Labelled as the art and cultural centre of Bali, when we arrived we were surprised to find a busy, hectic town packed with as many tourists as there were. The place although different to what we expected, offered lots of good food, places to visit and things to spend your money on and makes a nice change from the coastal areas of Bali.
We spent 3 nights just outside Ubud, then a further three nights in the heart of the town. Unless you’re planning on spending some time at a yoga retreat or finding yourself a detox centre, 3 days here should be plenty to explore the town and the countryside.
Where we stayed
Padma Ubud
We had a slightly unconventional start to our trip in Ubud for a backpacker, with three nights at Padma Ubud, a 5 star luxury resort 45mins north of Ubud, set against a jungle backdrop. The pool alone was worth 5 stars. It was truly magical. We were blessed to have been gifted this stay, it definitely wasn’t in within our usual budget, but we made sure we made the most of luxury retreat.
The infinity pool at the resort, is truly the most magnificent pool we have ever seen. Not only is it set against the gorgeous jungle vista, it hosts the nicest pool bar we’ve come across, made even better at Happy Hour. As the pool is slightly heated (you’ll probably question why at first), you’ll be sure to spend hours in here, or reclining on one of the nearby lounges. I made an effort to refrain from the constant stream of cocktails, so became quite familiar with the best cocktail on offer, Padma Garden. Everything else on our trip has been compared to these.
The resort hosts plenty of activities, yoga, cycling, free shuttle into Ubud, fitness centre and a running track. I would love to be able to tell you about how great the yoga was, unfortunately we were in the pool and missed the yoga. We had the most relaxing stay here and made the most of the ‘time out’, splashing out on a massage at their gorgeous spa. Only slightly embarrassing when you fall asleep mid-massage.
If you are looking to splash out on your trip. I reckon this is a pretty good place to do it.
http://www.padmaresortubud.com/
Pondok Prapen
We then ventured into the heart of Ubud and back to reality. We stayed at a perfectly nice Guesthouse, Pondok Prapen, which we found on booking.com.
It was a mission for our driver to find as the last part of the road to our accommodation was only walkable, but we made it and only around a 10min walk to the heart of Ubud. We really liked this place. The facilities were basic, but the room was lovely and it was clean and it came with breakfast. Tick. Tick. Tick.
http://www.booking.com/hotel/id/pondok-prapen.html
Where to eat in Ubud
The place is littered with choices for food, everything you could imagine. Our pick was on the main street, a place called ‘White Orchid’. You’d probably describe their menu as ‘Asian Fusion’, and man on man was their duck tasty. We ordered a couple of dishes that we shared and left feeling very happy with ourselves.
We kept ourselves busy during our stay in town. You can check out what we did here