2 Days in Ubud, Bali
The Campuhan Ridge Walk in Ubud, Bali
Things To Do in Ubud, Bali, Indonesia
The flight from Kuala Lumpur was three hours and upon arrival in Bali, we faced a long line at immigration. By the time we were out of the airport, it was dark and we did not see much as the cab whisked us through the busy streets of Denpasar towards Ubud.
An hour and twenty minutes later we arrived at B&B Homestay Griya Jungutan.
Our flight from Kuala Lumpur on approach to Bali
Ubud Accommodation
B&B Homestay Griya Jungutan is a quaint and quiet bungalow-type inn with a cozy outdoor patio where the included breakfast is enjoyed overlooking a small pool. It is located down to a small river in a jungle-like setting.
There is nothing high-end to speak about at B&B Homestay Griya Jungutan but we were quite happy with this choice and paid $69 for three nights. The room had a queen bed, a shower, AC, and Wi-Fi, and is located close to the Ubud city center. The property is set 400 meters from Ubud Market and 400 meters from Ubud Palace.
Di is testing the pool at B&B Homestay Griya Jungutan in Ubud, Bali
Ubud Palace
We had a slow start to the day getting organized and putting together a plan for “what to see and do” in Ubud. At 10:30 am we set out on foot. First, on the agenda, Di needed new flip flops which were easy to find with an endless number of gift shops, artisan stores, and clothing stores nearby.
Our offline maps had not downloaded properly meaning we navigated the streets by memory but found our way to the Ubud Palace, the former residence of the Ubud royal family. We enjoyed a short visit wandering the palace grounds for a bit before we targeted the Seniman Coffee Studio for strong coffees and a muesli bowl.
Ubud Palace
Ubud, Hot and Busy
Back at the B&B, we had a dip in the pool and a short rest before we headed out again to the Campuhan Ridge Walk. It was within walking distance of the B&B so there was no need to rent a scooter until the following day.
We were astounded by how busy and hot Ubud was and slightly put off by the sheer number of tourists and commercial ventures.
Scooter Traffic in Ubud, Bali
We are very well aware of the paradox of being tourists ourselves but throughout our travels, we have cherished destinations where we have been able to explore a country or region without getting the feeling that we are part of mass tourism.
The traffic in central Ubud is atrocious and one of the favorite modes of transportation is the scooter. We darted through the streets and easily found the trailhead to the Campuhan Ridge Walk.
Endless amount of Scooters in Ubud
Campuhan Ridge Walk
The Campuhan Ridge Walk is a 3.5K in-and-out trail meaning you can turn around any time if the uphill gets to be too much. It is rated as being easy but in the heat, you will surely break a sweat and we pulled over several times to catch our breath.
Ubud is a crowded place and the ridge walk is no different. We had timed our walk with sunset so this is probably the busiest time of day. The scenery was okay but also slightly underwhelming.
On a positive note, we stopped on our way down and listened to a guitar player sing a few tunes while we ordered corn on the cob roasted on the grill. Delicious, and a good atmosphere. Dinner was at the cozy and excellent Ibu Rai Restaurant near our B&B and we wrapped up the day with another dip in the pool.
Enjoying corn on the cob at the Campuhan Ridge Walk trail in Ubud, Bali
Day 2 in Ubud
We woke up way too early on our second day in Ubud, at 4 am. Rolled over and finally got up around 6 am. Breakfast was at 8 am and we booked our last hotel before flying onto New Zealand. We decided on a nice place on Lembongan Island to wrap up our week in Bali. Stay tuned for more to come on that front.
We rented a scooter for the day from a friendly family near our B&B and paid 60,000 Indonesian rupiahs equalling $4.15 and headed straight for the rice fields.
The Rice Fields in Ubud, Bali
The Rice Fields in Ubud
When I saw pictures of the rice fields in Ubud before our visit I pictured it way out in the country in a remote jungle. My imagination sometimes runs wild, I will admit. It was a bit of a letdown to see the many commercial outlets right on the ridge of the rice fields.
I had a similar feeling years ago when I first arrived at Niagra Falls in Canada to see this natural wonder of the world only to find hundreds of hotels in very close proximity.
Once, however, you park your scooter and head down the trails, the experience grows as the trails were not as busy as expected.
People take part in the spiritual water ritual at Tirta Empul Temple in Ubud, Bali
The heat was relentless and we hiked to the bottom of the rice field and up the other side attempting to find a bit of shade. We found a small shop selling cold beverages and didn’t miss the opportunity.
Tirta Empul Temple
Back on the scooter, we navigated the small roads to the Tirta Empul Temple, known for its bathing structure with holy spring water, where Balinese Hindus go for ritual purification.
We were there on a Sunday afternoon and it was very busy and we did not take part in the holy water ritual. The temple was a worthwhile visit. There may be better times to visit when it is not quite as busy.
Lunch and Rain in Ubud
After the rice fields and Tirta Empul temple, we gained a healthy appetite and stopped at a vegan restaurant on the way back to our B&B. There was a long wait but the food was fabulous.
In the middle of lunch, a torrential downpour started. We had heard about the rain in Bali and were glad we got to witness it. It delayed our lunch for quite some time as there was no way we safely could have ridden our scooter in this weather.
Eventually, the rain let up and we navigated traffic back to our B&B. For dinner, we returned to Ibu Rai as the first visit had been a success. We had an early night in preparation for a travel day where we would move to Lembongan Island for the final four days in Bali.
The busy streets of Ubud, Bali
Final Thought on Ubud
Maybe we were struck by travel fatigue or maybe we have been spoiled by so many fantastic experiences during our now 49 countries of travel but Ubud did not fare that well in our final assessment.
Perhaps if Ubud had been our first travel destination we may have viewed it differently and sites may have won us over. Ultimately the heat took its toll on us and we found Ubud too crowded and very touristy in nearly all the corners we visited.
I trust Ubud has more hidden gems and if we had devoted more time we would have come to appreciate these. Please do not read this as if we had a miserable time.
Selfie time at Campuhan Ridge Walk in Ubud.
We certainly enjoyed some aspects of Ubud but in an effort to keep things real, we also want to point out disappointments as they inevitably occur during a long travel stint such as ours.
As things were, anticipation was building for reaching our travel goal of visiting 50 countries in 50 months. We were looking forward to setting foot in New Zealand, country number 50, to see our friends, The Duleys, and in some ways, I also think it distracted us somewhat from our ability to truly take in the wonders of Ubud.
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The photos in this article are made using a Fujifilm X-Pro2. Lenses: XF 14mm f/2.8 R - XF 23mm f/1.4 R - XF 35mm f/1.4 R - XF 90mm f/2 R LM WR (links to my camera and lens reviews). Editing was done in Capture One Express. I have made use of Fujifilm film simulations.
