Ubud greets you with a lot of happy vibes.The winding roads are interspersed with rice fields and artistic murals. It gives you a balanced combination of cultural experiences and adventurous activities.The weather is mostly perfect; you might experience rains, but they transform the village into a green heaven.
Upon entering Ubud, it gives a very hill station type of a feeling. I instantly felt comfortable and my body clock immediately switched to vacation mode.Overall, Ubud is a meditation conducive, positive energy emitting kinda place.It is buzzing with happy faces and has something in-store for everyone.From bike rides to the volcano to river rafting through the rain forest, from delicious food to antique shopping, from relaxing spas to fun cooking classes, there is no dearth of indulgences.
I generally expect to find one “best thing ever”when I travel to a new place. Ubud surprised me with 3!
Best Infinity Pool ever :One is spoilt for choice when it comes to resorts in Ubud. We decided to stay at Komneka Rasa Sayang, after seeing some crazy pictures of their infinity pool.Located along the bustling Monkey Forest Road, Komneka is a luxurious abode. The hospitality is impeccable and the breakfast is great. The highlight of the resort is its breathtaking infinity pool.
Tip for couples – Always mention you are on a honeymoon, they will definitely give you a great room and arrange for some goodies!
Best Barbeque ever :There are tons of great places to eat in Ubud, but Naughty Nuri’s Warung is a place that you will dream about on really hungry days. They have the best pork barbeque ribs ever! It is absolutely a must visit when in Ubud!
Pro Tip – Look out for the dhabha type one and not the fancy one which is on the way. Also try the Barbeque Chicken and Nasi Goreng there.This recommendation came from the Hungry Travellers, and I till today thank them for the same.
Best Travel Guide ever The ever smiling Gede was our travel guide for the Bicycle tour to the Volcano – Mt Batur.I was amazed at the kind of efforts he took to get to know us and to introduce us to his beautiful village.He really loves Ubud and hence wanted us to experience it to the fullest.He became our private ‘candid’ photographer when he learn’t that we were on our honeymoon.He made sure that he took us through scenic routes so that we could take pictures.He surely kept the energy high throughout the bike ride.I completely recommend this experience – Bali Go Bike (and do ask for Gede)
Other Activities
White Water Rafting – River rafting in Ubud is an absolutely amazing experience. There are lots of agencies which can organise a rafting tour for you, the one we went with was called Graha .The tour was really well organised and we had a great time.It is my second best rafting experience after Zanskar Rafting in Leh.
Cooking Classes – You can also take a cooking class while in Ubud, where you can learn to make Balinese food.They also take you to the spice and vegetable market (which is actually very similar to ones in India), and also to the paddy fields.Since we were short on time, we skipped the cooking class for a relaxing massage instead.
Exploring Forests, Temples and Architecture – The artistic temples and architecture of Ubud are worth exploring. We passed most of these during our bike ride, but you can do them individually as well.If you have ample time then trekking to Mt Batur is also recommended.
Getting There :- Fly into Bali Depensar, from there to Ubud it is a 1 hour journey by cab.Cabs are generally waiting outside.
Ubud will fulfill everything that you expect from a vacation and will completely rejuvenate you!