goreng.
Read: How to plan a 4-week workation trip to Indonesia
Bonus Tip: End your day by savouring coconut ice cream from Tukies.
6. Campuhan Ridge walk
This place is just a 5-minute walk from my hostel. It’s best to come here during sunset, take a walk, and enjoy the views. This is the spot in central Ubud where two rivers meet. There is a temple at the beginning where locals come to worship, and besides that, there is a 2km long walking path.
7. Monkey Forest
Visiting Monkey Forest is one of the most famous things to do, however, growing up in India, monkeys are common to us, so we considered skipping this. It lies in the Ubud centre and wouldn’t take much time to reach.
8. Activities to do
Rafting, tubing, and ATV rides are some of the most common things to do as well, we couldn’t squeeze them into our itinerary and also I felt the charges were higher than they should have been. But if you have a day to spare, consider doing at least the ATV rides to get the Temple run vibes!
Bonus tip: Consider going to Sidemen on a gloomy, cloudy day. You will find hills covered with clouds and beautiful curvy roads through multiple quaint villages and spend some time there. It’s a small hilly village and the perfect place to relax. This was my favourite road trip in Bali!
Where to stay
The surrounding rice fields, rivers, and peaceful neighbourhood make it an ideal location to spend more time in Ubud if you are not a party animal – it has no nightlife! You can either choose hostels if you are backpacking like me or relax in Airbnb and beautiful villas. I stayed in this hostel for a week and absolutely loved it, next I also stayed in this beautiful Airbnb for a couple of days to just relax and chill.
How to reach Ubud
My first location to stay in Bali was Ubud which is around 38kms far from Denpasar airport and would take around 1.5-2 hours. I would highly recommend you book a prepaid taxi from Klook which is very convenient and much cheaper than the local taxis.
Getting around Ubud
Visiting different places from Ubud can be done by renting a scooter, you will find ample options once you reach there. It is the most convenient option to avoid traffic and travel on your terms. Other ways are booking tours from local shops but it will be way heavy on your pocket if you’re not travelling in a group. Grab and Gojek are also there for commuting and food deliveries.
A few things to note:
- There is an entrance fee to most of the waterfalls and temples around 15k-30k IDR per person, so make sure you are carrying adequate cash with you.
- Also if you are a vegetarian while ordering food make a special mention about “no eggs”.
- Funny but if you’re someone who’s afraid of lizards and geckos(really big lizards), time to face your fear! They are considered lucky charms here.
Ubud is my favourite place to stay in Bali and I think I should have spent more time here and explored other hidden gems. Let me know in the comments what else you want to know about this place, I will keep on adding more.
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