There are mad crowds all over Bali, and Ubud is no exception. But the centre of the island, with it’s rice paddies and green terraces, it’s mysticism and it’s brilliant food scene, is a chance to get closer to the storied versions of Bali you’ve heard about. Closer anyway than dancing in a club in Kuta with six hundred tourists who are all about to get into a fight, not that we’re judging.
A lot of people will tell you they remember when Ubud just had one backpackers and a guy on the side of the road with a goat. Overdevelopment is a big issue and there are definitely places with serious subsidence problems, but there is a wealth of beautiful options with wonderful hosts and brilliant breakfasts.
- Tanah Gajah and Dua Dari
- Honeymoon Guesthouse
- Bambu Indah
- COMO Uma
- Gunung Kawi is one of the most stunning temple complexes, 15km outside of Ubud, on the outskirts of a village called Tampaksiring
- Nearby there’s also Pura Tirta Dawa Gunung Kawi Sebatu at the highland village of Sebatu
- Tegallalang Rice Terrace
- Ubud Monkey Forest
- Campuhan Ridge Walk
- Views from the bars at Indus and Sayan House
- Love and Death in Bali by Vicki Baum.
Eka Kurniawan bestsellers Beauty is a Wound and Man Tiger.
The Painted Alphabet by Diana Darling.
Dee Lestari latest trilogy, Rapijali.
- Pramoedya Ananta Toer is a hero of literary and anticolonial writing, who regularly found himself in trouble with and imprisoned by all sides.
- The Ganesha bookshop has a great selections of new and second hand books and a section dedicated to books and novels about Bali and Indonesia.
- Periplus is a big chain across Indonesia so great for most titles and magazines you won’t find elsewhere.
- Pison, Monkey Cave Espresso, Ubud Coffee Roastery, F.R.E.A.K. & Seniman Coffee Studio for caffeine buzzes
- Kimu Ramen
- Cerita Manisan
- Café des Artistes
- IBU SUSU
- Copper Kitchen & Bar
- Api Jiwa
- Locavore
- If your flight is getting in late, remember it’s at least a 90 minute drive out to Ubud, more if the traffic is worse earlier on in the day. The last thing you want to do is get stuck in the sometimes understaffed queue for an on- arrival visa. It’s fiddly, but if you have time, get the visa online before you arrive.
- Pre-book your transport from the airport, and if you’re going to switch SIM cards, buy one in the arrivals hall. Bring cash to Bali, and especially Ubud. It’s easy to change and there are never enough safe ATMs.
- Bali banned single use plastics, bags, straws and styrofoam in 2019, as a result of a campaign by sisters Melati and Isabel Wijsen, who started the international environmental youth movement Bye Bye Plastic Bags at the age of 13 and 15. Things fell by the wayside and enforcement was a problem, but in 2022 the ban was reinvigorated and new crackdowns are taking place with severe penalties in 2024.
- Ubud has opened up it’s schools to allow numerous volunteer programmes to take place, focussing on teaching the next generation about environmental awareness.
- The Padang Tegal Indigenous Village manages the Monkey Forest as a conservation area. The village community is involved in the decision-making process and receives the majority of the economic benefits from tourism.
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Sungai Watch is an environmental organization founded in 2020 by Gary, Kelly and Sam Bencheghib in Bali. The river warriors create solutions to stop the flow of plastic pollution from going into the ocean. They’ve designed simple trash barriers and operate a collection, sorting and up-cycling system. There is plenty of illegal dumping in Ubud’s central rivers and they welcome trash hot spots tip-offs and new volunteers for the cleanups.
- Ni Luh Djelantik is an independent senator in Bali, famous for being a conduit between the people and the politicians. She regularly speaks up for sustainable development, and against environmental damage and erosion of cultural traditions and agricultural practices in Bali, and has been focussed on Ubud many times. She’s also committed to making progress in education policy, social justice and gender equality.
- Chakra Widia founded the Tri Hita Karana foundation to combat the environmental impact of pesticides, fertilizers, herbicides and non-biodegradable waste through inspirational educational programs, projects, and workshops based on permaculture principles.
- Ogoh Ogoh Parades take place in March, the day before Nyepi, Balinese New Years Day. They are full of majestically crafted effigies of demons and ghouls, which at some point are set fire to. Nyepi is the quiet reflective day afterwards, when al the bad spirits fly away.
- Bali Spirit Festival in May for lots of yoga, trance and leggings.
- Ubud Food Festival end of May/ June.
- Ubud Village Jazz Festival in August.
- Ubud Writers & Readers Festival in October.
Check out these for a mix of vibes, views and if you’re lucky some live music
- Kawi
- DUMBO
- Pinstripe Bar
- Boliche
- Bacari
- There are no end of great value treatment options and products. Try Taksu Wellness Centre, Karsa Spa, the Yoga Barn, and Ubud Bodyworks for local flair, or you’re never going to go wrong popping over to the Four Seasons Sayan, Fiveelements or Amandari.
- The Ubud Street Market and Art Market can have great finds, but there’s a lot of imported items on sale. Hand block printed sarongs and authentic arts & crafts can be easier to find outside the temples, such as Goa Gajah.
- Take a stroll up Goutama Street to find boutique shops, quirky presents and interesting clothes. If you want to confirm to your friends back home that you’re having a mid-life crisis, this is also the place to get that tattoo you’ve been talking about since the 90s.
- The actual tours of Eat, Pray, Love locations have probably died down a bit with time, but if you must you can still channel your inner Julia and Javier as you stroll through Ubud Street Market and you can even find their villa on Airbnb.
- The Fall starring Lee Pace has scenes in the Tegallalang Rice Terraces and Gunung Kawi Temple.
- Charlie Chaplin visited Bali in 1932, going through a bit of a life crisis with the advent of sound in cinema, and in 2017 Raphaël Millet directed Charlie Chaplin in Bali, with rare footage filmed by Chaplin and his brother Syd.
- The Bali MRT, or Bali Urban Subway, is an enormous project that has been in the works for years, with ground breaking in 2024. There will be lines from Ngurah Rai Airport to Cemagi, Nusa Dua, and from Kuta to Sanur and Ubud. Projected to be completed in 2031, Phase 4 will link the network to Ubud, so the next decade should see significant improvements to traffic and pollution.
- Parq is a real estate company with significant developments across Bali. In Ubud, locals call the self- contained complex “the Russian village.” Currently at odds with local authorities, it has been closed down, but if it stays, it is likely to impact the local tourism and residential ecosystems.
