Ubud Bali – A Romantic Languorous Utopia

Today, we took out our car for a spin to the countryside. We let the windows down and felt the fresh breeze on our face, paddy fields on both sides. As I closed my eyes, my mind drifted to the gorgeous, wonderful haven that we stumbled upon this summer. It had just rained the previous week in Bali and the countryside was alight with fresh sprouting, tender blossoms and lush paddy fields.

Ubud. She is as pure as heaven with a slightly wild flare!

Fluidity is the word that best describes our stay in Ubud. Days flow into each other, hours swim into one another. We became one with the curtains dancing around our room, languorous massages, sound of rains falling against windowsills, bike rides along the dusty alleys and sumptuous organic meals. We swivel and feel that we are drifting into our version of utopia, with our eyes half-closed.

Ubud is an experience. Be it the wellness retreats, cozy cafes, scrumptious vegan platters, bohemian artifacts, theme parks or the flea markets, each of them throbs with life and vigour and makes Ubud what it is! So, let’s take a ‘walk in the park’ and experience Ubud through ‘our eyes’. . .

Ubud Accommodation

Most blogs would post rave reviews of a secluded resort overlooking lush paddy fields in Ubud. To each his own, but such a resort is definitely not our first choice. The constant battle with mosquitoes and squelchy exteriors at the onset of a mild drizzle doesn’t suit our fancy. We would much rather opt for a quiet stay at a belle epoque eco-friendly resort overlooking a swimming pool, preferably with an attached kitchenette for our mid night hunger pangs! A wholesome complimentary Balinese breakfast, if included in the deal would be a huge plus. Thankfully “Lucky Family Cottage” had just what we needed!

Wholesome Breakfast with a view anybody? Couldn’t get Enough of the plethora of platters that awaited us each morning!

Ubud Detours and Day Trips

We rented a bike for quick travels in and around Ubud. We tottered through the slick alleyways, stopping for the occasional smoothie binge, dismounting here and there to buy little boho crafts that caught our fancy, hopping cafes trying to sample the perfect brew – everything was a cakewalk thanks to the Scooty.

a) Saraswati Lotus Temple, Ubud Centre

The Saraswati Lotus Temple, Ubud

The Lotus Temple, smack back in the Ubud Centre has an unassuming exterior, but is stunning on the inside. It also houses a couple of café chains – so you could contemplate its beauty over a cup of coffee or watch an Indonesian Dance Performance. If possible, schedule your visit just before sunset – the twilight hours are specially intriguing and will leave you wanting for more.

b) Ubud Monkey Forest

The Entrance to the Sacred Monkey Forest. . .Thrill awaits in the next few photos 😉

Hairy Monkeys, clean shaven monkeys and Monkeys with a moustache. Grey haired, white haired colossal monkeys – whose only motivation is stealing anything detachable from humans. Hats, packets, cameras, mobile phones – you name it and the next moment it is in their hands. Home to about 1260 long tailed Balinese macaque monkeys, Ubud Forest is their sacred abode. The heavily forested park is artistically crafted yet raw and real in its demeanor..

Monkeys Stealing anything detachable from humans. . .

We grabbed a map at the nearest vicinity of the entrance and made our way through the crafted trails through the thickets of the forest, into the deep ravines and then finally to the rocky stream. We encountered hundreds of monkeys along the way and stopped to capture their nuances.  Zero regrets about missing the Monkey Selfie Hours. Paid our respects at the Holy Shrine Temple before we retraced our steps to the exit.

c) Aloha Ubud Swing

Aloha Ubud Swing, another Instagrammable marvel . . .

Another man made Instagrammable marvel (8 km from Ubud Central), Aloha Ubud Swing is an institution in itself. A floral Swing, an adventure swing, a cove swing and many more strategically constructed at a themed nature park, attracts hundreds of influencers every day. Although the place is not as crowded as the others mentioned above, make sure that you reach the place by 9:30 am for an easy breezy photoshoot. Flying Dress and hair crown comes at an extra charge if you want to opt for them. Our Entry and Photographer Hiring cost us IDR 1.2 Million for 2 people, which in INR would convert to Rs. 6500/-.

d) Tegalalang Rice Terraces (Ubud) – 10 km from Ubud Centre

Tegalalang Rice Terrace. . .Oh how Green was my Valley!

Coming from a tropical state where lush paddy fields are in abundance, visiting Tegalalang or any other rice terrace for that matter did not hold a novelty for us. But the luscious spread of green cut in layers, converging in ripples were a sight to see. It had just rained the previous night and the fresh spread of lush green, and the smell of nectar from the flowers effortlessly sprouting along the edges did not disappoint. Add to it a swing suspended on a high land and flying into oblivion with only the rice terrace for company.

We did venture out a few times, outside of Ubud during our stay. We booked a car with driver for our day trips to the East and North.

Ubud Restaurants and Cafes

Ubud with its labyrinth of smoothie bars, vegan eateries, tie and dye boutiques and sun hazed countryside is truly your ticket to the moon. There is no shortage of good eateries in Ubud. If you want to devour on the mouthsmacking Indonesian delicacies – the likes of Nasi Goreng, Mie Gorengs, Chicken Sattay, Nasi Campur, seasonal tropical platters, we have listed some of our favourites down below.

Pro Tip: Avoid the street side Warungs. They are dirt cheap but extremely unhygienic and not sustainable. Instead visit the Boho themed cafes and Bistros. They will provide you with awesome ambience, superior quality authentic Balinese cuisines and great value for money.

a) Warung Abe do

An Owner with a full moon smile and mouth smacking delicacies to satiate your taste buds! Perfect!

A tiny eatery tucked away in one of the bylanes of Ubud is a right gem. It serves some seriously scrummy food – we loved our Gado Gado (Indonesian steamed vegetables topped with peanut sauce) and the grilled chicken breast served with garlic mash. But it is the swarm of raw, healthy and vegan options that really kept us coming for more. The owner with his short and thick forearms, crinkled eyes and full moon smile would entertain us with his daily tales and even offered us a complimentary meal ‘on the house’ on our last day in Ubud!

b) Oriental Restro

Ah! Where do we start? The choicest of all delectable Balinese Cuisines – Nasi Goreng and Mie Gorengs for lunch. Mouth Watering chicken teriyakis and grilled fish for dinner. On one occasion we decided to skip the meats and decided to go vegan. The owner suggested the BBQ’d tempeh and some BBQ’d aubergines with some steamed rice and their traditional sambal (Indonesian sweet chilli paste). Our review – mouthsmackingly delicious!

Ubud Café Hunt

Bali is a coffee lover’s paradise. A couple of Bali’s cafes got a huge stamp of approval from our resident coffee geek. After examining the beans, smelling the coffee, talking to Baristas, rolling the final product on our tongue and finally waiting for the aftertaste we unanimously vote for Anomaly Café in Ubud (Jalan Raya Ubud) as the best Café in Town. Anomaly café has quite an unconventional set up, where sewing machines are converted to tables and tin cans are used as chairs. And it’s not just the coffee. The French toasts, baked beans, desserts, wraps – everything was top notch!

Anomaly Cafe- A Heaven for all Coffee Lovers. Take me back already!

Seniman Coffee Studio came a close second. Coffee at Seniman is an ornate affair. Each cuppa comes with an entourage of flowers and nibbles. A cup of coffee at both these cafes will set you back by $4-$5. (Rs. 350/-)

Seniman Cafe – A Must Try!

However, for the signature Balinese Bubble Coffee (cold coffee with condensed milk and gelatinous tapioca pearls), knock on any of the stalls lining Ubud’s Alley.

Spas in Ubud

We wanted languor to be the defining characteristic of our holiday in Bali. Hence we made no qualms about indulging in a luxurious spa experience.

Five Elements Ubud was our favourite. We opted for their signature couple massage, which is a 90-minute massage in open air followed by their pie’ce de re’sistance – a decandant Balinese flower bath overlooking a gushing stream and a rainforest. We felt like new people after being slathered with delicately fragrant oils for a couple of hours and savouring a bath with an enviable view while sipping on a green smoothie.

After our soul nourishing experience of super food facials, body massages and flower baths with a range of re-vitalizing and cleansing herbs like ginger and lemongrass, we went for a meal at their Sakti dining complex.

The dishes were colourful, healthy and the restaurant an epitome of vegan fine dining. We asked for a spot facing the river Ayung and feasted on their jackfruit tacos, pesto barley risotto and dairy free desserts.

A spa in Ubud costs you from $10-$25 (Rs. 900/- to Rs. 1700/-). By all means, avoid the ones below $10. Flimsy curtains, dirty bug-ridden beds, lack of privacy and terrible masseuse is what you get for this price. If you loosen your pockets a bit, you will get a phenomenal trade-off between quality and price and will be able to take home an incredible spa experience. Spas in Ubud are worth it – just choose the right ones!

Highlights of Ubud Stay:

Ubud is the perfect place to resonate, unwind, pause and relax. We came to Ubud to spend some time in the laps of mamma nature, and not to tick off ‘things to do’ from our bucket list! Highlights of our stay in Ubud (to point a few)

a) Mother Nature – If you read the reverie at the beginning, you know that Ubud’s lush green paddy fields have a way of making us feel special.

b) Balinese Cuisines – I don’t think I could rave about authentic Balinese Nasi Gorengs, Nasi Campurs and Sattays more if I tried. If you are a sucker for organic green smoothies, cold pressed juice, coffee and tropical fruit platter this place will be no less than a heaven for you.

c) Balinese Local – Warm demeanor, a constant smile and tales about Indonesian idiosyncrasies on their lips, pretty much sums up our encounters with the Bali locals. We were always welcomed with huge smiles wherever we went and that’s how we will always remember Ubud.

But the main highlight of our stay, if I may say, is the pace of life. Ubud’s countryside and its villages are the perfect antidote to the rat race of a city life. Here life seems to unravel in slow-motion. Everyone is up for a chat, and no one is in a rush to be at ten places all at once. Food and drink is savoured as it is meant to be, not gulped. Conversations are reveled in, and tangled thoughts get time to ravel under the magic beams of the sun.

If you have missed our previous blogs on Bali, you can find the links to the same below:

Everything you need to know to plan a Perfect Trip to Bali – CoffeeBreak Diaries

10 Most Instagram Worthy Places in Bali – CoffeeBreak Diaries

Bali, Indonesia Archives – CoffeeBreak Diaries