Ubud

Introduction

Ubud is a town in the Gianyar Regency of Bali, Indonesia, and it forms the northern part of the Greater Denpasar metropolitan area. It has no status as a city; it is part of the eponymous Ubud District of Gianyar.

Ubud is promoted as an arts and culture centre, and on the strength of that reputation it has developed a large tourism industry. Expect a town shaped by that industry rather than a quiet regional backwater.

Before you go

Ubud is not one town but fourteen villages, each run by its own banjar, and the built-up centre is only part of the picture — quiet village life and terraced rice fields along the rivers continue away from the middle of town. Central Ubud has three main streets: Jl Raya Ubud, Jl Monkey Forest and Jl Hanoman. The intersection of Jl Raya and Jl Monkey Forest holds Ubud Market, Ubud Palace and a bus station, along with a near-permanent traffic jam. Jl Monkey Forest runs south towards the Monkey Forest and is lined with accommodation, art galleries, cafes and local services; Jl Hanoman, parallel and just to the east, is busier and has more higher-end restaurants, cafes and shops. If you choose a reasonably central place to stay, getting around on foot is easy enough. West and northwest lie Campuan and Kedewatan, home to some of the most upmarket hotels in Asia with views over valleys sculpted by the Ayung and Wos rivers; to the south, past the Monkey Forest, Padang Tegal runs into Nyuh Kuning and Pengosekan, and to the east are Peliatan, Teges and Bedulu, home of the Goa Gajah cave temples.

Because Ubud sits at about 200 m above sea level, it is cooler than the coast and you may want a pullover for the evening, though the midday sun can still be scorching and the humidity relentless — a demanding combination for temple tramping, which in hilly Ubud usually means climbing up and down staircases. Head out early to beat the heat and the crowds, and if there is a time to avoid, it is the depths of the wet season in January and February, when it really rains. Be wary of the monkeys in the Monkey Forest: they are experts at stealing glasses, earrings, cameras and handbags, and have been known to attack people carrying food, with rabies a concern in Bali — however cute they look, feeding them is asking for trouble. Some of the scruffier money exchange booths are manned by scammers who count your rupiah, let you count it, then count it again while half the notes disappear; only change money at exchange offices connected to a bank. Otherwise Ubud is a safe town to visit and you will encounter few problems.

Getting there

Ubud is reached from the south by public bemo from Denpasar's Batubulan terminal, a trip of about an hour. Bemos mostly run in the early morning; later in the day departures become hard to find and drivers may press you to hire the whole vehicle instead. In the opposite direction, bemos leave each morning from the northern entrance of Ubud's central market.

By taxi or car, it is best to charter the vehicle for a return trip, since a one-way out-of-town run carries a surcharge. Perama offers transfers to Ubud from Sanur, Lovina, Kuta, Bedugul, Candidasa and Padang Bai, some daily and some on demand; note that its terminal sits about 2 km south of the centre in Padang Tegal, on Jl Hanoman just south of the intersection with Jl Monkey Forest, though you can buy a ticket at the tourist information office on the main crossroads opposite the market and be picked up there. Bali's Trans Metro Dewata public bus, route 4, connects Terminal Ubung in Denpasar with Monkey Forest Central Parking in about an hour, roughly every 15 to 20 minutes; pay the driver by card or QRIS code, as cash is not accepted. From Bedugul, options range from a slow chain of bemo and local buses via Denpasar to a Perama tour bus or a private car.

Getting around

Central Ubud itself is small enough to cover on foot, but you'll need some form of transport to explore the wider area around town. Be warned that the centre is crowded with tourists and touts, and traffic is terrible: cars sit stuck in jams, pedestrians dodge motorcycles, and everyone puts up with the noise and fumes of so many vehicles in a small space. The nearby villages are much quieter. Sidewalks are often blocked by parked motorbikes or broken up by collapsed sections, forcing you into the road, so keep your wits about you—the vehicle you step in front of could be a tricycle or a truck.

• Bemo: These ply the main routes in and around Ubud, gathering at Ubud market at the junction of Jl Monkey Forest and Jl Raya Ubud. Most stop running in the late afternoon, and they are always more frequent in the morning.
• Taxi: No metered taxis operate in Ubud; any you see are dropping off passengers from further afield. Locals offering a "taxi" are persistent and are really local cars (below). If you don't need one, avoid eye contact, or try a polite "no thank you" ("tidak terima kasih").
• Local car: Most local transport is SUVs or minivans hired with a driver for specific trips. Look for the circular yellow "E" logo on the windshield certifying Ubud Transport Association membership, haggle a little, and expect to pay less than the metered-taxi equivalent; drivers are glad to wait for a return fare. Men on motorbikes also offer rides (ojek) at roughly half the price of a car.
• Hotel car: Many hotels sit out of town and offer regular, complimentary drop-off and pick-up to central Ubud. Going further afield costs more than a taxi.
• Motorbike: Rental is widely available—ask on the main streets or at your hotel. Signage is limited and the roads look much the same at first, so take it easy and stop to ask directions when you get lost.
• Bicycle: Rentals are available, with a large selection at the corner of the football field on Jl Monkey Forest. Ubud is very hilly, so cycling is hard, sweaty work, and main-road traffic is heavy with drivers who rarely pay heed to cyclists.
• Ride-hailing app: Grab, Blue Bird and Gojek work well in central Ubud, with short wait times. In some areas the local taxi mafia erect signage saying ride-hailing is prohibited; it may or may not be enforced.

Where to stay

Ubud has lodging for every budget, but where you sleep shapes how you get around. Many visitors skip the noisy, congested town centre and stay out in the surrounding rural areas, ideally with views of the rice terraces, though this can make getting around a little difficult. In all but the grandest hotels, check-in and check-out times tend to be a moveable feast, so plan accordingly.

• Budget: Homestays are the cheapest option, a good way to meet locals, and the natural stand-in for hostels. Around Jl Monkey Forest is the priciest part of town for a cheap bed; look instead around Jl Hanoman, north of Jl Raya Ubud, or further out in Peliatan. Bargaining pays off, especially in low season. Jl Kajeng, close to the centre and mostly pedestrianised, is peaceful and lined with small budget-to-mid-range homestays, some with rear views toward the river, waterfall or rice fields. Dorm beds can be found along Jl Monkey Forest.
• Mid-range: Bungalows and small resorts cluster on Jl Bisma, Jl Hanoman, Jl Raya Sanggingan and around Penestanan near the Blanco Museum, several with pools and valley or rice-field views.
• Splurge: Private villas, some in traditional rice-farming and carving villages a short drive from the centre, with shared pools and rice-field views.

Food & drink

Ubud has one of Indonesia's most diverse dining scenes, from inexpensive warungs serving traditional Balinese dishes to internationally acclaimed fine-dining restaurants. Vegetarian, vegan and organic cafés are especially well represented, and you'll find excellent Indonesian, Japanese, Italian, Mexican, Thai and Middle Eastern food within walking distance of the town centre. One thing to watch: unlike in less-touristy parts of Bali, listed prices do not include 10% tax and 6–7% service charge, which are added to your final bill — this is known as "plus plus".

Ubud has moved upmarket in recent decades, so truly cheap meals are hard to find, but plenty of good food at good prices remains. For a Bali culinary experience, head to Warung Babi Guling Ibu Oka, where the spit-roasted pig is served with rice and spiced vegetables; order the special to get a bit of everything, including offal and blood sausage, and you can sit at normal tables or on the floor at low tables in the bale. Dewa Warung is one of the better cheap places in town for the usual Balinese and Indonesian dishes, while Sun Sun Warung serves authentic Balinese cooking in a rustic double-storey building with gardens and pavilions. Warung Siam brings authentic Thai flavours to central Ubud, and Sayuri Healing Food is one of the town's best-known vegan restaurants, with colourful organic dishes, raw food creations, smoothies and fresh juices. For something mid-range, Kafe Batan Waru is a long-established institution for Balinese and Indonesian food and top-quality coffee, with a notable version of Balinese black rice pudding, and Nomad's tapas selection of bite-sized local flavours is deservedly popular.

What to see and do

Ubud is dense with things to see, so give it time rather than rushing through in a couple of days. Several of the key historical sites lie well out of town, some as far as 20 km away, and a tour can be a practical way to reach them. Whether you join a tour or travel under your own steam to Goa Gajah, Gunung Kawi, Pura Kehen or Tirta Empul, find a knowledgeable guide on arrival: the beauty of these places is easy to appreciate, but their cultural and spiritual significance may be lost without one.

• Goa Gajah – a cave dating to the 9th century, entered through an ornately carved demon's mouth, with fragmentary lingam and yoni statues and a Ganesha inside; carved guards stand around pools near the entrance, and a path leads toward a waterfall, rice fields and Buddhist stupa fragments.
• Gunung Kawi – an 11th-century complex reached by climbing down 371 steps into a steep valley lined with paddy fields; structures are carved into the valley sides, with a smaller complex across the river. Remove your shoes before entering the central pura.
• Pura Kehen – founded in 1206 and slightly off the beaten path, with an especially impressive 11-tiered meru in the inner courtyard; the quiet market town of Bangli around it rewards a look.
• Tirta Empul – one of Bali's holiest temples, built around hot springs that still bubble in the central courtyard, where Balinese come to bathe and purify themselves; visitors may take part in the purification ritual wearing a sarong, observing local customs and dress restrictions.
• Yeh Pulu – fourteenth- or fifteenth-century rock carvings set in attractive rice fields near Goa Gajah, far less known and much under-visited; a holy well sits here and the attendant priest will bless you with its water.
• Puri Saren Agung – the palace of the kings of Ubud until the 1940s, with royal descendants still living there; parts are off limits, but the rest is Ubud's best setting for dance performances.
• Saraswati Temple – a water temple in the heart of Ubud dedicated to the goddess of wisdom, learning and the arts, with an elegant lotus pond and water garden before its carved gates; the outer courtyard and pond are accessible and particularly atmospheric around sunset.
• Pura Gunung Lebah – an 8th-century temple at the confluence of the Campuhan and Wos rivers beside Campuhan Bridge, peaceful and set in lush jungle, marking the southern entrance to the Campuhan Ridge Walk.
• Museums and galleries – the Agung Rai Museum of Art shows Balinese artists alongside international ones who made Bali home, and runs workshops on Balinese art and culture; the Blanco Renaissance Museum occupies the former home of Spanish artist Antonio Blanco, with a gallery, studio, family temple and garden birds; Museum Puri Lukisan was Bali's first private museum and showcases traditional and modern work.

Three days in Ubud

Day one: Start in Central Ubud, where the main streets of Jl Raya Ubud, Jl Monkey Forest and Jl Hanoman meet, and use them to get your bearings. Browse Ubud Market and look in on Ubud Palace, then walk south to Monkey Forest. In the afternoon, head west of the centre to Campuan, Kedewatan and the Ayung and Wos river valleys, where the pace thins out and the scenery opens up.

Day two: Turn east and south of the centre, exploring Padang Tegal, Nyuh Kuning, Pengosekan, Peliatan and Teges, each with its own character along the lanes. Continue towards Bedulu, where Goa Gajah sits, and take your time rather than rushing between stops.

Day three: Use Ubud as a base for the wider Ubud District and Gianyar Regency, or head south through Greater Denpasar towards Denpasar if you want a change of scene. Expect rain if you visit in January or February; otherwise Ubud is generally warm and humid, so plan outdoor walks for the cooler parts of the day.