Bali · city guide
Ubud: the green, cultural heart of Bali
Rice-terrace mornings, a floating breakfast in your own pool, and the launch point for Nusa Penida.
Ubud is where I'd base anyone going to Bali for the first time. It's inland and green, the cultural heart of the island, and it's where I had that floating breakfast served right in the villa pool. The thing that surprised me most was the price: a private pool villa here costs a fraction of what you'd pay back home, so the splurge felt easy. You wake up to rice fields, the day trips out to the waterfalls and Nusa Penida are all doable from here, and it never feels rushed. Here's exactly how I'd spend a few days.
- Best base for first-timers: green, calm, central
- Private pool villas for far less than you'd think
- Launch point for the Nusa Penida / Kelingking day trip
Best things to do
Floating breakfast in your villa pool
The reason half of you are here. Breakfast on a tray floating in your own pool, eaten slow with the rice fields out front. Most Ubud pool villas will set it up for you.
Rice-terrace morning at Tegallalang
Go early before the heat and the crowds. The carved green steps go on forever; walk down into them rather than just photographing from the top.
Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary
A jungle temple complex right in town with mossy statues and a few hundred macaques. Keep your sunglasses and snacks tucked away, they're quick.
Chase a jungle waterfall
The waterfalls around Ubud (Tegenungan is the easy one) are a short scooter or driver ride out. Go in the morning for the light and a quieter swim.
Where to stay
Getting there & around
Fly into Denpasar (Ngurah Rai) airport, then it's roughly 1.5 hours by car up to Ubud, so prebook a driver or grab a Grab from the terminal. Once you're here, the easiest way around is a private driver for the day, cheap and the move for the waterfalls and Tegallalang. Scooters are everywhere and cheap if you're confident, but Ubud's lanes get busy, so always wear a helmet. For Nusa Penida, your driver drops you at Sanur harbour for the fast boat across.
Eat & drink
- A local warung — The cheap, honest plates I ate most days, nasi campur and fresh juice for next to nothing. Ask your homestay for their favourite.
- The Cave — For one special night: a slow multi-course dinner in a candlelit cave setting. The splurge dinner I'd build a whole evening around.
Day trips
On the map
Book this trip
A few of these earn me a small cut at no extra cost to you — only ever things I'd actually book.
Frequently asked
Is Ubud a good base for first-timers?
It's the one I'd pick first. It's green, calm and central, the cultural heart of Bali, and the day trips to the waterfalls and Nusa Penida all work easily from here. Pair it with a few nights by the coast if you want beach time too.
Are the pool villas in Ubud really that affordable?
Yes, and it was the biggest surprise of my trip. I stayed in private pool villas that felt genuinely premium for far less than I expected back home, which is exactly what made splurging on a floating breakfast feel easy.