A Guide to Ubud

Ubud is a bustling, lively city in the heart of Bali, the perfect place from which to base yourself for explorations to waterfalls, temples, rice fields and hikes in the region.

How to Get to Ubud

We arrived in Ubud from Canggu. The best way to travel from place to place with all your bags is to use the apps Grab or Go Jek. They operate very similarly to Uber and will connect you with an English-speaking driver and good quality vehicles to get you from place to place. We paid 123,000 IDR ($11.50 CAD) from Canggu to Ubud.

The closest international airport is in Denpasar.

How to Get Around Ubud

As we have big backpacks with us, we chose to take a Go Jek car from Canggu. However, once we arrived in Ubud and were able to leave our bags at our hostel, the easiest, cheapest and most convenient way by far of getting around is by scooter.

Our hostel offered daily rentals for 60,000 IDR ($5.60 CAD). You must have an international license in order to drive a scooter - you can get fined without one. The roads in Ubud are really well-paved and relatively easy to drive, however you should drive slowly and cautiously at all times.

Use the offline map app Maps.Me in order to be able to get from place to place. It works just like Google Maps but without needing an internet connection!

Things to Do in Ubud

Streets and Markets

On our first day in Ubud, we decided just to get lost in the streets of Ubud. We wandered up and down various little market streets all crowded with locals trying to sell their wares. Surprisingly, I never felt overwhelmed by Ubud even though it's a bustling place. Enjoy the beautiful architecture, the bright colours and the delightful smells wafting out of local Warungs (restaurants).

Campuhan Ridge Walk

If you continue walking on the road of the palace and the temple out of town, you'll come across the Campuhan Ridge Walk, an easy 2km route that winds along the ridge of a lovely tree-filled valley.