Ubud

Why Ubud works

Ubud has long been Bali's centre of gravity for art, dance, and spiritual practice, its name derived from the Balinese word for medicine — a fitting root for a town built around healing traditions. The Tegallalang and Jatiluwih rice terraces, carved into hillsides using the centuries-old subak irrigation system, offer some of Southeast Asia's most photographed agricultural landscapes, especially at golden hour. The Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary combines a working temple complex with resident long-tailed macaques among moss-covered stone and banyan roots. Ubud Palace (Puri Saren Agung) hosts nightly traditional Legong dance performances accompanied by gamelan orchestras, while the Ubud Art Market next door sells Balinese woodcarving, textiles, and paintings. Campuhan Ridge Walk offers an easy morning hike through savannah-like hills just outside the town centre, and the nearby Tirta Empul temple's holy spring pools remain an active site for Balinese purification rituals that visitors can respectfully join. The town's cafe culture — much of it built around raw food, yoga studios, and wellness retreats popularised since the 2000s — has made Ubud as much a destination for slow mornings and meditation as for temple-hopping.

Trip Snapshot

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