The city of Ubud in Bali

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Ubud city, description and why to go here

Rice field in the vicinity of Ubud

Ubud is a small town in the central part of Bali about an hour's drive or 40 kilometers from airport and the most popular beach resorts Kuta, Seminyak, Legian, Sanur (Ubud on the map). There is no beach at all, the nearest shore is almost 20 kilometers away, but at the same time Udub is one of the most popular tourist destinations, especially among foreign non–Russian-speaking tourists.

Although Ubud has the status of a city with a population of 30,000 people, it essentially consists of fourteen villages, each of which has its own administration. With the exception of the compact central part, Ubud is a relatively quiet and peaceful place that is indistinguishable from a typical Balinese village.

Why go to Ubud (briefly):

Spend a few days in the "other Bali", which is very different in atmosphere from the crowded beach resorts.
Engage in spiritual practices – yoga, meditation, authentic Balinese rituals.
Visit the famous monkey Forest, the largest handicraft art souvenir market in Bali, Ubud Palace, several city temples, art and craft workshops.
Take a walk around the neighborhood through rice fields and terraces in rural landscapes.
Go with a group to conquer the volcano Agung or Batur.
Visit the iconic sights of central Bali on a rented motorbike.

Ubud is the cultural heart of Bali, the center of arts and crafts and traditional dances. The city is filled with craft workshops and artists' galleries. Tourists come here for inspiration, spiritual practices, acquaintance with local traditions, and some even for unity with nature. It attracts tourists with picturesque rice terraces in the surroundings, ancient temples, as well as the atmosphere of creativity created by local galleries and workshops. Here you can immerse yourself in yoga and meditation, try Balinese cuisine in cozy cafes, stroll through the monkey forest or buy unique souvenirs at the art market.

Just don't think that this is an exclusively retirement resort, where elderly foreign tourists with canes sit in restaurants all day and drink coffee and wine. In fact, this is one of the youth resorts of Bali. There are a lot of young people here, there are even bars and clubs with modern music until late at night.

Ubud is also a convenient starting point for exploring one–day trips by rented transport or with excursions to the sights of central and northern Bali. Excursions often start from Ubud to meet the dawn at the Agung and Batur volcanoes.

The Royal Palace of Ubud

Infrastructure in Ubud

As noted above, Ubud is more of a village than a city. Nevertheless, the tourist infrastructure here is well developed, it is generally one of the most developed places from non-beach resorts in Bali. There are a lot of street travel agencies with excursions, tickets are sold, there are a lot of motorcycle rentals and there are car rentals. In Ubud, you can easily exchange currencies at an acceptable not undervalued rate. Eating here is also not a problem, there is a whole tourist street with cafes and restaurants.

Shopping here is well developed, especially tourist. At the craft market, in art shops and workshops, you can buy any souvenirs, ranging from simple magnets to real works of art. There are several modern supermarkets here, including a large by local standards Coco Supermarket, at least two Pepito Market, Alfamart chain, Bintang Supermarket. You can buy fresh food and semi-finished products, drinks, fruits, ready meals in them. But there are no large modern shopping centers in Ubud, for serious purchases such as electronics, sports and tourist clothing, it is better to go to Kuta or Denpasar for brands.

One of the main streets of the town

You can easily find travel agencies here...

Currency exchange...

Motorcycle rental

What to see in Ubud, attractions and entertainment

Interesting places in Ubud can be divided into three categories:

Sights in the city that you can visit on your own on foot while walking
Attractions in the immediate vicinity, which can be visited independently by bike, motorbike or taxi
Attractions of central and northern Bali, which can be visited only with excursions or by rented transport

There are a lot of such places, and to visit everything, it will take more than one day, and maybe a whole week. If you want to cover as much as possible, then open the map, download points of interest, and hit the road. And here are the most popular of them:
- We will go to the Agung volcano to meet the dawn
- Meet the dawn on the Batur volcano and Lake Batur, or dawn in the view of Batur
- Tirta Gangga Water Palace
- Besakih Temple (Pura Agung Besakih)
- Goa Lawah Bat Temple
- Tenganan Pegeringsingan Village (Tenganan Pegeringsingan)
- Tombs and Temple of Gunung Kawi (Candi Tebing Gunung Kawi)
- Tirta Empul Water Temple

You can also see the options for excursions online:

How to get to Ubud

Ubud is located in the central part of Bali, 40 kilometers from the airport and Kuta area (Ubud on the map). You can get here by taxi, and there are regular buses. We'll tell you everything now:

Taxi

Ubud Taxi

It takes an hour and a half to get here from Bali and Kuta airports, the price starts from 250,000 rupees (15.16 rub.) when ordering through the Grab, GoJek, Maxim applications, it is cheaper to arrange a trip in the InDrive application. You shouldn't order a motorcycle taxi, it's too far away. The fixed–price taxi fare at the airport counter starts from 360,000 rupees (21.83 rubles). There are also private taxi drivers who carry at an agreed price from the airport, are on duty near tourist places or they can be requested through the hotel reception. But you have to bargain with them, they sometimes ask for more than an official taxi.

If you want to travel with great comfort and without problems with the language barrier, you can order a taxi transfer in advance on the sites Kiwitaxi.com or Intui.travel . These sites have Russian-language support, and drivers are met at the airport upon arrival with signs.
By bus

Bali Bus

There are regular Kura Kura buses to Ubud from Kuta, the airport, Sanur and Denpasar.
- Cost – from 100,000 rupees / (6.06 rubles)
- They go twice a day from Kuta at 08:00 and 14:00, from Ubud at 11:00 and 17:00.
- Departure points – see the route and stops on the map on the official website https://kura2bus.com/ubud-shuttles/route-map
- Tickets can be purchased on the official website online (Russian cards are not accepted) or on the spot at bus stops, subject to availability.
There are also Perama buses, and their route network is even wider, you can get not only to Ubud.
- Cost – from 100,000 rupees / (6.06 rubles)
- They run twice a day from Kuta at 08:30, 12:00 and 16:00; from Ubud the same departure time.
- Departure points – see routes and stops on the map on the official website https://peramatour.com/b/en/shuttle-bus
- Tickets can be purchased on the official website online (Russian cards are not accepted), as well as street travel agencies and hotels sell their tickets with a transfer from the hotel to the place where they are sent, which is very convenient if you are still poorly oriented around the place.

Hotels and accommodation in Ubud, where to stay

In Ubud, you can find accommodation for any budget. Many tourists prefer to stay in the vicinity of the town, rather than in the city center, lining up rooms overlooking the famous rice terraces.

A feature of living in Ubud is the presence of many small family hotels, staying in which you will get closer to the real life and culture of the Balinese people, like nowhere else. In addition, accommodation in such hotels is very cheap (from $ 10 with breakfast) and may be even cheaper if you choose a place away from the center and the monkey forest, and even come out of season. By the way, bargaining is possible in family hotels.