Top Things to See & Do Ubud

Sit back, relax and watch the rice grow in Ubud, Bali.

The smell of burning incense, the constant drone of motorbikes and the huge warm smiles will have you relaxing in no time, however, if you need to be busy, look no further! Below is our top list of things to see and do.

Without any further adieu, here is our list of things to do in Ubud (in no particular order):

Jambe Budaya – The Barong & Kris Dance
A cultural highlight! The fight between good and evil – Balinese mythology with traditional dance and costumes
Time: 1 hour, 5 acts; Cost: 100,000 per person / USD$6.75 /€6
Click the link above for more info and directions.

Barong Kris Dance Incredible Costumes - Bali — Barong Kris Dance Incredible Costumes

The Tegenungan Waterfall
Cost: 15,000 pp / USD$1 /€0.90
Busy place, beautiful waterfall

Tampaksiring (the town) or Pura Tirta Empul Temple – Holy Water Springs, Cost: IDR15,000 pp / USD$1 /€0.90
Be sure to take / wear your bathing suit (under your clothes)
Bathroom cost: IDR30,000 / USD$2 /€1.80
Sarong free – Must wear to enter
May not enter if menstruating
Long, winding exit through shops

Sacred Monkey Forest: Entrance 50,000 / USD$3.50 /€3
A wonderful walk through forest paths with monkeys everywhere.

Hang on Baby - Sacred Monkey Forest, Bali — Hang on Baby – Sacred Monkey Forest, Bali

Alas Harum Luwak Coffee & Swing: Free Entrance – you are given a wonderful tour of the facilities with information and tastings. Bonus: this is where you can go on one of those Instagram swing rides!
Super Extreme Swing (IDR200,000 / USD$13.50 / €12 for 15 “swings”), Extreme Swing (IDR150,000 / USD$10 / €9 for 15 “swings”) and Couple Swing (IDR300,000 / USD$20 / €18 for 15 “swings”)

Beans Roasting over an Open Fire - Coffee, Bali — Beans Roasting over an Open Fire

Eat & Drink: Of course, part of visiting a new place is trying local foods and drinks and Ubud is no exception. Try some traditional Bebek Betutu – Balinese duck, drink Bintang Beer and try a brew at Anomali Coffee – Cool vibe with a huge variety of coffees and teas including Single Origin; expensive yes, but worth a visit. For a list of places we ate, complete with our experience, visit my travel page > Indonesia > Ubud.

Stay: Your possibilities are almost endless! From hostels, to budget rooms to full luxury. The only deciding factor is your pocketbook. We stayed at the SenS Spa Hotel and can absolutely recommend it.

SenS Superior Room - Ubud, Bali — SenS Superior Room

Getting Around: Grab (similar to Uber) or Taxi; beware – at time of publication the taxi drivers were very angry people. We boycotted them (the taxis) based on one bad experience (overpriced, filthy old car with an unpleasant asshole driver). Grab cars are clean with very friendly drivers, at least in our experience)

We hired a man named Agung to drive us around; he actually made a 7 hour tour for us the one day at a very fair price. He drives a 7 passenger, air conditioned van and it was very comfortable. I recommend booking in advance as he keeps himself very busy!
His info – WhatsApp: 081236471884, Email: [email protected]

Sacred Monkey Forest

A sanctuary where Monkeys roam free and cause a little havoc!

The Sacred Monkey Forest is a definite attraction you don’t want to miss! At time of publication, the entrance fee is a mere IDR 50,000 which is approximately USD$3.50 or €3.00. The park without Monkeys already justify the cost, but with monkeys, well it is a whole lot more fun!

As you wander the immaculate paths of the forest, you spot the Balinese Long Tailed Monkeys everywhere! About 600 of these Macaques are roaming the grounds, protecting territories and being mischievous. 5 different groups rule the forest and sometimes, you will spot them fighting over territory.

Monkey See - Sacred Sanctuary, Bali — Monkey See – Sacred Sanctuary, Bali

When not swinging from tree to tree, they may try to steal your sunglasses, so beware and leave all valuables in your room. Do not feed these adorable animals – you may regret it. They could bite trying to get more. It is very important to follow ALL of the rules posted at the entrance, otherwise you may learn the hard way, and quite frankly, deserve it!

Baby with Parents - Sacred Monkey Forest — Baby with Parents – Sacred Monkey Forest

In addition to beautiful walking trails and monkeys, there are rivers, bridges, temples, statues and a cemetery in this sanctuary which is approximately 10 hectares or 27 acres. Sometimes, there are special shows, so always be sure to check the schedule if you are in the area.

Temple - Sanctuary of the Sacred Monkey Forest - Ubud, Bali — Temple, Sacred Monkey Forest

Look Up - Monkey Forest, Bali — Look Up – Monkey Forest, Bali

Monkey at Work - Bali — Monkey at Work? – Bali

Bridge Over River - Sacred Monkey Forest, Bali — Bridge Over River – Sacred Monkey Forest, Bali

A short Video:

Get There:

Info:
Website: Monkey Forest Ubud
Entrance Fee: Adult IDR50,000 / USD$3.50 / €3.00 – Child IDR40,000
Opening Hours: 8:30 AM to 6 PM
Guidelines: General Recommendations

Luwak Coffee, Ubud, Bali

Coffee Beans and Animal Defecation resulting in a delicious brew. Swing in!

Top things to do in Bali – Alas Harum is one of a few coffee plantations located in Bali. What makes them special is how their unique flavours are realized. We went for a tour to find out their secret.

Entrance to Alas Harum Luwak Coffee - Ubud, Bali — Entrance to Alas Harum Luwak Coffee

A knowledgable young lady was assigned to us upon entrance and we were quickly on our way. She explained to us how the animal Kopi Luwak, also known as an Asian Palm Civet consume the coffee cherries (I thought they are beans). Normally a disaster to have your coffee plantation eaten away, in this case a sort of blessing.

Roasting Coffee Beans - Alas Harum, Bali — Roasting Coffee Beans

The civit or luwak defecate (poop) the partially digested fermented cherry out and humans harvest the fecal matter which is then cleaned, roasted, and sold for a premium price.

Bali Coffee Beans - Ubud — Bali Coffee Beans / Cherries

The entire process is very controversial due to the fact that nowadays, the animals are caged and force fed to produce the quality outcome. Supposedly, they only consume the best quality of coffee cherries, thus resulting in a superb roast.

We watched how, traditionally, the coffee cherry is roasted over an open fire before being crushed by a huge wooden mallet and then brewed into a delicious cup of coffee.

Luwak Coffee Beans - Ubud, Bali — Luwak Coffee Beans

It was brought to our attention that not only does Alas Harum produce one of the most expensive coffees in the world, they also grow tea. Of course, what is a visit to a plantation with sampling the wares? Our host led us to a terrace overlooking the extremely steep green hills of the property where we were then brought an entire tray of tea samples and a crown jewel coffee.

Sample Tea & Coffee - Alas Harum, Ubud, Bali — Free Tea & Coffee Samples

Luwak Coffee - Bali — Luwak Coffee – Bali

Truthfully, the majority of the teas were delicious. The coffee, albeit good, had a little too rich of a price for my liking and I found it ever so slightly bitter. The view was amazing!

Fields Surrounding Alas Harum - Swing, Ubud, Bali — Fields Surrounding Alas Harum

Tip: While visiting the plantation, why not go for one of those crazy swing rides that are plastered all over Instagram? You can swing single or double the pleasure 😉

Terrace River Swing - Ubud, Bali — Terrace River Swing Prices

Plantation Name: Alas Harum AgroTourism
Address: Tegallalang, Gianyar, Bali 80561, Indonesia

Get There:

Warung De Koi Balinese Restaurant

Serving traditional Balinese dishes, Warung De Koi is a great place to stop for a cold drink and meal with a view.

Restaurant Name: De Koi
Address: Jl. Tirta No.25M, Manukaya, Tampaksiring, Kabupaten Gianyar, Bali 80552, Indonesia

Note: This is based on my personal experience.

Gardens - Waroeng De Koi - Restaurant, Bali — Gardens

This restaurant is a great excuse to go watch a mythological cultural show, take in some waterfalls and eat from a traditional inspired menu while sitting in the rice fields. Bali pure!

Gardens surround the eatery and the seating areas are as diverse as the food on offer. You can choose to sit at traditional low tables with cushion seating or at western regular tables with chairs. All eating areas are private and overlook the vast rice fields.

Eating Areas & Gardens - De Koi Warung — Eating Areas & Gardens

Bintang beer is a wonderful compliment to the delectable dishes. Servers are dressed in traditional clothing and serve everything with a big smile.

Sambal Udang, Spicy Prawns - De Koi — Sambal Udang, Spicy Prawns

We chose to try the Balinese duck – Bebek Betutu – and the spicy shrimps – Sambal Udang. Although the duck plating was beautiful, I think we all agreed the shrimps were the winner.

Taste of Bali, with a View - Bintang Beer — Taste of Bali, with a View

Rice Field Views - Da Koi Restaurant — Rice Field Views

Da Koi Restaurant Views - Bali — Da Koi Restaurant Views

De Koi Rice Fields - Bali — De Koi Rice Fields

Our order consisted of:
2 – Bingtang beer
1 – Radler
1 – Iced Tea
1 – Bebek Betutu – traditional Balinese duck & spinach (130,000 IDR ea.)
2 – Sambal Udang – spicy prawns (94,000 IDR ea.)
Total: 497,500 for 3 persons / €30 / USD$33

Was the food fantastic? No, it tasted good, but was nothing special. However, the scenery, style and presentation make it worth a visit if you are in the area.

Get There:

Barong Kris Dance, Bali

A spectacular, traditional Balinese cultural show of dance and music – the Jambe Budaya Barong & Kris Dance.

A mythological story of good vs. evil comes to life on stage. Just a short 20 minute drive from Ubud, this is a piece of culture you may want to include in your list of things to see and do while visiting Bali.

Evil is Conquered - Bali — Evil is Conquered

This Bali highlight, Budaya Barong and Kris Dance is one of those things you will either love or hate. Mixed reviews are across the internet. Simply put, if you do not like culture, why travel? Seriously, this is a unique piece of Bali mythology passed down for generations – since the 12th century!

Instrumental Ensemble, Barong Kris Dance - Bali — Instrumental Ensemble, Barong Kris Dance – Bali

Time: 1 hour / 5 acts
Cost: 100,000 IDR per person / USD$6.75 / €5.75

Get There:

Massacre of Evil - Bali — Massacre of Evil

Jambe Budaya - Ubud, Bali — Jambe Budaya – Ubud, Bali

Evil Consumes the Witch - Bali — Evil Consumes the Witch

Barong Dance Greeters - Bali, Indonesia — Barong Dance Greeters

An age old story of good vs. evil; Bali Mythology through dance.
This cultural Balinese highlight included the evil witch Rangda a demon queen fighing the good lion Barong. Who wins in the end?

The Barong Kris Dance plays out through 5 acts which come to a dramatic climax before calm is restored. Sometimes a little funny, sometimes intense, always colorful and magical. Balinese dance with traditional music and great acting by professionally trained actors. This is Bali culture at it’s finest!

Where can I see it? Jl. Pasekan, Batubulan Kangin, Sukawati, Kabupaten Gianyar, Bali 80582, Indonesia
How long is it? Approximately one hour
Tel: (0361) 2770291
Opening Hours: 9:30 AM – call for show times

TravelFoodDrink.com

Tag: Indonesia