Ubud Travel Guide: Rice Terraces, Sacred Temples & Balinese Culture
Ubud, The Cultural Heart of Bali
Ubud is the cultural heart and adventurous hub of Bali. The region is home to thousands of Hindu temples, ancient sites and Balinese museums where traditions, spirituality and nature merge as one. Hiking trails lead along verdant ridges and to the summits of active volcanos. Expansive rice terraces and sprawling rice paddies sculpt the landscape and serve as a base for Indonesian cuisine. Eco hotels nestled within the verdant jungle provide one of a kind accommodations. We spent several days exploring Ubud during our two week trip to Bali, experiencing the island’s remarkable culture and nature.
Eco Tourism
People in Ubud are physically and spiritually connected to nature. They care for their environment, eat, build and farm sustainably. This couldn’t have been any truer than at the eco hotel where we stayed, New Earth Haven. For five days, we lived in an eco-dome made from bamboo, canvas and thatched palm leaves. Separately it had an outdoor shower and compositing toilet. The dome was surrounded by rice fields and elevated from the ground. During our stay, we would often wake up to the farmers harvesting rice and herding baby ducks.
From eco-domes to tree houses and villas in the rice patties, there are plenty of unique and sustainable places to stay in Ubud. Book your stay in Moonstone Crystal Eco Dome on Airbnb.
Across the rice paddies from our dome is the Akasha Restaurant. An open air restaurant focused on sustainability and vegan cuisine with nightly events and festivals. We came here for many of our meals including smoothie bowls, jackfruit tacos and Indonesian coffee.
Tegalalang Rice Terraces
The Tegalalang Rice Terraces are an expansive series of hillside rice paddies that meander organically across the landscape. Trails and walkways weaves through the terraces to lookout points, zip lines and jungle swings. We spent hours exploring the terraces and hiking to its furthers corners. At the entrance is a hillside village with restaurants, warungs, cafes and hostels overlooking the terraces. Stop here for breakfast or lunch.
Pro Tip. Arrive at the rice terraces by 7am to explore with minimal people and before the large tour groups.
Good to Know. Farmers will often ask for a small donation to help support their livelihoods and maintain the walkways. Its best to donate 5k Rp each time.
Sunrise Hike to Mt. Batur
Mt. Batur is Bali’s second highest peak and still an active volcano. One of the most adventurous things you can do on the island is hike to its summit and watch the sunrise. Wake up just after midnight and drive to the basecamp at the lakeside town of Toya Bungkah. There will be hundreds of guides available for hire. Guides generally cost around 500K - 700K Rp for two people ($35-50 USD).
The Summit. The entire island of Bali and the nearby island of Lombok are visible from the summit on a clear morning. Hardened lava flows from past eruptions surround the volcano while steam rises from volcanic vents. Wild monkeys roam freely around the crater rim. Vendors sell hot chocolate, coffee, water and various snacks including eggs cooked in the steam vents. Try one if you can, there’s something special about food cooked by a volcano!
Packing List:
Shoes. Wear good hiking shoes for traction. The pathways are covered in loose stones gravel.
Wear Layers. It is colder the higher you hike in elevation but easy to overheat once the sunrises.
Headlamps. Wear a headlamp to see in the darkness while hiking.
Water. Carry at least 1.5 liters of water for the hike.
Cash. Bring local currency to buy snacks or drinks at the summit.
Sacred Monkey Forest
The Sacred Monkey Forest is covered in massive trees with dangling aerial roots, multiple ancient temples and acts as a sanctuary for hundreds of monkeys. The monkeys are everywhere, climbing in the trees, running across pathways, sitting on benches and making the temples their home. They are playful, mischievous and protective. If you’re not paying attention, one may try and take your phone, bag or hat.
Campuhan Ridge Walk
The Campuhan Ridge Walk is an easy, scenic and lush 2km pathway on top of the Campuhan Ridge. To avoid the sun, we walked the path about two hours before sunset ending during golden hour. Enter on the north side, where there are a number of businesses selling fruit, water, Bintangs and offering massages. End on the south side at the ancient Pura Gunung Lebah Temple.
Tirta Empul Water Temple
The Tirta Empul Water Temple is a 15th century temple with fountains and baths fed by a natural spring. It has a special importance to the Balinese for its purifying and healing waters. The best way to properly use them is to pay a temple guide for a handmade offering and ask them to explain the ritual process and meaning behind it. It’s well worth the experience to step out of your comfort zone, experience and reflect on whatever you’re thankful for.
Packing List:
A Sarong. Like with many temples across Bali, you need a sarong to cover up with before entering. They’re also available to rent.
A Towel. To dry off with after bathing in the cleansing waters.
A Lock. To secure your belongings in the lockers.
Visit the Museums
There are multiple museums showcasing Balinese art, artifacts and architecture throughout Ubud. The museums themselves are as much about the grounds and their temples as they are the artwork and artifacts within.
Agung Rai Museum of Art (ARMA). A grand museum with galleries of artwork and painting created by Balinese artists. The gardens and grounds line with sculptures, temples and pavilions where we watched artists painting and carving elaborate wooden reliefs and sculptures.
Other museums include the Museum Puri Lukisan and Neka Art Museum.
Satria Agrowisata
The Satia Agrowisata is famed for its Luwak Coffee. If you’re unfamiliar, the beans go through quite the process before becoming coffee. The coffee cherries are eaten by civets, a nocturnal cat-like mammal, then partially digested and poop out. The beans are collected and roasted in small batches before being ground and turned into coffee. It’s an unappealing process but does result in a rich, mellow and flavorful brew worth trying at least once.
Mason Elephant Park & Lodge
Mason Elephant Park is home to a herd of rescued Sumatran elephants. We came here to meet, feed and bathe one while it snacked on bamboo.
Elephant Feeding & Bathing. After entering the park, we bought small baskets of produce to feed the elephants. It’s the cutest feeling as the use their trunks to take the food from your hands! After feeding, we met Risky, the elephant we scrubbed and bathed from trunk to tail. By the end of the experience, we felt like we had made a new friend but also needed a shower ourselves.
Avoid Elephant Riding. Many other visitors came to ride an elephant, something we didn’t ethically agree with and would discourage others from doing. Otherwise, the elephants seemed to be treated humanely, well fed and given space to roam.
Buy an Elephant Painting. Elephants are highly intelligent, creative and social animals. They can even use their trunks to paint. The park has a museum with elephant paintings on display and available for purchase. Needless to say, we now have a painting made by an adolescent elephant named Jegeg hanging in our bedroom.
Places to Eat & Drink
Mudra Cafe. A very cute cafe nearby the Monkey Forest offering the most stunning Bali style smoothie bowls and Indonesian coffee in tiki mugs.
Hujan Locale. An elevated and contemporary Indonesian restaurant serving regional cuisine, flavorful dishes and artisan cocktails. We shared a couple appetizers end enjoyed the prawn and crispy whole fish as dinner mains.
Jungle Fish. The best way to describe this place is a beach club in the middle of the jungle. The restaurant has an infinity pool overlooking the lush rainforest and multiple levels. The pool bar offers a selection of small plates and 2 for 1 drinks. We sampled every cocktail on the menu falling in love with one wrapped in banana leaves.
Getting Around Ubud
Many accommodations in Ubud will help arrange transportation for you, especially to and from other areas of the island. Ubud and the surrounding area is vast and hilly making scooters and taxis the easiest way to get around. We often took Bluebird Taxi, known for its metered service, flat fees and street-side taxi stands.
Indonesian Cuisine
Warungs. An Indonesian style restaurant serving a buffet of dishes and prepared plates. They’re often spotted along the roadside offering inexpensive meals and traditional Balinese cuisine.
Bali Bowls. Also called smoothie bowls, they’re made from mixtures of puréed frozen fruits and often decorated in fresh fruit, grains and flowers. They’re a healthy, filling and refreshing way to start the day. Almost every cafe offers their own versions.
Klepon. A green gelatinous rice ball with melted palm sugar inside and a coconut shaved exterior.
Nasi Goreng. Vegetable fried rice, an Indonesian staple commonly served on menus around the country. It’s a popular breakfast dish.
Mi Goreng. The same as nasi goreng, except made with noodles instead of rice.
Gado Gado. Lightly steamed or boiling vegetables served with a spicy peanut sauce.
Batagor. Fried banana, tempe or tofu stuffed with glass noodles and veggies. It’s a very common street food dish in East Java and eaten for breakfast or a mid day snack.
Tempeh. Fermented and spouted soybeans formed into a protein patty or block. A common preparation is Tempeh Lada Hitam, tempeh cooked in a black pepper sauce.
Sayur Lodeh. A spiced coconut stew cooked with tempeh, eggplant, tomatoes and green beans.
Bintang. Indonesia’s national beer. It’s a light beer perfect for the perpetually hot afternoons and evenings.
Sambal. Indonesians love spicy food. The source of the heat is often sambal, a minced mixture of Thai chili peppers, shallots and garlic.
Location Specifics
When to Visit. Visit during the dry season, from May to October. The weather is sunny and bright most days with the occasional afternoon storm.
Plastic Pollution. With few methods for waste management and recycling, plastic waste and trash often make their way into the waterways, littering beaches, the coast and ocean.
Shoes Off Indoors. Like many places in Asia, it’s proper to remove shoes before entering home or some shops.
Use Both Hands. When ever exchanging anything like credit cards or cash, use both hands as a sign of respect.
Currency. Indonesia uses the Indonesian Rupiah. The currency is quantified in the thousands. Many businesses will drop the zeros on a bill. For example, something costing 56,000 Rp may be written as 50.
Small Bills. Carry a lot of smaller bills (5K,10K and 20K) for donations and small fees.
Tipping. 10% Gratuities are usually included in the bill under service. Anything extra is not expected.
General Safety. Bali is generally a safe place to travel too. The biggest dangers are traffic, natural disasters and overcrowded boats.
LGBTQ+ Safety. While Bali is very friendly and welcoming to LGBTQ+ travelers, Indonesian laws and customs are not. Stay up to date with the latest laws and suggestions while traveling. Refer to our guide on LGBTQ+ Travel Safety for more advice.
Language. Bahasa Indonesian is the official language in Bali however many people know English. It’s best to know a few local words and phrases.
Sukseme = Thank You
Sama Sama = You’re Welcome
Selamat Pagi = Good Morning
Selamat Siang = Good Afternoon
Selamat Sore = Good Evening
Elsewhere in Indonesia
We’ve visited to Indonesia twice during our travels, exploring different islands across the archipelago. Take in the tropical atmosphere while lounging on the beaches of Bali. Experience the picturesque landscapes and wildlife of The Komodo Islands. Chase waterfalls and hike into the craters of active volcanos in East Java.
For Next Time…
There are near endless things to do and see in Bali. It’s unique culture, nature and atmosphere is a place we certainly hope to experience again. When we do, these are a number of the things we’re planing to seek out.
Nusa Islands. An archipelago of three volcanic islands in the strait between Bali and Lombok. Its famed for its manta rays, cliff diving points and Kelingking Beach, a beach on Nusa Penida with a T-rex shaped peninsula.
The Gilis. We could have spent weeks on The Gilis. Having throughly explore Gili T, we would return to experience Gili Air and Gili Meno.
Uluwatu. An area of the Bukit Peninsula cliffside beaches like Suluban and Balangan and one of Bali’s most scared sites, the Uluwatu Temple, where it’s believed that the Hindu gods, Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva become here.
West Bali Park. A largely untouched wildlife refuge and jungle on the western side of Bali. The route leading here is dotted with coastal towns and jungleous villages.
Ubud’s Temples. We would spend more time exploring the ancient temples in Ubud including:
Pura Ulun Danu Bratan. A series of floating water temples on Lake Bratan assessable by canoe.
Pura Taman Saraswati. A palace water temple surrounded by a large lily ponds where the traditional Balinese Legong dance is performed.
Goa Gajah. A 9th century cave temple with extensive carvings and entrance through the overgrown mouth of a demon.
