The inland of Bali offers you lots of beautiful waterfalls and a calm tropical forest. Hence, Ubud is one place you definitely won’t miss during your Bali/Indonesia trip. Especially, when you’re into yoga and meditation, Ubud has lots to offer. I visited Ubud during the rainy season but it didn’t make the place less worthy to see.
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Accommodation
I found a beautiful place to stay in Ubud, that I can totally recommend. PB Pondok Gandalangu Garden House (Airbnb link here) offers a comfortable bed, a good shower with unlimited hot water, and even a bathtub, but what speaks for that place was the surroundings, because it’s located in the middle of a rice field. It’s a bit outside of the city center but with Grab or your own bike that’s not a problem at all and I found it even better to have a retreat, where I can just relax and listen to the sound of nature.
Things to do
As I already said, the inland of Bali inherits beautiful waterfalls, just hop on your bike and discover them. During my short stay in Ubud, I made it to the following one:
Leke Leke Waterfall:
This waterfall is around one hour away from Ubud. After the ride within a short walk and an entry fee of 50’000 IDR, you can cool down at the waterfall and even take a small swim. If you’re lucky like I was, there won’t be lots of tourists there.
Nungnung Waterfall:
From Leke Leke, it’s another 30-minute bike ride and you’ll find very breathtaking scenery. You pay an entry fee of 20’000 IDR and you have to walk down almost 500 stairs, but the scenery is rewarding. Be careful if you’d like to swim there since the waterfall’s stream is very strong.
If you’d like to know more about the unique religion of Balinese Hinduism, then Ubud gives you a great insight into it. Although I’m not very into visiting religious constructs, I did visit Pura Tirta Empul, which inherits a holy spring. It’s a tradition for Balinese people to clean themselves here, and if you like, you can clean yourself too. The temple complex is well-built and you can watch how women are preparing the bowls for the offerings.
I did not plan to visit this place, and through an accident, we had with our scooter (it broke down), we visited the Abian Kusuma Sari Coffee Plantation. The employee gives you a full insight, into how the coffee and tea there are made, and in the end, you can try the whole collection. I loved the Bali cocoa coffee and rosella tea. To support the local industry, you can buy their products as well and is a great souvenirs to bring back to your home.
A must-do in Ubud is visiting the Tegallalang Rice Terrace. Ever seen those photos of people on swings with a background of a rice terrace? Yes, that’s the place. Although, the place is very tourist-oriented it was a good spot to visit and I can agree, a must-see place in Ubud.
Another thing that was on my list to do, but unfortunately, I didn’t make it. The Ubud Art Market. should be perfect for walking around and buying souvenirs.
Food
Hungry for Indonesian food? Is it already late? Well, those were my circumstances when I was looking for a place to eat and found Warung Hana. I ate the Nasi Campur, which is a rice dish with different kinds of sides (e.g. tempeh, tofu, spinach, etc.) and a fruit platter as a dessert and paid less than 50’000 IDR. The staff was very nice, the food came quickly and it was open until late.
Simply Social was another place that I can recommend, that offers literally everything. From burgers to salads and from Italian to Indonesian food - this restaurant has it all. I can’t recommend taking a Thai dish, since it wasn’t a lot and not authentic, but the pizza was great though.
One of my favorite brunch places in Bali has one in Ubud as well. Suka Espresso is a great quality spot, with many tasty food options. Definitely try the shakshuka or any smoothie bowl. They also offer good coffee, matcha, and smoothies/juices.
Another place to eat local food is Sun Sun Warung. This restaurant has a unique local vibe, where you sit on the floor and eat your Nasi Campur from banana leaves. The ambiance is perfect for winding down, while calm music is playing in the background.
And the last place to recommend is Mudra Cafe. I really got into smoothie bowls and I had a delicious one here. Just be aware, that they serve lots of bases, and can be easily shared with someone else.
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