Macaques, Dirty Ducks & Jungle Living: 3 Days in Ubud, Bali
When you think of Ubud, you probably picture lush greenery, flower baths and colourful markets, right? Well, you’re not wrong there! Ubud is a wonderful tropical place in Bali, Indonesia, that’s rife with green jungle views, stunning rice terraces and villages bustling with energy.
Now, Ubud is gaining even more recognition; not only for the culture, but for the eco, wellness and sustainable growth too. So, if you have just three days to explore this beautiful place, here’s what you definitely don’t want to miss out on.
Day 1: The Arrival
We hired a scooter from Bali Bike Rental and decided to drive from Denpasar Airport in Seminyak all the way to Ubud by ourselves - it was quite the adventure in itself and we’d thoroughly recommend doing the same if you feel comfortable driving yourself down the busy and chaotic roads of Bali. If you do decide to drive, definitely grab yourselves a sim card while at the airport so you can navigate your way around with ease.
Cost of scooter: US$ 8.53 / day through Bali Bike Rental. You get a full tank of petrol, 1 or 2 helmets (request your number), free delivery and return in a chosen area (e.g. airport), 24/7 roadside assistance and unlimited mileage.
Cost of sim card: IDR 250,000 for 14 days of calls and internet.
It took us around two hours to drive to our hotel in Ubud, which was just outside the village center. If you land in Bali early in the morning, you’ll be able to get to Ubud in enough time to allow for almost a whole day exploring.
Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary
If you love immersing yourself in nature and seeing animals in a natural habitat, The Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary in Ubud is a great place to wander through. There are said to be around 900 playful little macaques living in the area, all ranging in age from infant and juveniles to young adults and adults.
Address: Monkey Forest Street - Padantegal Ubud Gianyar - Bali
Price: IDR 80,000 / adult, IDR 60,000 / child
Hours: Daily, 8:30am-6pm
Time Needed: 2-3 hours
Lunch: Café Lotus
If you managed to get to Ubud early enough to allow time to explore The Monkey Forest Sanctuary, treat yourself to a great late lunch at Cafe Lotus. Cafe Lotus is a beautiful venue that comes complete with a large lotus pond framed by blooming magnolia trees and stunning orchid plants. It sits in front of the stunning Saraswati Temple and offers a striking contrast between the serene temple grounds and the bustling street on its other side - Ubud’s main street.
For lunch, you’ll definitely want to try something 100% Indonesian, right? So their Nasi Goreng is a solid option to go for. It’s a really classic Indonesian dish that is comprised of fried rice with chicken, shrimp, vegetables and topped with a fried egg. We couldn’t get enough of this dish while in Bali, and loved the flavour that it had.
Address: Jalan Raya Ubud, Bali, Indonesia
Tel: +62 0361 975 660
Hours: Daily, 9:30am-11pm
Saraswati Temple
Hidden behind Cafe Lotus you’ll find your next stop, the beautiful Saraswati Temple. We actually walked past this stop so many times, constantly getting confused as to where it actually was and ended up going to Ubud Palace instead which was just down the road!
The temple itself - dedicated to the Hindu Goddess Saraswati who is the goddess of literature, art and learning - sits ahead, serene and beautiful with incredibly intricate carvings covering its surface.
Follow the small alley to the side of the building that sits street-side and you’ll pass a couple of little stalls selling some adorable little handicraft items. Keep following the path (it’s pretty short) and soon you’ll be greeted by the large lotus pond visible from Cafe Lotus. A small pathway works its way across the murky-looking water, and what seems like hundreds of lotus root plants emerge above the surface of the water. We were visiting Bali during Chinese New Year (early February) so there weren’t many of the lotus flowers actually in bloom, but we can imagine it is a stunning sight when they are.
Address: Jalan Raya Ubud, Bali, Indonesia
Time Needed: 30 minutes - 1 hour (if you want a lot of pictures)
Ubud Palace
Just down the street from Saraswati Temple is Ubud Palace, another gorgeously intricate complex of buildings and gates that you can wander through and admire. It’s a historical complex that was once used as the residence of Ubud’s royal family (who, we’ve read, still live there?)
Ornate decorations, gates of vibrant colours laced in gold, floral tributes and statues are dotted around the area. if you’re lucky enough, you might even catch a dance performance too! While only a small section of the palace is open to the public, it’s a charming place to walk through when you want to admire beautiful Balinese architecture.
Address: cnr Jl Raya Ubud, Jl Suweta
Hours: 9am-7pm
Time Needed: 30 minutes-1 hour.
Ubud Traditional Art Market
Just across the street from Ubud Palace, you’ll find the last stop of the day: Ubud Traditional Art Market. Open on a daily basis, this was a lovely market to wander through with stalls upon stalls of handicraft foods, silk scarves, jewellery, handwoven bags, bowls made of coconuts and so much more. We wanted to buy everything we laid eyes on!
Prices vary and, depending on your haggling skills, you can probably pick up a number of well-crafted items for very reasonable prices.
Address: Jalan Raya Ubud main road, opposite Ubud Palace
Hours: Daily, 8am-6pm
Time Needed: 30 minutes - 1 hour
Dinner: Naughty Nuri's Warung & Grill
For your first night in Ubud, get yourself over to Naughty Nuri’s Warung and Grill for some excellent Balinese cuisine. Renowned for their large food portions, this gem of a roadside eatery is a haven for their down to earth meals and killer ribs with their signature BBQ sauce - you can watch these being cooked at the front of the restaurant! Meats and grills dominate the menu here, so it might not be the place for you if you’re looking for something plant-based.
Of course, the ribs are a must order for the fall-off-the-bone meat and succulent BBQ sauce (IDR 110,000) that drenches each rib. Pair it with an exotic lychee martini and you’re set for the rest of the night!
Address: Jalan Rayan Sanggingan, Ubud
Tel: +62 0361 977 547
Hours: 10:30am-10:30pm
Day 2: The Jungle
For breakfast, we’d definitely recommend grabbing a bite at your choice of hotel before starting your day. It will save you so much time and ensures you get the full day to explore as much as you can in those short 72 hours.
Bali Swing
For day 2, it’s all about getting stuck into nature and there’s no better way to do so in Ubud than by swinging through the jungle! You can chop and change what you want to see first (e.g. if you want to swing through the jungle during sunset or would prefer to track the rice terraces as the sun is going down), but one thing you probably won’t want to miss is Bali Swing.
Owned by a local Balinese company, Bali Swing is an exciting place to go and perfect for those wanting to capture that perfect holiday moment for the ‘gram. You’ll find everything from swings that fly you over jungle vistas and cute little ‘bird’s nests’ to rafting activities, quad biking tracks and waterfalls!
Address: Nali Swing J1. Dewi Saraswati, 80352, Bongkasa Pertiwi, Kapubaten Bandung, Bali
Hours: 8am-5pm
Price: US$35 - US$50 per person - depending on number of activities / package chosen and whether you opt for transport from Ubud.
Website: www.baliswing.com
Lunch: Bebek Bengil (a.k.a. Dirty Duck Diner)
We don’t know about you, but one of the reasons we love to travel is so that we can try ALL the local cuisine. Having asked for recommendations on where to go to eat local cuisine in Ubud, Bali, we were directed to Bebek Bengil (a.k.a. Dirty Duck Diner) for lunch.⠀
Address: Bebek Bengil, Jalan Hanoman, Gianyar, Ubud, Bali
Tegallalang Rice Terraces
Ubud is famous for those gorgeous rice terraces views of paddy upon paddy in the midst of towering trees. If you’re looking for that kind of view while travelling through Ubud then you want to head to the Tegallalang Rice Terraces. Just a 30 minute drive north of Ubud, you could definitely just spend an afternoon wandering through the greenery before calling it a day (as long as you don’t want to trek too far that is).
While there is a set entrance fee of IDR 10,000 per person, you’ll have to pay a little extra to access more areas of the rice fields that the main track allows for. While we love the idea of walking through the terraces before sunset, many of our sources mentioned that sunrise was the best time to go for a quieter visit.
Address: North of Ubud.
Price: IDR 10,000 per person
Dinner: Order In!
If you need a night in to enjoy your hotel as much as possible (hello, private pool!) then take the time to order in from one of the local restaurants and live in luxury for the night. While staying in a beautiful villa, we wanted to make the most of our private pool and ended up ordering in from a local cafe: Fly. Do the same and chill!
Day 3: The Finale
Get as much of nature into your day as you can and make the most of those final jungle views.
Campuhan Ridge Walk
The Campuhan Ridge Walk makes for an easy and beautiful exploration of the natural scenery when staying in Ubud, Bali. Hidden just behind the Ubud’s main street, this rewarding walk will treat you to stunning views of the rice fields and towering palm trees. There are no strict opening hours for this walk, so you can explore whenever you feel like it (though I wouldn’t recommend doing so during the dark of night). For a tranquil experience, go for a walk as the sun rises!
Where to find it: Warwick IBAH Luxury Villas and Spa. At the split in the road upon entry, head left to the Campuahan Ridge Walk.
Lunch: Roti Daal
Heading back into Ubud centre for a break before the next stop? Nothing brings people together like food does, especially when it comes on beautiful leaves and wicker baskets. If you’re needing to switch things up from the Balinese spices (though we’re not sure why you ever would), then definitely give Roti Daal a try. They’re known for their homestyle Indian cuisine and did a fantastic job of making us feel super welcome in their cosy little venue.
Address: Jalan Raya, Ubud, Bali, Indonesia
Hours: Monday, 11am-9pm; Tuesday to Sunday, 11am-10pm
Source: FiveElements Ubud
Flower Bath
Treat yourself to a relaxing bath to celebrate (or commiserate) the end of your 72 hours in beautiful Ubud. Fivelements is an award-winning and eco-conscious wellness retreat in Bali renowned for their luxurious treatments. In their peaceful sanctuary surrounded by natural scenery, give Balinese healing and living food a try!
Their bathing ritual is something that we’ve been dying to try for ages and using a combination of meditation, herbs and flowers, they believe it to be a powerful restorative practice. Your can either try this out solo or as part of a couple if you want a relaxing evening together getting thoroughly pampered, and they have tons of different options!
Address: Fivelements, Puri Ahimsa Banjar Baturning, Mambal, Bali, Indonesia
Tel: +62 361 469 260
Source: Locovore
Dinner: Locovore
Voted as one of the top 50 restaurants in Asia, there's no way you should miss out on delving into the modern cuisine that Locovore offers. Using local produce for their dishes, they create some wonderfully European fare from locally seasonal ingredients. How could we say no to that?
Address: 10 Jalan Dewi Sita, Ubud, Bali, Indonesia
Tel: +62 03619 77733
Hours: Lunch, Tuesday to Saturday, 12pm-2:30pm; Dinner, Monday to Sunday, 6pm-10pm
Website: www.locavore.co.id