Bali is Indonesia’s main tourist destination, and for good reason. There’s a lot to see and do. While the cities of Kuta and Seminyak offer the hustle and bustle and the party scene that most big cities have, Ubud has a completely different vibe. It’s located more inland and known more as a center for traditional crafts and dance. It’s a place to come relax, view the scenic landscape, and soak up Balinese culture, which is exactly what we did when we were there. Here are a list of some of our favorite things to do when in Ubud Bali.
The Sacred Monkey Forest
One of the most famous tourist attractions in Ubud, this lies in the village of
Padangtegal, about 10 minutes from central Ubud. The forest contains about 700 monkeys and is viewed as a spiritual, economic, educational, and conservation center for the village. The monkeys are literally all over the forest and are free-roaming and behave naturally. This means they may be interested (and take) anything hanging out of your bag or on your head! In addition to the monkeys, there are also temples inside that you can explore as well. It’s open daily from 8:30a – 6:30p and costs about $3.50 for adults and $2.77 for children.
Visit Puri Saren Agung / The Water Temple
This palace was the official residence of the royal family of Ubud. Located right in the middle of central Ubud, it’s one of the most prominent places in the city. Built in the 1800’s, the architecture is distinctly Balinesian and very well preserved. You can even come here in the evenings and check out their dance performances. Don’t pass this temple up if you’re in town.
Rent A Scooter and Explore
This was one of my favorite activities because of the spontaneity of it. It’s easily the best way to explore the beautiful countryside. You can rent a scooter from many places for about $3.70 a day. Once you’ve got your ride, hop on and go wherever the moment takes you and enjoy the gorgeous scenery and architecture that you encounter along the way. If you’re a beginner rider, make sure you practice on the quieter streets outside of central Ubud, where the traffic can be a bit crazy.
Rice Field Walks
Rice fields outside our villa 
G taking in the scenery
There’s nothing more calming and serene than walking through a rice field on a beautiful day. I’ve even done this during a sunset and this was equally as spectacular. There are several “formal” rice fields to explore, such as Campuhan Ridge Walk and Tegalalang rice fields, both which offer stunning views. We lucked out that our villa was directly beside a sprawling rice field and we could take a stroll.
Ubud Art Market
The markets are located opposite the the Royal Ubud Palace in central Ubud. The market offers a variety of goods for your choosing. You can find stunning handcrafts, wicker items, gorgeous bags, gold and silver jewelry and so much more. Price negotiation is expected so don’t be shy to negotiate the price that you would like to pay. My rule of thumb was always to ask the seller the price and then counter offer with about 30%-40% of that price. The art market is open daily from 8:00am – 5:00pm.
Goa Gajah Elephant Cave
This place isn’t a cave, but actually a temple that was built in the 9th century. Although its exact origins are uncertain, it’s believed to have been built as a place for spiritual meditation. It’s characterized by menacing faces that are carved into stone – whose purpose is to ward off evil spirits. There are no elephants here but it’s thought that the primary figure was once thought to be an elephant or it’s named after the stone statue of the Hindu God Ganesh (who’s head is an elephant) located inside the temple.
The temple itself contains stunning gardens, waterfalls, spring waters and caves to explore. At the southern end are beautiful rice fields and small streams that lead to the Petanu River. The entrance fee is $3.50 and the temple is open daily from 8:00pm – 4:00pm. Definitely check this place out.
Descent into Goa Gajah
Do Yoga
If you haven’t yet embraced the tranquil vibes of Ubud yet, doing yoga is definitely one way to help get you there. The feeling of the sun as it hits your face combined with the sounds of nature will create an unforgettable experience. You can do this on your own or you can check out some of the Yoga studios that Ubud has to offer. Ubud Yoga House and The Yoga Barn were two of our favorites.
Dine with a view
There are a ton of restaurant choices in Ubud. We’d suggest finding one with a stellar view of rice fields, river gorges, or more. We stumbled upon this place while riding the motorbikes through the country side. Additional spots you might want to check out are The Elephant, a vegetarian spot with views of the Campuhan Ridge or Warung Bintangbali, which has Indonesian cuisine with stunning rice field views.
Visist Batuan Temple
This temple is considered the oldest temple in Bali, built in 1020 AD. I’m a nerd so I was excited off that pure fact alone. The temple itself is very well maintained with beautiful gardens and Balinese architecture and decoration. You’ll encounter various relics depicting Balinese figures as well as statues depicting Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva, the Hindu trinity. The temples wooden beams and ceilings engraved and look to be accented with gold. The courtyard and fountains are beautiful to look and serene. This temple is truly a spectacular place to visit.
Eat At Room 4 Dessert
We stumbled upon this place after meeting two female travelers who hinted that they were going to this place to eat so we decided to join! It just so happens that this place was feature on Netflix’s show “Chef’s Table: Pasty”. NYC Pastry Chef Will Goldfard opened this place and has a tasting menu made up of only desserts…my favorite! The dessert menu changes based on the season. We had the Season 7: Nine Ways To Die menu, which included items like “Roger Federer” which consists of “not” whipped cream, pineapple and mango, as well as, “Scarborough Pear” which consists of Apple tempura, sage, diplomate and tofee. I washed all this down with a tall glass of bourbon. Perfect compliment if you ask me.
Find out more information about Room 4 Dessert here.
Tegenungan waterfall
About 30 minutes from Ubud, Tegenungan falls is a beautiful valley surrounded by gorgeous green scenery. In the middle is a cascading waterfall. You can view the entire scene from up top but the true beauty is walking down the steps to the basin. Just remember that the walk down the 170 stairs is easy, it’s the walk back up that might be a challenge! Once in the basin, however, the scenery is gorgeous. There’s a swing to take pics of in front of the waterfall and even a secluded spring to relax in as well.
Visit Lempuyang Temple
Lempuyang Temple, or Heavens Gate, as its commonly known is about a 2 hour ride from Ubud but it’s definitely worth it. The temple rests on a mountain and you’ll need to take a truck up to the top of the temple from it’s base. Once you’re at the top, it takes a few hours to walk around the entire temple, as there are different parts of the mountainside temple to explore. The biggest attraction, however, is heavens gate (pictured above) and it’s the first attraction in the temple that you’ll encounter, which means you don’t have to walk ar. Be warned though, a line forms to take pictures in front of the gates so get there early if you don’t want to spend the majority of your time waiting to take a photo.
Candidasa Lotus Lagoon
If you make it out to Lempuyang Temple, you’ll pass through the beach town of Candidasa. While here, you should check out the Candidasa Lotus Lagoon. It’s one of the main attractions in Candidasa and it’s right off the main road. Open to the public, the lagoon is filled with beautiful lotus flowers with a garden island with statues in the center.
Visit The Hidden Beach At Pasir Putih
This beach is located about 3 miles from the town of Candidasa mentioned above. This white sand beach stretches between the villages of Bugbug and Perasi. One of the draws of this beach, besides the white sand, is the tranquil setting and calmer waves compared to the shores on the other side of the island.
Visit an Art Gallery
Ubud has become a haven for artists because of the nobles sponsorship of fine art. As a result, the city has attracted artists from all over Indonesia and the rest of the world. Today, Ubud plays hosts to many art galleries, with vast collections from late Balinese and Indonesian artists, as well as, emerging talents. You can visit many of the small studios or the bigger art museums. You’ll find gorgeous paintings, rare textiles, wood carvings and more. Whatever you pleasure, art lover in you will certainly be pleased. Some of our favorites are the Neka Art Museum, The Antonio Blanco Museum, Agung Rai Museum of Art, and the The Rudana Art Museum.
The great think about Ubud is that it has such a relaxed and chill atmosphere. This ultimately means that you should explore it at your own pace, on your own time. These are a few our favorites and we hope you enjoy them as well as share some of your favorites with us!
Geron is an avid traveler, entreprenuer and mens style aficionado. He love’s mac and cheese, getting discounts, his momma, and a good whiskey, not particularly in that order. It’s alleged he lives in Miami, but no one really knows anymore.
Follow him on instagram at @geronp
