4 Things You Should Do In Ubud

Ubud is arguably the cultural capital of Bali. And while that may be true, the reason I enjoyed Ubud was because of the amazingly kind people who live there. From the guy we met at a coffee shop who spoke to us about Blink 182 to the incredibly nice people who worked at the hotel we stayed. Everyone was just so friendly.

It’s always really nice to head somewhere and feel at home. And I felt more than at home at Gajah Biru Bungalows. From the moment we checked in we were treated as more than guests. We were even given a parting gift, a metal plaque engraved with our names. It’s all about the little things.

But, enough about that… Here are 4 things you should do in Ubud:

Go to the Monkey Forest

I’m not a huge fan of monkeys after a traumatic experience in Thailand, and I had heard many things about the ones at the Monkey Forest. If you leave them alone, they really won’t come up to you and bother you. It seemed like the closer people got to them the more agitated they got. So we just watched from a distance.

What people may not realize is that the Monkey Forest is actually a beautiful place. There is a Holy Spring, beautiful waterfalls and really awesome statues. So don’t get caught up trying to get the monkey’s attention and actually spend some time exploring.

Hike Mt. Batur

So. I have to preface this part of the post with: I really didn’t love this hike, but my friend said it was the best part of her whole trip so don’t let me opinion deter you from partaking.

You can sign up to hike the volcano with several tour stands on the main street of Ubud. You can also book it through most accommodations. We chose to do one that was a bit pricier, but it included a breakfast a bit larger than the egg and toast you get at the summit. I think that you could probably choose to do a cheaper tour and just bring snacks and water for yourself.

You will be picked up from Ubud around 2 AM and you’ll drive about at hour/hour and a half to the base of the volcano. From there you’ll meet your local guides and you’ll begin your ascent to the top of Mt. Batur. The hike takes about two and a half hours and is done in pitch black darkness with flashlight (which is honestly probably better). You’ll arrive at the peak with just enough time to catch the sunrise.

You’ll be given breakfast and you’ll sit on the top of the volcano for a bit (dress warmly!! It was freezing). Then, you’ll make your way down. Be careful. You’re walking downhill, on a very steep, rocky mountain that is covered in volcano ash. You’ll make stops to see the crater and you’ll get to play with some of the friendliest monkeys that I’ve ever encountered.

Afterwards we headed to some hot springs for an additional cost (not really worth it). If you are at least averagely fit you can do the hike. I just didn’t enjoy falling down and we went on a day when the sunrise wasn’t that spectacular (I’ve also now done several sunrise hikes around SE Asia and I think I was expecting more). I’ve heard wonderful things from other people who have done the hike so I would give it a shot.

Visit The Teglalang Rice Terraces 

You could literally get lost in these gorgeous rice terraces. Located about a 20 minute drive from downtown Ubud, Teglalang is open to travelers and tourists to explore. You will have to donate money to the different land owners in order to access their section of the terraces, but you don’t need to give them a ton of money. A trip to Ubud isn’t complete without snapping some Instagramworthy shots in the beautiful green paddys.

Explore Downtown Ubud

Ubud is a charming town full of character. Make sure you spend time walking up and down the streets of the cultural arty town. You can find original paintings, many souvenir shops, delicious restaurants and more. There is a market down there (find the stand where the lady sells chicken satay–the best I had in Asia) and you can spend a few hours there.

You should also visit Ubud Palace to see the architecture and temple style. We spent a lot of time walking up and down the streets just taking it all in. At night many of the bars have live music and pretty decent happy hours so you can post up at one of them for a few drinks.

Interested in learning more about my trip to Bali? Check out my posts about Gili T, Seminyak, and Uluwatu.

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