My Guide to Ubud

When someone first speaks of Ubud you think of a beautiful yoga filled, zen, monkey filled area of Bali. You think of amazing food and a level of un-touristified areas (and yes I’ve just made up that word). However I have to admit I was underwhelmed by Ubud and wasn’t so much of a fan of it. To me it seemed completely over run by tourists, with the majority of shops wanting to appeal to more western culture. My main thought was that Ubud just had a lack of identity, it was trying to be too many things.

However is saying that there were some highlights and positives to it.

FOOD

Three Monkeys: a small restaurant on the main high street. It has a really good menu, with lots of options for veggie, vegan and meat eaters. It has a nice basics on the menu from salads to fish platters. With good prices and a beautiful open area at the back I would recommend this to anyone looking for an affordable meal.

Acai Bowls: A Bali (well everywhere) phenomenon however I found some very tasty ones dotted around Ubud, so would recommend trying them as you go. I had no specific stand out places, everything was just well done.

WHAT TO DO

✨YOGA BARN

This is a must do for anyone visiting Ubud, with a beautiful open complex full of many buildings and a huge variety of classes. There is truly something for everyone! They employ some of the most talented and well trained instructors. To top this all off they also don’t overly charge (130,000IDR which is about £6.70) so you get bang for your buck.

WATER RAFTING

In Ubud they had a great beginners course (perfect for me!). If you are looking for a challenging course with massive drops than this one is not the one for you. However if this is something you’ve always wanted to do but have not done it yet then go for it. There are loads of companies that offer this experience. It is a beautiful course but be warned it is also very busy.

THE MARKETS

Although I felt this weren’t the most authentic markets, as the same things were sold at pretty much all the stalls. You can still find some bargains as long as you are prepared to barter and aren’t afraid of hugely busy areas.