Experience the Best of Bali Culture with This Full-Day Ubud Itinerary

KOMPAS.com – To have an immersive experience of Bali culture, visiting Ubud is a great start for travelers new to Indonesia’s Island of Gods or for the regulars.

Indonesia’s Ubud on the island of Bali was awarded the ’25 Best Cities in the World’ by Travel+Leisure magazine earlier this year.

This blissfully charming town is a staple tourist destination in Indonesia among domestic and international travelers.

Read also: Book a Stay at These 6 Budget-Friendly Accommodations in Ubud, Bali

In case you are planning to spend a day in this culturally rich town, Kompas.com has curated an Ubud itinerary to make the most of your travel.

Hire a motorbike

Due to its incredibly popular status as a tourist destination in Indonesia, we recommend you rent a motorbike to make your way around this Balinese town.

Not only will you spend more time exploring, but Ubud also features some tourist attractions that are difficult to access by car.

Read also: Ubud, Bali in Top Ten of Travel + Leisure's Best 25 Cities

The price of renting a motorbike varies depending on the type and gear provided, but on average, the price range is between Rp 60,000 – Rp 200,000. Some providers throw in helmets or ponchos for rent in their prices.

Dok MLDSpot Content Hunt Seasion 2

Breakfast at Sari Organik

Before delving deep into your Ubud itinerary, start your morning by having breakfast at Sari Organik, a restaurant that sits in the center of a rice paddy field.

The calming view will get you off to a great start before a full day of exploring the town.

Choose from Indonesian fried rice, fried noodles, pizza, spaghetti, or Balinese crepe, and the best part is that everything starts from Rp 23,000 — a bargain!

Sari Organik is located in Jalan Subak Sok Wajah, Tjampuhan.

Explore Campuhan Hill

Indonesia’s Campuhan Hill is 2.9 kilometers away from Sari Organik by motorbike and is located in Jalan Bangkiang Sidem.

Read also: Capella Ubud Hotel Bali is World’s Best Hotel: Travel + Leisure

To reach the top of this hill, you will need to start your journey up from Gunung Lebah Temple which will take around 15-20 minutes for the 2-kilometer trek.

Don’t think of it as a hassle because the surrounding greenery will leave you mesmerized.

Once you are at the top, you can watch the sunrise and take photos at some of Bali’s most Instagrammable spots.

KOMPAS/RIZA FATHONI

Break at Puri Saren Palace

Puri Saren Palace is better known as Ubud Palace and part of your itinerary includes a pit stop here at Jalan Raya Ubud No. 8 which is 1.7 kilometers away from Campuhan Hill by motorbike.

Travelers are greeted by a stunning gate decorated in Balinese reliefs and ornaments that will leave you in awe.

You can spend some time to rest here by taking in all the architectural wonders of this castle.

A dose of Bali Art

From Puri Saren Castle, your next destination is The Blanco Renaissance Museum which boasts a spectacular range of artwork from famous Balinese artists.

Read also: Bali Deemed Most Prepared to Promote Village Tourism in Indonesia

It is a kilometer drive my motorbike from the castle and is situated in Jalan Raya Campuhan.

The museum offers a famous painting of a woman that is well-known by painter Don Antonio Blanco and artwork from his son, Mario Antonio Blanco.

The museum’s interior has been decorated like a mega European building so you will have some time to enjoy the art while taking photos for your social media feed.

Lunch at Littletalks Ubud

After feasting your eyes with Bali’s famous art, it is now time for you to feast in some delicious lunch that is 6 meters away from the museum.

The Littletalks Ubud café has a calm and relaxing ambiance namely because it is part of a library that has been uniquely designed and boasts views of Bali’s untouched nature.

Read also: Bumpy Road to Restoring Indonesia’s Tourism Sector during Pandemic

The price range of drinks here is Rp 18,000 – Rp 35,000 and food prices vary from Rp 30,000 – Rp 60,000.

Photo session at Saraswati Temple Park

Our Ubud itinerary brings you to Saraswati Temple Park at Jalan Kajeng or around 1 kilometer away from Littletalks Ubud by motorbike.

Spoil your sights with the magnificent temple which features two big ponds covered with water lilies making it a very Instagrammable spot.

The best part is that the view behind your photos will feature the stunning temple.

After completing a photo session to your heart’s content, you can explore the temple to get a better understanding of Bali culture.

SHUTTERSTOCK / Elizaveta Galitckaia

Monkey around at the Sacred Monkey Forest

It would not be a complete Ubud itinerary if it did not include a trip to the town’s most famous tourist attraction, the Sacred Monkey Forest in Desa Padangtegal. It’s a 2-kilometer drive by motorbike from Saraswati Temple Park.

In this ultra-famous tourist attraction in Bali, you will see 749 monkeys in their natural habitat, but beware because they can often be too comfortable around humans despite being domesticated.

Read also: A Not-So-Beautiful View of Indonesia Tourism during Covid-19 Pandemic

You can play with the monkeys or take photos while at the Sacred Monkey Forest.

There are three temples located inside the Ubud’s monkey forest namely Dalem Agung Padangtegal Temple, Beji Temple, and Prajapati Temple.

Souvenir shopping at Ubud Art Market

After a full immersion into Bali culture as part of the Ubud itinerary, we take you to Ubud Art Market where you can wind down and shop.

We’re not talking about shopping for branded clothes because at this market, what you should buy are the handcrafted goods made by local residents.

From apparel to accessories to painting to statues, Ubud Art Market has it all when it comes to local art.

Read also: Sales of Indonesian SMEs Plunge by As Much As 60pct during Coronavirus Pandemic

Until the coronavirus pandemic ends, you will be required to respect Covid-19 health protocols as you travel around Ubud, Bali.

The protocols include wearing a face mask, regularly washing your hands with soap, social distancing, and staying home if you experience a fever or have a body temperature higher than 37.3 degrees Celsius.

(Writer: Nabilla Ramadhian | Editor: Kahfi Dirga Cahya)

Source: https://travel.kompas.com/read/2020/09/21/091900627/itinerary-seharian-di-ubud-bali-bisa-ke-bukit-dan-pura