5 things to do in Ubud, Bali

Posted on April 30, 2017 By sinead No Comments

Cook up a storm

Ubud is famed for its delectable and scrumptious cuisine. Learn tips from the locals by joining one of the many cooking classes on offer around the city. Look around for the course that suits you best - they all have different dishes to choose from so you can learn how to recreate your favourite mie goreng or peanut sauce at home.

Most of them will organise a pick up and drop off for you from your hotel so location doesn't matter - but have a think about if you want to do just a morning or an afternoon, or splash out and go for a whole day course which will most likely include a tour of the local markets. If you have the time, I'd recommend one of these!

Climb a volcano

There's Mt Batur that I've already written about - a fairly challenging hike to (hopefully) watch the sun rise! Choose your timings carefully and check the weather reports for clear skies!

You can also opt to do a more challenging hike which is about an 8 hour round trip. This is Mt Agung and only for experienced hikers.

Go to the market

Practice your haggling skills at Ubud market. Everything you could imagine is on offer here - silks and scarves, clothes of all styles and sizes and amusing trinkets for friends and family. A great place to pick up some souvenirs and mementos for home.

Visit Monkey Forest

For a small entrance fee, you get to go and explore the Monkey Forest.

Hundreds of monkeys live here and roam around the place - be careful of your sunglasses as they like shiny things and will snatch them off your head! Also watch your bags - don't open one up in front of them as they've learnt to expect food - so they WILL come and try and get it off you. It's no laughing matter - they have claws and very sharp teeth. Be warned!

There are various beautiful temples, stunning trees and foliage and an art exhibition within the forest for you to explore. There is also a big bridge in a valley which is a great photo op.

Explore the rice paddies

We hired a driver who took us out of central Ubud to the rice paddies on the outskirts. We got here early so there was no one there but us.

We had to pay a small donation for the maintenance of the paddies which we didn't mind - they were gorgeous. Walk up and down the paddies, cast your eye out across the vast landscape and appreciate the immense effort that goes into growing the cornerstone of the country: rice.



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