Contrary to what most people believe, Bali is not a synonym of paradise beaches. There are some nice beaches around the island, but that shouldn’t be the main reason why you decide to visit this Indonesian spot. To us Bali is all about the culture.
We had the chance to escape to Bali on two occasions. Living in Perth, Australia, a 3 and a half hour flight in a low-cost airline seems like the best long weekend trip. Our favourite spot so far is undoubtedly Ubud, which is why in this post we share our experiences in the cultural centre of the island.
The best choice is to stay close to the village, so you can walk to some of the attractions as well as be close to all the restaurants and shops. We stayed in Ubud Wins Bungalows and we totally recommend it for budget travelers.
There are places you can’t reach on foot, so you need to make other arrangements. Some people rent motorbikes, but we preferred to just hire a car and driver to take us around to the places we wanted to see. Either way you go, it is important to know exactly what you want to visit.
Here’s a summary of the places we’ve visited in and around Ubud.
Within Walking Distance
Sacred Monkey Forest
We weren’t really excited about this place, as we had seen loads of monkeys in Thailand and Kuala Lumpur, but because it was a must-see we decided to check it out. And lucky we did! It was awesome!
The forest is beautiful, with some ancient constructions that make it look like a mystical place.
And the monkeys are really cute! And there are tons of them!
Bear in mind that monkeys are very curious and not shy at all. They might try to steal your backpack, your food and your jewellery. They would go to the extent of climbing onto your shoulders.
They are not dangerous but always go with caution and try not to make any brusque movements as they might see it as a threat and try to bite you.
We spent an hour going around the forest.
Pura Taman Saraswati
A beautiful temple in the middle of the village, hidden behind a restaurant. Constructed in typical Balinese architecture, surrounded by a pond with lotus leaves. You can go inside the temple, but it’s a bit tricky to find the entrance, as you have to go through a hidden garden to a side door.
Campuhan Ridge Walk
A nice natural hiking trail right in the heart of Ubud. If you have the time, then it is a nice option for early morning or late afternoon.
The entrance is a little hidden, to the left of the Ibah Luxury Villa and Spa (you will see this one), down to the river and across a bridge.
The first sight is a temple, Pura Gunung Lebah, where you can’t actually go in, but you can still see it from the outside. The path goes around the temple and soon after that it’s just you and nature, with very nice views of the jungle and the village.
The trail goes for around 1.5 km until and it is very easy to walk. Soon after the trail ends, a very nice and somewhat luxurious village pops up, with cafes, spas and retreats.
One of the nicest ones we saw is Karsa Café, which is actually advertised along the way. It serves as a café, a hotel and a spa, with a beautiful pond with lotus flowers and amazing views of rice terraces.
The trail does not have another exit into Ubud so it is necessary to go back the same way.
Ubud Rice Fields
Very close to the village there is a small pathway that leads to rice paddy fields. We actually found this place thanks to a recommendation.
The fields are very nice to walk around and they seem to be very authentic and not at all touristy. You can wander for hours and not realise that you’re just minutes away from the bustling village.
Around Ubud
Tegallalang Rice Terraces
A must see in every visit to Bali is rice terraces, and Tegallalang holds the most popular ones. No wonder why – they are gorgeous!
There are various viewpoints to admire the scenery and, of course, you need to take a picture in one of the “Love Bali” signs.
Wander around the terraces were you can actually see workmen picking up the rice. They will probably want to charge you for a picture, so if you want to get a good nice shot, just give them a few rupees. They might even let you wear the hat!
Ticketing is a bit tricky as we didn’t have to pay when entering, but as we were walking through the terraces, there are several “posts” where they ask for “donations”.
We were then told that there is an official ticketing booth which we never saw.
Pura Tirta Empul
The “holy water spring” temple. Both the architecture and the surroundings are beautiful, but what is really interesting about this place is the two big pools of crystal clear water. The water is said to have purifying powers.
The temple is full of people, mostly Balinese following the ritual of dipping themselves under each and every one of the spouts in order. They also place offerings to the gods around the edges of the pools.
Tourists are allowed to go into the pool as well, but are required to wear a sarong and follow the ritual.
Goa Gajah
Technically translated to “Elephant Cave”, it is not, as the name suggests, a cave with an elephant. It is an ancient place of meditation and one of the stops in visits to Ubud.
Although mostly hindu, the complex features characteristics of Buddhism as well., a mixture that is not uncommon in Balinese temples.
The first sight is a pool with hindu figures holding bases that act as fountains. Right next to it is the cave, which resembles a big open mouth.
The rest of the temple is nice, typically Balinese, and it has a nice walk in the jungle and a beautiful pond.
We spent half an hour here.
Gunung Kawi
A bit off the beaten track, we found this temple to be very beautiful, and not so full of tourists. Usually overshadowed by neighbouring Tirta Empul (loved this one too), we think that Gunung Kawi deserves a visit.
A long staircase framed by shops takes you down to the temple. Right before the entrance, there is a majestic view of rice terraces, and these ones are not as crowded as Tegallalang. There is a path that you can take to tour the rice fields if you wish.
The temple itself is quiet, surrounded by jungle, and the main attraction is undoubtedly the ruins of shrines carved into the rocks which legend suggests are part of a tomb site.
In the middle of the complex lies the active temple, which is similar to any other temple in Bali, with small pagodas and shrines.
The rest of the complex is very green and rocky and nice to walk around.
We spent around an hour there.
Pura Kehen
This small and deserted temple is very beautiful. The temple itself is very similar to any other, with merus in different sizes and altars for offerings. However the main feature is the entrance: a terraced staircase framed by Hindu figures leading to a magnificently decorated gate.
The inside also features a banyan tree, which holds religious significance in Hinduism.
We spent half an hour here.
These are the places that we were able to visit around Ubud in our visits, but we are sure that there is still a lot more to discover. I guess we will have to come back!
Have you visited Ubud? Tell us of the places we’ve missed.
Are you planning to visit Ubud? Don’t hesitate to ask us any questions in the comments below!