Bali Paradise Island, the Island of the Gods: A place of ceremony, community and healing. I have been coming to Bali since 2008, to Ubud in particular, and am still equally amazed every time. The natural beauty, the authentic smiles and the powerful energy of the island never seem to stop impressing me.
Visa Information
When traveling to Bali it’s quite easy to obtain a visa. Most countries can opt for a 30-day tourist visa upon arrival free of cost, others can apply for it in advance. Check out detailed visa information here: https://www.bali.com/visa-indonesia-entry-requirements-bali.html
Ubud Accommodation
The small town of Ubud is about an hours drive from the airport Denpasar (there is only ONE airport in Bali, and taxi’s are very easy to find. My trusted driver Agung is always available, he can be contacted on WhatsApp on +62 819 9950 3607)
There is a huge variety of accommodations available, from 15 USD per night guesthouses to 5-star hotels with lavish prices. It depends on how you’d like to spend your holiday and I recommend looking on Booking.com or Airbnb to secure your accommodation. Some of my recommendations for staying in Ubud:
Santosha Villas, close to Ubud center (Maybe a 10 minute drive), nice cottages for about 50 USD a night, very comfortable and beautifully located in the rice fields
Om Ham Retreat, a Yoga center and retreat center with multiple rooms, amazing swimming pool and beautiful garden. The food is awesome and prices mid-range. They have Yoga classes and activities and the staff is super kind. Only down side is that it’s a bit far out of Ubud, so you will definitely need a motorbike to be able to move around.
Calma Ubud, quite close to Ubud and more private and upscale. With Spanish owners, it really feels like a Mediterranean paradise in the middle of the rice fields. Absolutely love the vibe and highly recommend it!
In an around Ubud there’s are soooooooo many places to visit, God I don’t even know where to start! But, I will do my best to give a variety of places for you to explore!
You can buy a day-pass entrance to this insanely beautiful property, which has a holy water spring pool and is located on the edge of the Ayung river. The infinity pool looking out over an impressive jungle is also not to be missed. A day pass costs around 25 USD, which includes water and towels. Really worth to spend a day here, you will come back feeling like a new person.
A bit of a tourist attraction, but who wouldn’t want to swing high above the jungle and take some cool pics? This is just for fun!
- Shopping in Ubud Town, around Jalan Hanoman
Best place for shopping jewelry, cute bohemian outfits, food and Balinese souvenirs. Ubud is seriously one of my favorite places to shop, so make sure to allocate a few afternoons for strolling the Ubud streets and picking your favorite items. One of my fave Bali outfits as seen below 😉
- Paradiso Vegan Cinema, just off Jalan Hanoman
The best and only VEGAN movie theater I know. Plays a wide variety of old and newer movies, and you can use your entrance fee purchase towards the best vegan meals ever! Should maybe go under food, but it’s kind-of an activity isn’t it? 😀
- Rice Paddy Walk to Sari Organic
When in Ubud, one must walk through the rice fields at least once. My recommendation is to do the really beautiful walk from Ubud center to the Sari Organic restaurant. Basically you can book a guide with you or go alone. You can enter from Ubud town on Jalan Kajeng close to Lotus cafe, and walk for about an hour. You might see some tourists here or there, but it doesn’t take away from the really beautiful experience. If you want someone to come with you, you can contact my friend Dewa who owns a travel agent on the main road of Ubud. He can send a trusted guide with you. WhatsApp: +62 813 39440058 or check out www.ubudhigh.com
- Water Blessings
I think it’s really amazing to go for a water blessing at one of the water temples (Tirta Empul being the most famous one) or go see the high priestess Maharishi Ida. There’s really no other place in the world where you can have such an experience. If you want to go to the main temple Tirta Empul, make sure to go early morning when it’s quiet. I recommend going with a local guide to make sure you get the most out of it and follow the rules of the temple.
Maharishi Ida is a high priestess who gives personal blessings. I have been to her several times and it’s some powerful stuff. Check out http://www.idaresialit.com to find out more on where to visit here and her events.
- Dance your heart out!
There are always so many cool events in Ubud but one of my favorite things to do is go to Ecstatic Dance with DJ Lo Qi, generally held at the Yoga Barn on Sunday morning. This is a different kind of dancing then the one we know from nightclubs. Everyone goes wild and there are no inhibitions, no alcohol and no shoes. Lo Qi also plays at some other places every now and then. Check out his Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/djloqipro/
You’ll have to register for the Ecstatic Dance at the Yoga Barn by coming early, because it always fills up. Check out the schedule and location here: http://www.theyogabarn.com
- Take a Yoga Class
I mean you might as well go for a Yoga class in the Yoga Walhalla of the world, right. Again my recommendation goes to the Yoga Barn, even though there are many other Yoga studios in Ubud. At the Yoga Barn I adore Bex and Tina’s classes, they are really the best teachers in Ubud. So if you’re a Yoga lover, check it out: http://www.theyogabarn.com
- Infinity Pools
A day of lazing by a pool must be done. My favorite infinity pools in Ubud, even though there’s many more but I just think these are the best ones.
- The Hanging Gardens
- The Royal Pita Maha
- Jungle Fish
Food
Being the health food freak that I am, I’ll gladly give you an overview of the best healthy (sometimes vegan and raw) spots in Ubud:
- Atman Kafe, on Jalan Hanoman
Yum yum yum, best raw chocolate avocado mousse, great egg dishes, amazing lunches and dinners, scrumptious smoothies and much more. One of my favorite places to chill!
- Alchemy, in Penestenan
I LOVE the salads, I seriously miss these flavors when I’m not in Bali. The dressings are so amazing and their other raw food dishes yummy too. Also great for morning raw food parfaits with coconut yoghurt and cashew milk. And you MUST try the peanut butter cup!!
- Zest, in Penestenan
A really cool new place in Ubud, like a huge lounge and work place with great atmosphere and plant based dishes. Even though the food menu is not so extensive as in other places, this hub is definitely not to be missed for it’s atmosphere.
- La Pacha Mama, in Penestenan
A vegetarian Mexican place, amazing choice for dinner and loads of fun. There’s always some sort of live music going on and the cocktails are insane.
- Earth Cafe, just off Jalan Hanoman
Really my favorite place to eat in Ubud, simply because of the food quality. All vegan and so yummy. My favorite dishes are the Exotic Tempeh and the Jerusalem Mix Wrap, but there’s a HUGE menu to choose from and I highly highly highly recommend this place.
- Soma, Jalan Gaotama
Omg the food here is just insane and you MUST try the Wana Wrap. Everything is just pure divine elixir food. And great atmosphere, lovely place. Definitely worth a visit.
I could recommend at least 7,891,234 more restaurants in Ubud, but try these out first and enjoy! I will probably do a designated article to Ubud food this summer anyway.
Healing
I go to Bali to rejuvenate and heal, always. I feel the place nourishes me like no other place does, and I know some very talented healers based in Ubud who can help greatly with physical and emotional issues.
- Cranial Sacral Therapy with Chris Roy, one of the most powerful sessions I ever received. Amazing for any issues related to your spine, but also great for de-stressing, calming the nervous system and overall health. I can’t recommend this guy enough! He also does astrology readings, which I haven’t experienced myself, but have heard great things about it.
- Ostheopathy with Rachel Ellery. She’s such a knowledgeable and skilled therapist. This lady also teaches on my Yoga Teacher Trainings
- Bodywork at Ida’s Body & Soul. Well what can I say about this amazingly painful deep tissue massage? One of the best I ever had. Not comfortable when you’re on the table but super healing. Highly recommended!
- Spiritual Healing with my dear friend Luciano. He helped me cure several issues in my life already, and always makes me so much more aware of my spiritual power and inner strength. This guy doesn’t have a website, so please contact me directly if you feel called to work with him, and I’ll get you in touch.
- Chinese Medicine & Acupuncture with Aku at Ubud Healing Centre. Really great acupuncture treatments at very affordable prices, I go back to him every year. Acupuncture is an amazing type of alternative medicine which actually works. Good for ALL types of conditions and imbalances. And I also do facial acupuncture with him to keep looking young and fresh 🙂
My recommended healings are all non-commercial treatments which might not be recognized by the main stream. I believe we all have the power within to be our own doctors, and these people will help you become stronger and healthier on a much deeper level than any doctor ever can. I always encourage natural healing methods over medication and operations. Feel free to write to me if you want more advise.
In Ubud you definitely NEED a motorbike, which can be rented all over town but ideally you shouldn’t be paying more than 40,000 Rupiah per day. Anything over that is tourist prices and mean you are getting cheated.
I hope you will enjoy your trip in Ubud to the max!
11 comments
Wow! You look superb in all the outfits. All the pictures are so beautiful, awesome place!
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Thanks babe. Happy you enjoyed it and hope you will see Bali for yourself sometime soon!! XX
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This has so much great info! Thanks so much for sharing.
Love that co-ed set on you!! All them outfits locations slay <3
I love Ubud! I need to go back soon. Beautiful photos!
So jealous of your amazing time! Thanks for all the recommendations!
Great post!
Regards.
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I like it!
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Such a great list of places to see and experience, I hope I’ll get to visit a few of them while I’m in Ubud! ❤️
Wow.. thanks for the article, it’s really helpful!