Story time!! This post covers the events that happened during four fun days in Ubud…
My first time visiting Ubud, Bali, was in March 2019. My friend Kathryn and I took a two week holiday to Hong Kong and Bali, and we stayed in Ubud from day four through to day seven of the trip.
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Four fun days in Ubud – Part One
Kathryn and I left the amazing island of Nusa Penida on day four of our trip, and headed to mainland Bali, with north Ubud as our next destination. As I was in charge of all the planning, I’d scheduled us to have some downtime, mostly because the previous days in Hong Kong, Uluwatu and Nusa Penida were pretty full on.
After a choppy boat ride from Nusa, we arrived into Sanur Port, and met up with Made, our driver. The port is a bit crazy when all the boats arrive, but after a short time in traffic, we were on our way for what would be four very fun days in Ubud.
Kopi Luwak (Luwak Coffee)
Our first destination was to the four star villa we’d chosen north of Ubud’s main area. I honestly cannot describe how much we were looking forward to it after the accommodation incident on Nusa! Made estimated it would take around 2 hours from the port, so he made a suggestion to stop at Alam Sari Luwak and try Luwak coffee.
Now I’ve participated in several animal experiences, and I always have mixed feelings about them. On one hand, I like most animals, and getting to see them up close is enjoyable. On the other hand, it’s hard to see them taken away from their natural habitat and held in captivity, often in poor conditions. Plus I knew from my research of this trip, that Kopi Luwak is a type of coffee, and I don’t drink coffee, so I was doubtful I’d enjoy tasting it.
Kopi Luwak is the most expensive coffee in the world. When you visit one of these plantations, you’ll get to see the whole coffee cycle. The process for making this coffee is definitely unique! Essentially, the civet cats eat coffee cherries, and because they cannot digest the beans – they get pooped out, and collected for processing. It’s not a job I would want but apparently this is what gives Kopi Luwak its distinctive flavour!
They continued the demonstration by showing the beans being ground by hand. We were just glad to hear the coffee beans get thoroughly cleaned after collection. To brew the coffee, a vacuum or siphon brewer is used – it all looks very scientific!
Variety is the spice of life
This experience cost us IDR50,000 (just over £2.50), and was an opportunity to try six other coffees and seven teas, plus the Kopi Luwak. I was genuinely surprised to like quite a few of the options, including coconut coffee, vanilla coffee, and lemongrass tea. Kathryn also really enjoyed the teas and a couple of the coffees, luckily most of the ones I didn’t like.
We stayed for about an hour, and I had more fun than I’d expected knowing this was a coffee tasting experience. The time out to just sit and chill following our trekking on Nusa Penida, was perfect.
Seeing the civet cats was tough, as they are all kept separately in small cages. Staff informed us the cats are let out in the evening, but I’m not sure how true this is. It seems that the demand for this luxury coffee, has resulted in caging the civet cats to maximise production.
Overall you’ll have to decide if you’re comfortable doing this type of experience if you visit Bali. I hadn’t planned on doing this, however it was a different experience to everything else we did during our trip.
Plush accommodation
Knowing we were staying in more basic accommodation for our first and second locations (Uluwatu and Nusa Penida), Kathryn and I were so happy to be on route to plush accommodations. Looking through our hotel options when planning this trip, we chose Adiwana Dara Ayu, and booked a private villa with its own pool!! My main reason for booking this place was threefold.
- It has an infinity pool similar to the Insta famous pool at the Hanging Gardens of Bali, which look stunning.
- It cost us a fraction of what the Hanging Gardens would have been, so it was actually affordable!
- The villas are north of Ubud, and are surrounded by bright green rice terraces. A lot of tourists come to this area to see the terraces, so having them right outside our villa was fab.
Our driver dropped us to Adiwana Dara Ayu, and a porter was there to greet us and bring our bags to the main reception. The route took us through palm lined walkways, and over stepping stones in ponds. It was so picturesque, although I very nearly had a Takeshi’s Castle moment!
Private villa
Kathryn and I were welcomed by the manager on duty, before being taken through the rest of the grounds to our one-bedroom private villa. Stepping into the room, we noticed the massive bed with a hanging mosquito net, an outside bathroom with rain shower and separate stone bathtub. This was next to our private pool and with sun loungers.
As we settled in, we received a welcome drink and snack, placed on our little veranda. It meant we could enjoy it whilst looking out at the rice terraces in front of us. Perfection!
Cocktail time
I’ve not stayed in many four of five star resorts, especially when I travel on my own (due to the costs), so this was a really nice change (and something I hope to do more of). The place was really affordable, especially when split between the two of us.
At Kathryn’s suggestion, we ordered more cocktails to be delivered, so we could continue chilling out on the sun loungers. Sadly, the sunny weather didn’t last long and we watched dark clouds roll in. Nevertheless, we still enjoyed sipping our yummy drinks outside underneath the umbrella, as it stayed warm and humid despite the rain.
Having been on the go with a packed itinerary since the start of our trip, we were keen to treat ourselves to some pampering during our full day in this villa.
Floating breakfast
Being able to wake up without an alarm was bliss, however less blissful, was the discovery that the mosquito net did a really poor job of keeping mozzies out. Cue a lot of itching and complaining about how evil these creatures are. We just pottered around, waiting for our floating breakfast to arrive. This has become a quintessential experience to indulge in when you visit Bali. Having it in our own private pool was even better, so we could pose (and mess around) and eat in privacy.
The staff came along with a large wicker tray and slid it into the pool. They added our fresh fruit (double portion for Kathryn as I don’t eat fruit), toast, pasties and pancakes. I was so happy to have the pancakes with chocolate chips. We were then left to enjoy our breakfast, and we’re pretty sure the waiter thought Kathryn and I were a couple! Ah well.
We both had turns sitting behind the floating breakfast tray posing for photos, before I suggested we take pictures with both of us in them. Silly me! I, of course, drew the short straw (not that there were any straws or a vote) to be in the deeper part of the pool, so we could both be around the tray. And, of course, the pool wasn’t heated, which meant at 10:00am it was freezing cold!
To make sure I didn’t suffer from hypothermia whilst enjoying this experience, I proceeded to do all the moves from an aqua aerobics class. You’ll be pleased to know this worked well, and Kathryn only really got wet up to her calves. As I said, short straw!
Infinity pool
I suggested we head down and enjoy the infinity pool, while “we” were already wet. We took the long way around to explore the beautiful hotel grounds, before getting to the main bar area.
I had hoped being in the suns pathway would help the main pool be less freezing, as our freezing pool stayed in the shade most of the day. It wasn’t heated, but the water temperature was a bit more bearable. Paddling in the pool, with verdant green terraces as our backdrop, and the sun coming out, was idyllic.
The only thing we needed now was a massage, and we didn’t have long to wait.
Ubud massage number 1
At Adiwana Dara Ayu the massage area is very picturesque as it’s down more stepping stones, set into the terraces. They have local masseuses who come at any time you request.
As we were in Bali, we opted for the traditional Balinese massage, and two massage beds were set up side by side (there’s that couple vibe again). The massages were IDR 600,000 each (just over £30) for an hour and a half, which is reasonable for a resort.
My muscles were aching from carrying luggage, climbing up and down cliff-side stairs, and the lady massaging me seemed to know exactly where each knot was. There were moments of discomfort as my muscles were tight, but overall by the end of 90 minutes, I felt incredibly relaxed.
The advice from the masseuses was for us to “keep drinking” afterwards. I know from having a massage on a regular basis, the drink should always be water to hydrate you. I’m pretty sure in her head Kathryn added the word “alcohol” after the words “keep drinking”. Cocktails were again ordered to our room, and we did very little until both of us were hungry enough for dinner.
Plans, plans, plans
I really enjoy the planning side of travel, so during our downtime I made arrangements for our next two days in Ubud so we could explore the area. During the planning phase for this trip, we had a rough idea what we wanted to do and see, so I got in touch with Made again to arrange a transfer to our next hotel, followed by a day trip the day after. We altered our itinerary after some suggestions from Made, and our final plan included four different attractions.
Our time in Adiwana Dara Ayu villas was really relaxing, but also a lot of fun as we were messing around. We both needed the downtime, and it was a perfect location to do very little.
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Four fun days in Ubud – Part Two
To ensure we had time to see some of Ubud itself, we’d booked a hotel close to the Monkey Forest for the other two nights we’d be in Ubud. The plan was to explore places within walking distance of the hotel, after we’d dropped off our luggage.
Durian Fruit
During the car journey from the villa, Kathryn mentioned she would like to try Durian Fruit. I’m 100% sure in hindsight, she seriously regrets ever even thinking this, let alone allowing the words to pass her lips!
Made, who was driving us again, was delighted to make a stop for Kathryn to have the experience of trying Durian fruit for the first time. And boy am I glad I got to witness this! Kathryn has a habit of laughing at any suffering I endure – but it was my turn now.
What hit us first was the smell of these giant, prickly fruits. They were quite overpowering, and it’s a smell you will never forget. Never! Kathryn was told she had to buy the whole fruit, which I think, was around IDR40,000 (£2), but for what I was about to see, I would have easily paid triple that amount.
Kathryn sat at a small table beside the shop, and waited as the lady sliced into the fruit, prized it open and placed it in front of her. I think this is when Kathryn turned the first shade of green!
I decided to start filming, as I had a feeling it was gonna be something to remember. Kathryn looked at the white mush inside the shell, before turning to Made asking the best way to eat it. He gestured to just dig out a piece of the flesh and enjoy.
Why do that to yourself?
The fruit didn’t pass the sniff test, as Kathryn quickly turned away saying “I don’t know if I can”. She then brought it to her mouth, twice, before she took the plunge and bit into it. This is after she’d likened the slimy coating inside the shell to “garlic custard.” And then she started retching as she tried to swallow the Durian fruit.
If you decide this is something you want to try when you travel to Bali, you may wish to know Kathryn’s candid description of the fruit is that it “honestly tastes like arse.”
I’m so very glad I wasn’t trying it! But then I’m the sensible one, and wouldn’t have suggested such a torturous thing in the first place. Kathryn on the other hand, will most likely have flashbacks of this experience for the rest of her life.
And me, I’ll have a smug smile on my face every time I think of this moment – it’s possibly the best part of our four fun days in Ubud!
Ubud city centre
Once we found our hotel and left our luggage at reception, we headed to the shops to check out the local wares, all the while enjoying the change of pace in comparison to the other areas we’d visited. Stopping for a quick bite to eat (pizza of course) allowed us to get out of the oppressive midday heat.
We stayed in the Grand Sehati Hotel and Spa, close to the Monkey Forest. As we’d be out and about for most of the time for the next two days, we only wanted a simple, centrally located hotel, and this was ideal.
Monkey forest
We’d read that the Monkey Forest in Ubud is something everyone should see during their first trip to Bali. You just walk through the winding pathways, lined with tall trees where you can easily spot small grey monkeys. The monkeys will come onto the paths as well, because they are so used to tourists.
It was a short distance from our hotel, and the charges to get in came to IDR80,000 each (£4 ish). The park opens early at 8:30am and the ticket office closes at 5:30pm. You can take your time and wander at you own pace, taking photos as you go. Check out this link if you want more details for your visit.
Monkeying around
Just be mindful these monkeys are still wild animals, despite seeing hundreds of visitors every day. Make sure that you don’t have anything easy to grab or flashy with you, such as sunglasses. Also ensure you don’t bring any food with you, especially in your bag as they’ll try to find it.
You can buy bananas to feed the monkeys, however we didn’t bother as we figured everyone visiting in the morning would have fed them.
We were not particularly prepared for the humidity in the Monkey Forest – it feels like a steam room. Luckily you can walk around at your own pace, and we meandered through sticking to the marked route, stopping to observe the monkeys lounging in the middle of the pathway.
There were lots of baby monkeys in the arms of their mothers, so we made sure to give them space. They all seem to have learnt how to turn away from the camera just as you take the picture – so helpful!
One thing which was quite sad, but also touching to see, was the monkey cemetery in part of the forest. I hadn’t expected to see a memorial. Shortly after I managed to take some pictures of several monkeys splashing and playing in the pond only a few feet from where I was standing.
With the forest being in the middle of Ubud, there are roads surrounding it, and a bike path through some of it, so it’s not the most serene of places to be. Despite this, I’d recommend visiting if you have a spare couple of hours.
Massage number 2
As the hotel had a spa on site, on our way out to the Monkey Forest, we’d asked about booking massages.
Kathryn and I both opted for a rejuvenating 30 minute foot massage, followed by a back, neck, and shoulder massage. It just wasn’t as relaxing as I’d been hoping for!
The staff led us into an air conditioned room with a line of plump leather chairs, and washed our feet in preparation. Little did I know, I should have been preparing myself in other ways… The lady grabbed my foot and got to work. I have never known such pain!! I’m pretty sure this woman has won a “World’s Strongest Hands” competition. I’m serious – how do these petite Asian women have so much strength?
I never knew feet could get so many knots, but she attacked those knots with enthusiasm! I swear a smile was plastered on her face the whole time, and it grew whenever I flinched or said “ow, that’s sore.” Kathryn was struggling to contain her laughter, and both masseuses smiled at her, before mine carried on torturing me.
After 30 minutes of running her thumbs up the soles of my feet and back of my calves, we were taken to a curtained room for the back and shoulder massage. By being in the same room, Kathryn could hear my squeaks of pain.
Torture time!
This time, the lady jabbed both thumbs into my right kidney, causing me to groan and arch my back, before she ran them up my side, pressing hard the whole time. My squirming didn’t give away my discomfort, and the masseuse ignored me when I stated “that’s too much pressure”. So I then endured 15 minutes of pain inducing jabs on my left side.
My massage experience made me feel like I’d lost 20 matches of dodgeball in a row! I did not feel soothed or have the overall feeling of well-being I’d wanted. This certainly does not class as having fun in Ubud… and it’s the first time I’ve paid for what amounted to torture!
Feigning concern, Kathryn asked how my massage was, desperately trying to keep her grin under control. I shot her a pointed glare, and she dissolved into fits of laughter as we made our way out of the spa and back to our room.
I’m pretty sure this massage was swift karmic justice for my pleasure at Kathryn’s discomfort during the Durian fruit incident earlier in the day.
- AWTT Tip: I’ve been advised you should never say the word “sore” during a massage in Asia – apparently it’s a signal for the person to spend more time working on that area. Oops! Lesson learnt the hard way.
Dinner in the rain
Kathryn and I headed out for dinner, determined to improve what was left of the evening. There was light drizzle of rain, so armed with just our light water-resistant jackets, off we set.
Our plan was to go somewhere a friend of Kathryn’s had recommended, but I think this just tempted fate, as the heavens opened around the midway point between the restaurant and our hotel! Typical!
We continued our uphill walk for a minute or so, until my feet were so wet my flip flops were slipping off. The water resistant jackets weren’t really cutting it either. As this was not much fun, and it was apparent the rain was not likely to cease any time soon, we went into the closest restaurant with “Zoe friendly” food. Cue my order of a burger and chips and Kathryn’s tuna steak, along with cocktails that were 99% alcohol with just a splash of other flavour!!
The rain had settled to another light drizzle for the walk home, and to ensure we had enough energy for the next packed day, we both crashed out, aided by the alcohol we’d consumed.
Day trips from Ubud
There are lots of options for day trips in all parts of Bali. It’s easy to hire a driver for the day to take you wherever you want to go. You just give them a list of where you want to visit, and they’ll give you a price.
We used the same guy Made who organised our Nusa Penida tour, and had already been driving us in Ubud, as he lives locally. We got a trip for the whole day to four places, which cost us a total of IDR800,000 (around £44).
The Bali Swing
A picture showing you swinging out over a sea of palm trees, is the iconic shot everyone hopes to capture at the Bali Swing. There were a lot of ladies in red, white or colourful dresses flowing out behind them, creating a perfect shot for Instagram.
The Bali swing will give you good pictures to talk about, and we had great fun spending the morning here. We arrived around 9:00am and there were already quite a few people in queues for the biggest swings. One of the staff greeted us on arrival, and took us over to the balcony to show us the view from above. The park has 15 swings of different heights, 9 nests around the park and some other photo points. Here’s the website if you want to see more details.
We bought the all inclusive package, meaning we could go on every swing and nest as many times as we wanted. We also purchased their photograph package to get digital copies of all the photos the staff take. With it being an overcast morning, we chose this option hoping their pictures would be better than ours.
Off we go!
Joining the queue for the tallest swing was our first choice, as it was the longest one, mainly due to the vast drop behind it! You’ll be pleased to know the staff take the safety of visitors very seriously. Everyone gets hooked up securely with harnesses and ropes, which is what takes additional time.
Our package deal included lunch with western and Indonesian options, and Kathryn couldn’t wait to try what was on offer! Although I’m not sure it was memorable to her. Me on the other hand, I opted for an Oreo ice cream. I’m pretty sure mine tasted better, but of course that’s just my opinion.
“Sing Ken Ken” – such a wonderful phrase
There was one phrase which was so useful in Bali. My tattooist, who also likes to travel, made the recommendation. The saying is “Sing Ken Ken” which means “no problem”. Each time I said this in response to someone, their reaction was to smile at me and ask “oh you speak Balinese?” Sadly I had to reply “no” each time. But the effort of just saying these three words went a long way.
I happened to say this to three of the staff when they were attaching the swing harness to me. Their collective reaction was to say “Sing Ken Ken” back to me in surprise. As Kathryn and I went back and forth across the park to the different swings and nests, we walked past this group a couple of times. Each time the three of them would say loudly “Sing Ken Ken!!” in unison, and I’d reply with the same phrase.
It felt really nice to have a connection with the locals, even if I did get a few strange looks from everyone else. The locals are all friendly, and often keen to talk with you. They’ll ask for your name, where you are from, how long your in Bali for, etc. You’ll see they are really happy talking to visitors.
Cute nests
After we’d been on a few swings, we went off to take photos in the nests. As more and more tourists had arrived, some of the nests had really long queues. We couldn’t spend the whole day here, so we headed to the smaller, cute nests – the backdrop wasn’t quite as impressive backdrop, but they are still beautiful.
There are lots of other activities you can participate in when you get here, such as river rafting. We didn’t have time for this, but it looked fun! The Bali Swing is a very touristy thing to do when spending four fun days in Ubud. However, the setting is fantastic, it’s good fun and you’ll get great pictures, so go for it!
Tibumana Waterfall
Following the swing, we had a 45 minute car journey to Tibumana waterfall. Whilst I was staring out the window, looking at all the palm trees, Kathryn was napping – she’s so hardcore! Once we arrived we started on the path and followed the signs all heading downhill until we reached the falls.
A few people, mostly locals, were already there some taking photos, and a few were already swimming. It was overcast and humid, but not quite warm enough for us to get in. We settled for taking some pictures, before slowly climbing up all the steps back to the car.
There are several waterfalls in and around Ubud. Because I’ve visited a lot of waterfalls in other places (such as Iceland), Tibumana was not as impressive as I’d hoped for.
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There’s always next time
Unfortunately, I’ve not been to other waterfalls in this area, but I could happily spend a day hopping between them. It was my original plan, but Kathryn isn’t as obsessed with waterfalls as I am, so we compromised.
I plan to return to Ubud at some point in the future, so hope to see more waterfalls. On my next itinerary I’ll others visit the others around Ubud, and also some in the north of Bali. Here’s a list of possible options:
- Tegenungan
- Kanto Lampo
- Tukad Cepung
- Munduk
- Banyumala Twin
- Banyu Wana Amertha
- Kroya
- Gitgit
- Laangan
- Aling-Aling
- Kadek
If you’ve been to any of these, please let me know so I can prioritise which ones to visit when I return to Bali!
Pura Tirtha Temple
Our next stop was at Pura Tirta Temple, where locals participate in a purification ritual in the water. Visitors can pay to participate in this cleansing, but Made explained to us this has had an bit of a negative impact. The locals have to undertake this ritual, and by tourists choosing to do this, the purification ritual takes a lot longer.
Kathryn and I chose to just explore the grounds. They were pretty and peaceful, despite the number of tourists. As with all temples in Bali, you’ll need to wear a colourful sarong over your lower half – they never have any plain ones!
The smells of incense follow you as you walk around taking in the buildings and statues. Visitors are not allowed inside the inner temple, but we found a couple of ponds to visit instead, one with a large collection of koi carp.
Pura Tirtha Empul Holy Temple collage showing: i) a boulder with inscriptions, ii) the pool for the purification ritual, iii) a lizard I found on a wall, and iv) the pond with lots of fish to feed.
Kokokan Heron Colony
At the end of our second day trip in Ubud, we went to a little village called Petulu. It’s also locally known as Kokokan, and is somewhere to see Heron colonies. This was a recommendation from Kathryn’s mate, who came to Bali three years ago (the same one who recommended the restaurant we never made it to). You’re meant to be able to witness hundreds of herons flying in to settle in the trees for the night.
It sounded idyllic, and not something either of us have seen before. We therefore made sure to arrive around 30 minutes early. Wandering up the small road, we found the watching platform, and joined a few other people already waiting to see the spectacle.
Well… a spectacle wasn’t what we saw! Over the course of 30 minutes, as the sky started darkening, a few birds (as in nine or ten at a time) flew to the trees. Several flew from one branch to a different one in the same tree. After another minute or so, another one or two came flying overhead before landing.
To pass the time, we reminisced and laughed about things we’d already seen and done on this trip and during our four fun days in Ubud. But then something happened to me, while I was looking out at the herons.
Evil critters
I’m unfortunate everywhere I go, but on this particular evening, I was bitten. Not by a mosquito (as all my other bites were), but by an ant! A giant ant!! I honestly thought I was having a heart attack, as I experienced sudden and intense chest pain. Clutching my hand to my chest, I breathed the words “ow, ow, ow!”
I looked over to Kathryn to help me, only to witness her bending over, giggling uncontrollably at me.
I managed to flick the ant away, but I was left with a big red welt! Kathryn, the good friend that she is, couldn’t even ask me what happened as she was struggling to breathe from laughing so much.
After spending 45 minutes just watching and waiting for an influx of birds to appear, we decided it was time to leave. Overall, it wasn’t a bad way to end the evening, but the lack of herons was a bit of a letdown.
The few herons flying in at Kokokan
Summary
Thankfully we can see the hilarity in these situations and can look back and chuckle over our four fun days in Ubud.
Both Kathryn and I loved Ubud, and it’s a destination I would recommend everyone include on their Bali trip. I know I’d like to come back at some point in the future (when I have ticked a few unseen counties off my ever growing list). When I do come back to Bali, I’ll be sure to stay in Ubud for longer.
My lasting impression of our four fun days in Ubud is how green the scenery here is.
I hope you enjoyed reading this post expressing the ups and downs of trying to have fun in Ubud. I also hope you have been inspired to create some of your own stories in Bali.
Thanks for reading!
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