Ubud is centrally located amidst rice paddies and steep ravines giving this major tourist destination a cozy and cool ambiance. Popularized by Elizabeth Gilbert’s film, Eat Pray and Love, Ubud has since then become a tourist attraction that a lot of people frequent when visiting the island of Bali.
Littered with fancy boutique stores, hippie-like cafes, and many amazing vegetarian restaurants, you literally won’t have a hard time finding things to do while in Ubud. Whether you want to go kick start your health food craze or you just want to spend a day indulging yourself and doing absolutely nothing, here is a quick list of things to do in Ubud Bali.
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Get Your Adventure On
Surprising to many, Ubud isn’t all about relaxing and meditation as there is a whole slew of fun activities to do. From whitewater rafting, mountain biking, to VW safari tours. So if you’re done getting your Ohm on, make sure you make time to do a few fun activities during your stay in Ubud.
From white water rafting down the Ayung River, Quad Biking, to Canyoning tours, there are a plethora of fun adventures in Ubud.
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Visit the Sacred Monkey Forest
Although very touristic, the monkey forest is still a great way to spend the afternoon exploring Ubud. Located right in the center of Ubud, the monkey forest is a lush nature reserve and Hindu temple complex which houses over 600 plus monkeys. The nature reserve is beautiful and shaded, providing a much-needed relief from the heat of the sun when walking around town. The monkeys definitely enjoy monkeying around so be cautious of your belongings.
Insider Tip: If you want to feed the monkeys, bring food from outside rather than buying them at the park. Craving for more culture? Explore the many other temples including Ganung Kawi and Pura Taman Saraswati.
Take Cooking Classes
One of the best things to do in Ubud is to take cooking classes as the ingredients are always so fresh and tasty. Learn how to make a few showstopper Indonesian dishes which you can show off to your friends when you go back home. There are loads of cooking classes in Ubud to choose from, with a large portion of them catering to vegetarians and health fanatics. Click the link below to see the different classes.
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Take a Hike at the Campuhan Ridge Walk
Want to see Ubud for what it truly is? Take a walk down the Campuhan Ridge and see the beautiful landscape that makes Ubud a special place to visit in Bali. It is a free and easy nature trek which will lead you through some amazing scenery. Trek 3k and reach Karsa Kafe for a refreshing picturesque pit stop before you continue trekking on.
From the café, it is another 6k to circle back to Ubud town, or you can retrace your steps and head back to the ridge. If you do decide to push it a little bit further, you will be rewarded with beautiful scenes of empty rice paddies.
Insider Tip: Go on the walk during sunset to capture the sun setting on the rice fields. However, don’t get too preoccupied wandering and taking pictures like us as we ended up talking back the ridge when it was pitch black!
Enjoy the Many Restaurants and Cafés
Ubud is home to many up and coming hip coffee cafes and restaurants. Every corner that you turn into seems to be a cool space ready for you to relax and chill in. Although Ubud town itself is surprisingly busy and is quite congested, there are many spaces that you can find solace in.
Insider Tip: Seminan Coffee Studio serves divine coffee which we found great value for your money. Also, a visit to clear café for their healthy smoothies and refreshing drinks is a must. Want something a little more indulgent? Try out Naughty Nuri’s ribs. Don’t worry, we won’t tell on you!
Get Your Healthy On
With the health trend booming everywhere in Ubud, there are multiple yoga studios for you to try-incase you might have misplaced your inner peace. Head on down to Yoga Barn to experience their many different classes to get you feeling energized and stretched. Inhale, exhale and breathe out the bullsh*t. Don’t forget to say Namaste!
Insider Tip: Yoga Barn gets pretty full so make sure you get there ahead of time to reserve a slot. You can also check out Taksu Spa for their list of classes.
Relax and Pamper Yourself
Ubud is the perfect place to unwind, reset, and relax. With a spa in almost every street and corner, getting pampered isn’t hard to do. They have packages from an hour to even a whole week detox.  Check reviews online and compare prices to find the best deal.
u guys gonna still be there next month? i know yall are extending. we’d love to go to bali. thinking either sept/oct. enjoy enjoy and keep eating stuff
Yes! We plan to stay here till the 1st week of October, so come in September 😉 We plan to travel all over Java then 🙂 Keep us posted on your plans!!
Great post and photos. Love it!
Thank you 🙂
i hope to visit Bali this fall, but with 2 little boys i doubt there will be too much relaxing … but I’m sure they will love the monkeys! and the views are to die for!!!
Haha! I’m sure you can get away for a little spa pampering! Loads of spas do home service as well! :p Just be careful of the monkeys-they can be quite cheeky!
I enjoyed Ubud a lot. I loved the artsy cafes around the area and the market. We also had cooking lessons and silver making lessons. I had so much fun in Ubud 🙂
Ubud sounds amazing! I would absolutely love to head to Bali. The Sacred Monkey Forest sounds like a lot of fun–monkeys are always so adorable 🙂
They are but I wouldn’t get too close haha
Bali looks lovely. I especially like the insider tips.
Thanks @pennysadler:disqus! It is a pretty amazing place
I would love to do all of these things! … I guess I need to go to Bali!
YES! Do it @kelseyohleger:disqus 🙂
I’m so glad you posted this! I’m going to Bali for my 40th birthday in January and I was going to start looking for recommendations. Great photos to go along with all the great info!
Yay! Hope this helps!!! Have fun @travelwithmia:disqus and hope you have an awesome 40th!
That pool photo looks like a dream. Bali is high on my list, especially to visit the monkey forest.
The monkey forest was very cool!
Oh wow. This place looks like paradise. I would definitely go to Ubud to relax. Massages all the time!
Yes yes yes! Ive been searching for blog posts about Bali since I am going there in October and this one is awesome! I cant wait to visit Ubud and do yoga and massages everyday!
Where did you stay in Bali?
Btw your photos are beautiful! I love the sunset one with rice paddle fields!
Thank you @disqus_YekIhHZIhQ:disqus! In Bali we opted to spend most of our time in Canggu which is an awesome place!! Do look into going there!
Oh guys… now I really want to get to Indonesia but I might just end up staying there forever!
Love the sacred monkey forest though I’d probably keep my bag close to me since those can be proper little thieves! Ha ha
All of this looks lush and gorgeous, thanks for that round up, Asia does have so much beauty and diversity, it’s hard to believe sometimes!
Yes! The monkeys there are definitely cheeky! Indonesia is incredible-such a variety of scenery! Thanks for reading @mariecarmeninfantes:disqus
So so beautiful! I’ve never been to Indonesia and to be honest there are dozens more places I would rather go but the more I see beautiful photos like yours and read about Bali, especially Ubud, the more it intrigues me to want to check it out for myself.
Indonesia is so beautiful! The landscape everywhere is so varied as well! You have rice fields, mountains, and stunning beaches. Thanks for reading @trustedtraveller:disqus glad it inspired you!!