Ubud

How did we get there?

Ubud is pretty easy to get to from any of the towns on the mainland. We got a mini bus from Kuta and it only took a couple of hours. You can easily find a mini bus as they are advertised all round the town so this is a cheap and easy way to get around the island.

Where did we stay and for how long?

We stayed in Ubud for 2 nights so we had about a day an a half in the town and we managed to fit everything in. If you have more time, it would be good to spend a few extra days here as there’s so much to see and it’s a great place to relax. There is lots of cool accommodation in Ubud with jungle pools and little huts so have a good look at the choices and you’ll definitely find something good!

What did we do whilst we were there?

Ubud is a traditional Balinese town in the middle of the jungle. There are tonnes of trendy cafes, restaurants, juice bars, great markets and lots of options for yoga. The main things to do in Ubud are to visit the rice terraces and the monkey forest. You can pretty much do everything in one day but it’s definitely a nice place to spend a few days.

The monkey forest can be found in just out of the centre of town. The scenery is really cool, like something out of the jungle book and there are monkeys literally everywhere. They tell you to take any accessories off and put them away and this is nothing to be joked about. These monkeys will steal whatever they can, so watch out!!

To go to the rice terraces, they are probably a 20 minute drive out of the main town. Lots of guys seem to sit around by cars with boards advertising trips you can do, but be careful as they will try to rip you off. We bartered with one of them to get a good price for him to drive us to the rice terrace and the coffee plantation and he waited for us whilst we had an hour or so at each place. The rice terraces are a must see when in Ubud as this is what the area is famous for! They have also made some cool swings and viewpoints for tourists to enjoy too.

Ubud is a great place to do some yoga and we found a  lovely little place where we did an early morning yoga session in a barn! Super relaxing. There are also lots of nice spas around the town. We went for a massage at the ‘Bali Botanical Spa’ where the rooms are inside but with a huge open wall overlooking the jungle so you can just hear a waterfall whilst you have your massage – heavenly! This was pretty cheap too.

There are some great restaurants to try here. We went to a kinda fancy one called Bridges Bali which I would 100% recommend. Situated right in the heart of the jungle under the trees, they have amazing food and wine/cocktails. A great place if you are looking for something special.

Ubud is also a good base for the Mount Batur trek. There are plenty of sunrise trips offered where they include an early morning pick up and travel to the volcano and back. A very early start but the view is totally worth it at the top.