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The First-Timer's Travel Guide to Ubud, Indonesia




 

Everybody has a list of their preferred destinations. Every city or town is distinctive and special in its own manner, be we all have a brief list of places that are just a bit more unique than the others.  For us, one of these places is Ubud.

We first visited this Balinese town in 2009. 


Ren and I are not beach people so we skipped the coastal areas of southern Bali and moved directly to Ubud. 


It was late at night and I'll never forget the feeling I had when we drove into town.  We turned the corner past the holy monkey forest to find a constellation of colorful lanterns dangling from trees and quaint shopfronts on either side of the road. 


We gasped and released a collective"wow"!  It had been such a gorgeous sight, and we did not expect understanding so little about this city.


We stayed in Ubud for over a week and fell in love with each facet of this inland retreat, from its own artsy shops to its Balinese bungalows to its Hindu temples along with its delicious food.  We knew then we'd find our way back to Ubud bali villas at a certain stage.


To be honest, I wasn't certain how we'd feel about Ubud the second time around because your first time is usually the best.  But that wasn't the case here.


Ubud may be more developed now than it was ten decades ago, but it's still just as magical a place as ever.


Located inland about an hour and a half north of the airport, it is called a quieter and much more cultural destination when compared with the fun but often raucous air of Seminyak and Kuta in southern Bali villa management.


 Alternatively, you will be enveloped by lush rice paddies along with a dense tropical jungle.  Exotic temples abound here, as do art museums, galleries, and one-off boutiques selling handcrafted goods like jewelry and wood carvings.


Within the last two decades, Ubud has become a significant destination for yoga professionals thanks to its closeness to nature and the culture's inborn spirituality.  Brimming with yoga studios, health retreats, and vegetarian/vegan restaurants, many people now regard Ubud since the holistic center of Southeast Asia.


For us and the over three million overseas tourists who see this city every year, Ubud is among the most intriguing destinations around the island along with also a must-visit in Bali.


Like most destinations in Southeast Asia, Ubud has two seasons -- moist and dry. 


The wet season is generally from November until March while the dry period is from approximately April until October.  Temperatures vary little during the year therefore going in the dry season is best.  July and August normally experience the best weather though they're also summit months in Bali web design.  Because of this, I think April-June and September-November would be best.


 Both months were fantastic weather-wise, but that I did not enjoy the much heavier audiences in July.  Traffic gets pretty bad also.


APR-OCT: As explained, this is normally the dry period in Ubud.  July and August are the driest months although it can nevertheless rain every day of the year.  On our first trip, I remember it raining fairly hard 1 day in April.  The rain was heavy and it arrived abruptly, but it was short-lived.  We appreciated mainly sunny days the rest of the time.


NOV-MAR: This is the rainy season in Ubud using the rain falling from December till February.  The vacation weeks of December and early January will also be peak times on the island, so it is probably not the best time to go if you're looking for a quiet vacation.  Resort prices will likely be at their highest as well.


Climate: Annual Monthly Weather in Ubud


To help you better understand the climate in Ubud, I have created the ordinary temperature and yearly rainfall graphs below.  canggu clinic Suggested months to visit are highlighted in orange.


Whether you're coming from abroad or from someplace within Indonesia, most visitors to the island of Bali will be flying into Ngurah Rai International Airport.  We had been in Yogyakarta so we chose the 1 hr 30 min flight to Bali.  There are some approaches you can get to your resort in Ubud from the airport.


BY PRIVATE TRANSFER: This is the most convenient and possibly the best option.  It is possible to arrange for a transfer from the airport through your resort in Ubud or via Klook.  I asked with our resort but their rates were higher so I booked with Klook.


BY TAXI: You can also take a taxi from the airport to your hotel but according to what I have read online, it will likely be more expensive.  Be sure to book your cab at the official taxi counter in the airport.  They will quote you a fixed cost once you give them your destination.

BY BUS: This will probably be the cheapest option but maybe not the most suitable. 


The Perama shuttle could take you from Kuta to Ubud solar energy company.  On the other hand, the bus stop is approximately 4 km north of the airport so you will want to have a taxi there first.  You can book Kuta-Ubud shuttle tickets on Klook.  Please note that departure times are limited and there's a maximum luggage allowance of 20 kg and one carry-on bag per passenger.

WHERE TO EXCHANGE CURRENCY


The unit of money in Indonesia is the Indonesian Rupiah (IDR).  We did not need to exchange currency in Bali but according to what I have read, there are lots of reputable currency exchange offices in Ubud so you should not have any difficulties.


The larger offices across Monkey Forest Road seem like good options.  jasa arsitek Just make certain to compare exchange rates and ask when they charge a payment.  If you're moving straight to Ubud after landing, then I propose changing a small amount at the airport, only enough to pay for your transfer.


Some travellers may not be comfortable bringing huge quantities of money into Indonesia, so another option is to draw IDR in an ATM.  Rates are competitive, some say even better.  Just be sure to let your lender know that you anticipate using your ATM card overseas so that you do not run into any issues.  In my experience, my card functions in some machines but not in others solar panels company.


NOTE: Some ATM machines may inquire if you'd like to move with or without conversion.  Always proceed WITHOUT conversion.  That way your regional bank can do the conversion for you.  If you select WITH conversion, then that authorizes the foreign exchange operating the ATM to perform the conversion, often at horrendous exchange rates.  According to this article on Moderate, the difference in exchange rates can be as large as 10 percent.


Unless you're going to a wellness retreat or wish to be in full isolation, then the most convenient place to stay would be in central Ubud.  It is a relatively small town so that it shouldn't matter as much where you live.  We've stayed in 2 hotels in different areas up to now and have not had any troubles getting around on foot.


Peacock Inn, Ubud, Bali, Indonesia


This really is where we stayed on our latest trip to Ubud.  Peacock Inn is a lovely 3-star resort towards the north side of town, near Ubud Market, Ubud Palace, and Saraswati Temple.


The hotel looks like a two-story colonial-style mansion having big rooms/bathrooms and also an outside swimming pool.  Our room rate included breakfast for 2 which was sent to our room daily.  You can book a space at Peacock Inn on Booking.com or Agoda.

Approximate Room Rate: USD 46 per night (as of July 2019)


NEAR MONKEY FOREST: Ubud Bungalows


This was where we stayed on our first visit to Ubud jasa arsitek bali.  From their leading reviews and 9.2 score on Booking.com, it seems like they've maintained the quality of the place that's great to see since this is in fact a beautiful hotel.


Ubud Bungalows is nearer to the Sacred Monkey Forest and features roomy standalone bungalows with patio seats in a lush heavily implanted environment.  They have a pool and room prices include breakfast too.  You can reserve a room here on Booking.com or Agoda.

Approximate Room Rate: USD 29 per night (as of July 2019)


Other Hotels

To be truthful, there is so much competition in Ubud (and in Bali in general) that it shouldn't be hard to discover a beautiful hotel room in a nice cost.  If you'd like 5-star accommodations, then there are plenty of those as well.  If neither of the above two hotels would be exactly what you're searching for, then you can check out alternate listings on Booking.com or even Agoda.