ahoyne9After my long five-hour delay in Perth, I arrived in Ubud at 23:00, there wasnโt much to see, so waking up in the morning was something spectacular. It dawned on me looking out my Airbnb that I was officially in Asia and am now just two continents away (Africa & Antarctica) from completing the dream. This is my 19th country to visit, and I couldn’t have had a more spectacular time in Ubud, Bali. You can see the Airbnb I stayed at here and if you’re new to Airbnb use my $50 off referral code.
Note for this post, at the time August 2019, IDR 100,000 is approx. USD 7.
Day 1 โ Walking the City & Monkey Forest 08.28.2019
The first day I spent walking around Ubud and deciding where to begin my adventure. Each community is filled with culture and many Temples. The community designs their neighborhoods similar to the temple designs, which makes each area its own and stunning to view. The city is packed with people walking and driving around on scooters. You can hire a scooter for the whole day for IDR 40,000 to 60,000.
My first stop was at the Sacred Monkey Forest. Other than going to the Zoo, I have never seen a Monkey, especially in the wild, so this was a neat experience. The entrance fee was 50,000 IDR they do accept credit cards, but the minimum charge is for two-person entry.
I spent about two hours here, but it can quickly be done in an hour. If youโre looking for Monkey selfies, you have to find a staff member, and they will take care of this for you. The queue was long, so I opted out but was still able to get one.
About halfway through my tour a monkey climbed up my leg, jumped on my back, unzipped the only pocket on my backpack that didnโt lock, and stole my eye drops all in a matter of 10 seconds hahaha. One of the strangest and most interesting experiences of my life.
I did see Monkeys steal other people’s belongings, they jump on you and wait for you to drop whatever they want, they grab it, and up the tree, they go. The handlers can help you get it back if itโs something expensive or important, anyway enjoy your time there but beware.
After the Monkey forest, I headed up to the Saraswati Temple to take some photos. This was my first time inside a temple and I can say that it was a fantastic experience.
Then I walked a little further down the street and found a walking path called, Campuhan Ridge Walkland, which can lead you down to the river or up to another Temple, and after the temple, you can make your way through the sacred hills.
On the way back I went thru the famous Ubud market, which had everything you could think of and of course like all markets you can haggle, which makes the experience all the better.
Day 2 โ Driving Tour 08.29.2019
There are plenty of adventures you can do in Ubud and plenty of places to see. I wanted to see the rice terraces, waterfalls, and of course taste the Luwak Coffee.
My morning started out by heading to the Tegallalang Rice Terrace, which has an IDR 10,000 entrance fee and should take about an hour to complete the self-guided walk. Throughout the rice fields, there are small shops for snacks and beverages and the famous Bali swings.
The best place to swing is at the top before you head down to the rice fields. It cost significantly more, anywhere from IDR 150,000 to 250,000, but the views are way better. If youโre looking for the cheapest one, as you get into the rice fields, you can find the swings as low as IDR 50,000.
After the rice fields we headed to the Tirta Empul Temple. This is the temple where you can take a holy bath. Entrance is 50,000 IDR, if you want to bath you have to get a sarong for the water, it is IDR 10,000 and if you need to rent a locker that is 15,000 IDR. I spent just under an hour here, when you exit the temple, the exit takes you thru another small market with a lot of unique shops.
Next, it was off to try the famous Luwak Coffee, this is coffee where the Luwaka eats the coffee beans, digests them, and then the beans are picked out of the poop, washed, boiled, and then cooked. The tour starts with going through the front of the garden seeing some cocoa plants, coffee plants, and some spices. In the end, they bring you about 10 โ 15 samples of coffee and tea. If you would like to try the Luwak coffee, it is IDR 50,000. I went to Dewi Agrowisata; there are plenty of places near the rice terraces to try this coffee, this location was more for a tour.
After the samples, they bring you to a shop; youโre more than welcome to decline and make zero purchases and leave and have a free experience, so donโt feel pressured to buy something.
Halfway thru the day and we started to make our way to the first waterfall, the Tukad Cepung Waterfall the entrance fee was IDR 15,000. Itโs a long walk down many flights of stairs, and then you enter into the canyon and walk to the waterfall. Youโll either need to take your shoes off or wear water shoes/sandals to get there.
The second waterfall on my trip Air Terjun Tibumana is IDR 15,000 to enter as well, and it is spectacular. If you donโt want to get wet, you donโt have too, but it has a swimming hole that allows you to get up right next to the fall. I was short for time, so I passed but was able to get some great photos.
Lastly, the Wisata Air Terjun Kanto Lampo waterfall, the entrance fee is IDR 20,000. This one requires you to get wet and is very steep and slippery rocks to get to it. I ended up getting there right at sunset, so when I left, it was pitch black outside, and I couldnโt see without using the flash on my phone.
Day 3 โ Wandering the City, Off to Kuta 08.30.2019
Day three was nothing special, I was hoping to get a new tattoo here, but most places had a long queue. I ended up walking around the city and having lunch at Kafe which is an excellent restaurant and is full of people working remotely, so if youโre looking for a break or need to get some work done this is a good place for that.
Off to Kuta, any questions/comments drop them below or send me a message.
Cheers!
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