Ubud is one of the popular destinations in Bali, where there are many interesting things to do in Ubud. Although it does not have the beach, this cool place features another side of Bali from the art and cultural perspectives. Filled with the rainforest and terraced rice paddies, Ubud also offers a unique and relaxing landscape to live in. Not only tourists but many digital nomads also visit Ubud and finally fall in love to stay in this place.
Ubud has a village and a modest atmosphere with a modern lifestyle. It is packed with authentic temples, traditional markets, beautiful rice fields, vibrant festivals, diverse communities, and healthy lifestyle options. You can easily reach Ubud by taking public shuttle buses like Kura-Kura Bus or Perama Shuttle Bus from any other areas in Bali, including from Ngurah Rai International Airport Bali.
Experience the art & culture in Ubud
Ubud is the center of traditional arts and crafts in Bali. There are tons of things to do in Ubud related to arts and cultures, such as:
- Visiting museums in Ubud, including, Neka Art Museum, Museum Puri Lukisan, The Blanco Renaissance Museum, Agung Rai Museum of Art (ARMA), Museum Rudana, Rumah Topeng dan Wayang Setia Darma, and Museum Pendet.
- Joining some Indonesian food cooking class, such as in Casa Luna Cooking School, Paon Bali, Lobong Culinary Experience Bali, Raw Food Bali, Balinese Farm Cooking School, Payuk Bali Cooking Class by Balinese chef Ketut Budi.
- Visiting Ubud Palace (Puri Saren Agung Ubud) for free between 9AM to 6PM, or pay to watch the dance performance starting at 7.30PM.
- Experience some local cultural activities in Desa Visesa Ubud.
- Joining the crowd in the festivals in Ubud that suit your preference, such as Ubud Writers & Readers Festival, which usually happens in October, Ubud Food Festival around April, Bali Spirit Festival on March or April, Ubud Village Jazz Festival is happening in August.
- Try some local Balinese cuisines, including, the suckling pig in Babi Guling Ibu Oka, crispy duck in Bebek Bengil, grilled pork ribs in Naughty Nuri’s Ubud, Balinese chicken rice in Nasi Ayam Kedewatan Bu Mangku, Indonesian food in Bale Udang Mang Engking Ubud.
Explore the nature in Ubud
Besides arts and culture, exploring the beautiful nature is also one of the things to do in Ubud. You can enjoy your time by jogging or riding bicycles along the rice paddies by the river, taking a morning walk through the paved trail of Campuhan Ridge, discover the nearby waterfalls, such as the Manuaba Waterfall, Toya Selaka Waterfall, Sumampan Waterfall, Bandung Waterfall, Tibumana Waterfall, Kanto Lampo Waterfall, Cau Blayu Waterfall, Tegenungan Waterfall. If you don’t feel like doing an adventure walk, you can alternatively visit the Monkey Forest Ubud to encounter around 700 monkeys and 186 tree species in the 12.5 hectares (31 acres) of forest.
Do yoga and have a healthy lifestyle
Ubud is a favorite place for yogists, so yoga is ultimate things to do in Ubud. You can visit and enroll in various yoga classes in yoga studios in Ubud, such as the famous Yoga Barn, USADA Bali, Intuitive Flow, Zuna Yoga Bali, Yoga Saraswati, etc. If you are not into yoga but still want to do some sports, you can do some gym in Ubud Fitness Centre.
Besides yoga, Ubud is also a center of healthy food where you can find and explore its organic farms, for instance, Good Earth Farm Bali, Hars Garden, Coco Wayan, Teba Sari Organic Farm, Pemulan Bali Farm Cooking School, MoM Natura Farm, or Balinese Farm Cooking & Organic Farm. You can also shop for some organic and imported food products in Ubud Organic Markets, Ubud Basket, Pizza Bagus deli, Ubud Deli, Bali Buda, Earth Café, or raw restaurant Alchemy.
Shopping in Ubud
Shopping in the traditional market is one of the fun things to do in Ubud. In Ubud market, you can find and buy some fresh tropical fruits, vegetables, flowers, and Balinese souvenirs. But if you are not satisfied with the fresh food, you can shop in another main traditional market on the main street, organic farmer’s market at Pizza Bagus on Saturday mornings, smaller market on Wednesday mornings at Ubud Food Court on Jalan Sukma across the SenS Hotel, or in Sari Organic shop. For more modern choices, you can shop in supermarkets like Delta Dewata, Bintang, and Coco Mart. While for homeware shopping, you can try to look for some stuff in Delta Dewata Supermarket, Kitchen Kingdom, Coco Supermarket, The Smile charity shop opposite Seniman Coffee, etc.