Well Worth It: Ubud, Bali, Indonesia
The chapter where we wished we’d allowed for more travel flexibility
Leaving the Philippines was bittersweet, but Bali was calling. We were eager to see what all the love for Bali was about. We had heard nothing but good things about "The Island of the Gods." Leslie queued up Eat Pray Love as pre-watching for the Bali adventure. (In retrospect, not the best preview.) If we're being honest, we didn’t do as much research as we should have. Keep reading to see what surprised us
We departed from El Nido to Manila and then from Manila to Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport in Bali. When entering Indonesia, you can pre-pay for your visa—just be sure to double-check that your stay isn’t over 30 days, or you’ll need to extend your visa. At the airport, we had to fill out a short and easy COVID-19 tracing health form. Shout out to the airport for being one of the most relaxed ones we’ve seen. Upon landing, you’re greeted with the peaceful sounds of musical instruments and beautiful religious art and relics—serene, except for the taxi driver who followed Justin into the bathroom. You don’t pass the vibe check.
The airport is located in Tuban, between Kuta and Jimbaran, and is close to downtown Denpasar, the capital of Bali. We stayed in Kuta for a few nights to adjust to the country change. In retrospect, this isn’t something we need to do unless we arrive in the middle of the night.
Any stay is an opportunity, and our time in Kuta wasn’t wasted. Our highlights included staying at Casa Wina, our first massage (booked through Airbnb Experiences), trying Pepes Ayam (Indonesian steamed chicken) at the mall, and finally breaking down and buying protein powder. Kuta felt like a commercialized tourist city still trying to be a small surf town. Many “art markets” were actually knock-off designer stalls—slides, handbags, shirts, everything. The sheer volume of fake designer goods made us mistrust everything. So much waste goes into trying to look expensive.
One morning, we took our first run along the Kuta boardwalk and noticed more trash and junky souvenirs than expected. The rainy season tends to bring more trash from the ocean, which is sad to see. Although some vendors raked every morning and did their best, cleaning it all was an impossible feat. After two short days in Kuta, we eagerly packed up for Ubud—a jungle-surrounded, nature-loving, yoga-obsessed hotspot. The Grab driver we matched with became our go-to driver for our stay.
The Destination: Ubud, Indonesia
Nestled in the lush jungles of Bali, Ubud is marketed as the island’s artistic and spiritual soul, a place where traditional culture meets modern wellness. It’s also known as the Yoga capital of the world. Ubud gained international fame through the book (and later film) Eat, Pray, Love, attracting yogis, artists, and travelers from around the world. Ubud is often romanticized as a serene and spiritual escape, but reality can differ based on itinerary, expectations, and even timing.
So rightfully so, we had visions of quiet, relaxation, and peace. Yes, we know there are all-inclusive resorts and wellness retreats that could have delivered on that. But our intention wasn’t to pay for a luxury retreat. It was to live a little more locally and understand if this is a place we’d want to visit, or live, again. So we chose a homestay off the main street — Jalan Raya Ubud.
Our trip from Feb 3 - 17, fell within the country’s rainy season. There are only two seasons, rainy and dry. Booking during the rainy season meant lower prices and fewer tourists, but we quickly learned about enemy #1 of activities - the wild rainfall.
First Impressions of Ubud
Driving through downtown Ubud was a bit of a shock. Scooters were everywhere, cars were jam-packed, and the sidewalks were stuffed with vendors. We pulled up to our Pandok Bambo Homestay and were ushered into what felt like someone’s actual home. Multiple families lived in the front, and the rental units were in the back. Our cabin was a peaceful escape, but we found that true solitude in Ubud was a bit harder to come by than we had hoped. Our itinerary didn’t fully align with that vision, but we’ll be sharing what was Well Worth It in Ubud.
Well Worth It Criteria
We only recommend things we’d do again, send to our friends, and that had a positive payoff in terms of time, money, and memories. Our picks prioritize affordability, fun, and overall experience. We love outdoor and active adventures, prioritize nature over shopping and luxury, and aim for practical yet high-quality experiences. Our food picks lean toward bold flavors and protein-heavy meals. We enjoy both chaos and calm and seek out hidden gems alongside popular spots.
Catch up on our collection of Well Worth It Posts here.
What To Expect in Ubud
Getting Around: Navigating Ubud’s Traffic
Scooter Is King - Renting a scooter is the easiest way to explore, but only do so if you’re confident in your riding skills. Traffic can be chaotic, and remember—the roads are reversed from the American style.
Grab & Gojek – Ride-hailing apps work in some areas but may be restricted in others. Leslie had her first scooter experience via Gojek—the driver found her nervousness very funny and it made for a great story.
Walking Is Doable… But, Remember to Check the Weather – The central area is walkable, but sidewalks get stuffed with parked scooters and vendors. Expect some strategic dodging.
Hire a Private Driver – Great for day trips. Many Grab drivers also work on the side—get their WhatsApp and negotiate rates.
Weather & Seasons Matter
Rainy Season is Nov-Apr - Expect short but intense tropical downpours. The upside? Fewer crowds and greener landscapes. Buy a heavy-duty pancho and save your plastic bags to wrap items that need to stay dry. Don’t even consider wearing your tennis shoes. We would check the radar pretty frequently to plan for our next stops. Look, you can see all types of waterfalls in Ubud!
Religion, Culture, and Celebrations Everywhere
Temples, traditional dances, and street celebrations. Ubud felt like it was celebrating something every day, which was one of our favorite aspects. Locals made honoring life and God a daily ritual. If you’re someone looking to explore your spirituality or new religions, this spot could inspire you!
Oh, and a thing to look (down) for - offerings. Offerings are everywhere and they’re small baskets of flowers, rice, and incense placed outside homes, businesses, and temples daily as offerings to the gods. Do your best to be respectful and not step on them.
Our trip landed during a Full Moon festival. We were lucky enough to witness parades of Balinese men, women, and children in traditional dress stopping traffic in the streets. An unforgettable experience.
Get Ready for Fun Food Feasts and Street Eats
Ubud’s food scene is vast, but we found our best meals in local warungs or the 4 AM market.
Nasi Campur – A plate of rice with various meats, veggies, fritters, and sambal.
Mie Goreng – Fried noodles topped with an egg and protein.
Babi Guling – Suckling pig marinated in turmeric and spices.
Warungs Are Your Best Friend – Local food stalls = authentic, budget-friendly meals.
Healthy Cafés Galore – Ubud is a haven for vegans, smoothie bowl lovers, and coffee aficionados
Well Worth It: Food & Drink
Sun Sun Warung
This restaurant felt like our spirit guide into Indonesia and our first try at a trip favorite Nasi Campur and Mie Goring. After your meal, they give you a Tridatu bracelet - red, black, and white rope tied together. It’s a simple reminder that God is with you.
Huma
A little farther north from Ubud center and our special date night dinner of the week. We were both craving something different from traditional Balinese food so we split their Dinner special - Carbonara, chicken cordon blue, mint mocktail, and milkshake. Come at sunset time!
Arcadia
If you’re planning for a fancy dining experience in Ubud, we can’t recommend this place enough. We went here twice because we loved it so much. There are prefix dining menus, but we opted for the chicken sandwich and a chicken mushroom risotto. Between courses, they bring fresh bread with flavored butter, a palette-cleansing icy treat, and small mint chocolate chip cones. The dry ice and rose heart were a charming touch!
Aldi’s Coffee
At the top of a hill before you enter some rice Terraces. You’ll get gorgeous sunset views and extra spicy Mie Goreng
Warung Tradisi
The most chill Homestead with our favorite Nasi Campur. We felt so comfortable here and the host reassured us we should stay longer and relax.
Nano Veg
Their weekend vegetable Buffet was exactly what we both needed to replenish some micronutrients. It included tempe, veggie patties, stir fry, fresh fruit, and more. The dish that surprised us the most was scrambled eggs and cucumbers. They’ll let you stay and feast for an hour.
Roda Restaurant
We swear we don’t always eat at buffets, but sometimes they’re a great way to experience all the foods without causing the food waste of ordering 6 entrees. Roda has an excellent Indonesian buffet. You need a minimum of 5 people.
Pubas Space
Very modern, open space, two-story restaurant with dancing at night. We ordered the Chicken Thai Basil bowl but also had our eye on the red velvet cake.
Melting Wok
We’ve been on the hunt for Green Curry and finally found a coconut version that was our favorite. This place is located Jl. Gootama - a highly walkable and calmer restaurant street.
Chai of the Tiger (Indian Street Food)
This is where we had our Valentine’s Day dinner. It’s a delightful, colorful, and cozy place serving unusual Indian Street food called Chaat, a beloved category of Indian street food. We love finding food experiences that teach us new things. Heads up, there are two locations with this name.
Warung Pulen Ubud
Sometimes you just need a cheap omelet and Mie Goreng - this is your spot.
When it comes to warungs, there are so many street spots that deserve to be on this list, but they’re not on Google or even have names. We recommend learning about different dishes in restaurants and then going out and searching for them!
A photo buffet of our Ubud spreads - does anything catch your eye? 👀
Well Worth It: Experiences & Adventures
Sunrise Mt. Batur Jeep Tour
Get ready for a 2:15 AM wake-up call! But seeing the stars and the sunrise will make up for it.
Summit Mt. Batur in Jeep
Visit Black Lava Fields
Cantik Agriculture - Coffee Tastings, learned about Luwak Coffee, and our new favorites were Avocado Coffee and Coconut Coffee
Temple Visit - Pura Ulun Danu Batur
Cost: $40.37 per person
Sunset Walk Kajeng Rice Field
3-4km walk through what felt like a more authentic Bali experience.
Cost: Free
Campuhan Ridge Walk
One of Bali's most scenic walking trails, offering breathtaking views of lush green hills and expansive valleys. This 2 km path runs along a ridge, surrounded by rice fields, palm trees, and tropical vegetation. It's an ideal spot for those looking to enjoy the natural beauty of Ubud. The best times to visit are early in the morning or late in the afternoon near sunset.
Get in a good hike and then eat at Red Rice Maulang - they also have popsicles!
Cost: Free
Sacred Monkey Forest
Easily an adventure we’d do again and again. It was a very quick walk from Ubud Central. The highlight was two baby monkeys jumping on Justin’s back and giving him a little grooming action. Free spa day? The monkeys are playful and as directed you’re just asked to stay calm and let them do their things. An important rule: Don’t look the monkeys in the eye as it can be seen as a threat.
Cost: $5 per person
Custom Full-Day Ubud Tour with Private Driver
Tegalalang Rice Terrace (walk through Tis Cafe) enter via Mupu Rice Terrace
Penglipuran Village - Interesting but not sure we’d prioritize it again
Goa Raja Waterfall - Our favorite waterfall ever
Cost:
Driver: $43.20 for up to 4 people
All entrance fees combined: $7.25 per person
Full Moon Celebration & Jam Sesh at Ubud Temple
Every day is seemingly a celebration of something in Ubud, but the full moon was extra special. The decorations were kicked up a notch and a big group of men with a wide variety of instruments were jamming out by the temple. It was interesting in that it didn’t seem like they were playing set songs. It was as if one person would kind of start a beat and others would join in and spice it up and the group would sort of follow someone for a little bit and then banter about where to take the rhythm next.
DIY Walking Coffee (+Snacks) Tour Day
You can always find food tours online but sometimes it’s just more fun to put together your own. Here’s the loop we took:
Muse Cafe - Go for the calming atmosphere. We ordered a Chai latte at the recommendation of a Redditor and enjoyed it. This coffee shop had a wonderful vibe, filled with plants and plenty of space. Some tables ask for no laptops
Pubas - Go for the good food, fancy coffees, and space to spread out. We wish it had worked out to go for dancing and the DJ.
Amsterdam Cafe - Go for the coffee art and Roma cookies. If you leave a Google review you can get a free coffee!
Skyline Cafe - Go for the unique street view. We ordered the Fresh Thai chicken salad and had solid views from above the street. There are not a lot of tall buildings in Ubud so it was an interesting perspective.
Ayoo Ayoo - Go for the Kebab and loaded fries. We have a thing with kebabs lately. We met the owner who encouraged us to try the burger because he was on a mission to make “the best burger in Ubud.” So perhaps try the burger!
Seniman Coffee Studio - Go for the extensive menu of creative drinks and bottled lattes you can take to-go. They have the coffee experience handled with a gift shop and bakery attached.
Bali Fams Cooking Class
We kept saying this may have been the best-tasting bites of our entire time in Bali. It’s been a lot of fun learning how to incorporate tempe into our meals. It was a little less fun seeing just how much oil is used to make it crispy. Having the garden on site and actually picking our ingredients really added to the experience. We learned about some new herbs and even the strange bamboo pole ladder that is used to harvest coconuts. This tour included being picked up and dropped off at our hotel. It was just us and two other travelers so it felt very intimate. They let us adjust the food as we wanted (more spice, more salt, always). They even had physical and digital cookbooks you could have for free to recreate our masterpieces back stateside.
Tuju Day Club
Tuju is a bougie-feeling day club that we had almost to ourselves. We got there around opening time and stayed past dinner. There was a minimum spend but thankfully the food was good. Since we don’t drink it went a long way with sliders, a poke bowl, a burger, shrimp nasi goreng, and a fantastic pizza. They even surprised us with a cake for our early moon!
Minimum Spend: $18.40 per person
Well Worth It: Stays
Pondock Homestay - Daily Breakfast included + Pool, Individual Cabins + Live Turtle Encounters
Nightly rate - $22.35 per room
Well Worth It: Wellness
Running Routes with the fewest near misses with cars/scooters
8 km loop - all uphill on the way out, and downhill on the way back
8 km loop - Big road, mostly uphill on the way out, downhill on the way back. Run from one Babi Guling restaurant to another, what’s not to love?
Our beloved little gym! It even has the little gym rat mascot. It’s air Conditioned, showers, free filtered water, free wifi, cardio fitness, and weight room. It gets crowded so come early and enjoy it for yourself
Cost: 2-week membership - $26
Massages Galore
In Room Massage - Loved this, no need to reenter the real world afterward
Cost: 60-minute deep tissue: $15
New Hope Massage - Looks a little questionable on-entry and the staff gets straight to business. This is not a Westernized spa-like atmosphere. A great spot if you need true deep tissue and reflexology work. Our best massage of the trip, so far.
Cost: 90-minute deep tissue: $18.50as
Cilinaya Spa - Located on the Art Walk behind our house, Justin stumbled upon it from having a great conversation with the owner. They specialized in deep tissue. A great massage with a belly rub neither of us expected. We’re here for new experiences baby!
Cost: 60-minute deep tissue: $9.50
Heart Space Bali - We’re not big yogis, but love a sound bath. South baths are Leslie’s favorite way to reduce the mental chatter. Yin is a style that leans into holding singular postures for relaxation. So this, plus a crystal bowl had us sold.
Cost: $12.25
Go-To Free Travel Wellness Apps - Because sometimes you need the tools wherever you are to stay mentally and physically well. Here are our faves:
Nike Training Club - Huge library of strength, HIIT, and yoga
Insight Timer - Free mediation and breath work
Runna - Build a running plan integrated with your calendar
What We Missed
Other Waterfalls - Kanto Lampo, Abangan, Tibumana
Excursions to the North Side of the Island
More yoga classes - this is just a Leslie thing
Think of something you wish we would have seen?
What We’d Skip
The length of time spent in Ubud. We think 2-3 days is plenty. Also, staying very close to downtown. Instead, we’d opt to stay more north of Ubud and rent a scooter.
What We Spent Per Person ~$602
For 17 days in Kuta and Ubud we were just over $600. This covers accommodations, flights, excursions, transportation, dining out, groceries, gyms, protein powder, laundry….everything. Our intention with sharing spending is to debunk the myth that travel has to be extremely expensive. If you’re curious to dig into the numbers Justin has all the details in a spreadsheet, because of course, he does.
What We Learned
Do more research on the places that everyone is “obsessed” with. As we look ahead on our itinerary we’re double checking that we didn’t just pick somewhere solely because someone else liked it, but because it feels like it will be somewhere we will enjoy. That being said, not every location will be your favorite and that’s OK. We both fully expect to have different opinions on some of our future stops.
There will be storms on every trip - you have to ride them out to get to the rainbows. Everything that feels horrible can be laughed about eventually.
Use your Apple Calculator for quick money conversions - no extra app is needed.
A cold Sprite Zero will solve a lot - heat exhaustion, tummy problems, curing the sweet tooth monster, and more. Deemed the Crispy Boy we found a lot of joy walking to the IndoMaret and snagging a Crispy Boy for a stroll around Ubud.
Snakeskin fruit peels like garlic and Lychee is like a giant grape with seed.
New snack addiction unlocked: Roma coconut cookies. Preferably eaten with a cappuccino.
Ogoh-Ogohs, Celebrations, and the Day of Silence (Nyepi) - They’re always celebrating in Bali and that’s the special takeaway.
Wrapping It Up
Ubud was a rollercoaster of a two-week stay. While we wouldn’t stay this long again, we’re grateful for what we learned. We’re now eyeing a return visit during Nyepi, the Balinese Day of Silence, to experience a truly immersive cultural moment. If we come back, we’ll revisit our favorite spots and skip what didn’t serve us.
Have you been to Ubud? What was your experience like? Drop a comment—we’d love to hear your take!
Coming up next: Uluwatu, Indonesia
Every time we pack up or leave a place we do a little exercise where we try to “seal it in” - which means just locking in all the good around us, like a mental picture to put into the library. We usually hold hands, close our eyes, and notice through all our senses. What do you feel? What do you smell? What do you hear? Then you open your eyes and try to take that snapshot. Let us know if you try it - it’s become one of our favorite ways to end an activity or stay.
Seal it in, because we’re off to Uluwatu to catch some sun and one of our favorite artists at a bougie club we have no business being at. Stay tuned!
Thanks for texting the link, Justin, I'm vicariously enjoying your adventures!