The town of Ubud is commonly known as Bali’s cultural heart. Surrounded by lush rainforests, terraced rice paddies and sacred temples and shrines, this getaway is incredibly scenic and serene. Here are some highlights from our time in Ubud.

THINGS TO DO IN BALI, UBUD: 

Hanging Gardens of Bali, Ubud
The Hanging Gardens of Bali is a popular honeymoon destination, famous for their Feng Shui-styled resort and ‘world’s best’ infinity pool.

Upon arrival, we were escorted into a cable car that descended down into panoramic forests surrounding the pool/restaurant. The resort is far away from crowds and extremely tranquil as its only accessible to guests of the resort and customers of the spa. Once you’re here, you won’t want to leave!

 

Tegalalang Rice Terraces
The Tegalalang Rice Terraces are a must-see. These rice fields are incredibly unique and best enjoyed early morning to avoid the crowds. If you have the time (and the appropriate footwear), walk through the paddies and bask in your surroundings. It’ll only cost you a small fee of 20,000 IDR and you’ll make memories to last you a lifetime.

To get to the rice terraces we recommend hiring a driver for the day to save you from the stress of navigating the streets (and the traffic!). After we had time to embrace the natural wonders of the fields, our driver took us to the Sacred Monkey Sanctuary Forest, another favourite from our Bali trip!

Details of our driver:

• Driver: Wayan
• Company: Safe Bali Driver 
• Contact: +62 812 3614 683 (hint: you can arrange your bookings via Whatsapp)

Sacred Monkey Sanctuary Forest
The Sacred Monkey Sanctuary Forest is a beautiful reserve and playground to approximately 700 monkeys which may sound a little daunting…and it kind of is! You may feel overwhelmed by the amount of monkeys running free but once you get to know your fury little friends a little better by feeding them some bananas, you’ll be their best friend.

Our tip is to purchase a bunch of bananas but feed the monkeys one by one (unless you enjoy a family of monkeys climbing you simultaneously). If you want a monkey to hop on your shoulder, simply hold one banana in the air right next to your head and don’t wear any loose items.

Private Twilight Dinner at La View Restaurant, Kupu Kupu Barong Resort & Villa 
A friend had recommended the private dinner at La View Restaurant and after further research we made sure to book the “Twilight” time slot in order to bask in the beautiful sunset before the commencement of our 3 course menu.

Unfortunately for us, the overcast skies got in the way of our sunset dreams but we were still blown away by the romantic setting. I mean, candles, rose petals and a private dining area over an infinity pool – you can’t go wrong really!

Your transfer to and from dinner is also courtesy of Kupu Kupu Barong, simply mention you would like to organise transportation at the time of making your reservation. Speaking of reservations

Tanah Lot
Tanah Lot is a famous rock formation and home to the Pura Tanah Lot temple. During low tide, visitors are able to cross through the rock formations for closer views of the temple. However, during our visit the sky was scorching, the tide was high and Tanah Lot was bustling with tourists. The views were beautiful but we didn’t stay here for long.

Tegenungan Waterfall
There were a lot of steps down to Teganungan Waterfall so be prepared for a bit of a work out on your way up. We visited this grand waterfall the day after it had rained so the waterfall was particularly rapid and filled the air with a delightful, cool mist. The nice shallow waters surrounding the waterfall made it a great spot for an afternoon dip. Bring your swimmers and some cash if you want to hire one of their deck chairs.

Goya Boutique Resort
Goya was our home in Ubud. This boutique resort is relatively new so we didn’t really know what to expect…and we were absolutely blown away by our beautiful private villa! Our room and bath was scattered with rose petals, there was a lovely handwritten welcome note on our beautiful veil bed and the glass doors of our bedroom and bathroom opened straight into a private pool.

The shared infinity pool was also overlooking the breathtaking forest and there was complementary treats and smoothies available during afternoon tea. The perfect destination for relaxation.