When my company sent me to Australia for work, all the locals talked about vacationing to Bali. Shortly after that Julia Roberts’ Eat Pray Love movie came out about her time in Ubud. I had never heard of Bali before then. Little did I know I would be visiting soon when a friend planned her wedding there. What a perfect way to squeeze a vacation in! Here’s how we spent 4 days in Ubud, Bali.
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About Bali
Bali is an Indonesian island and is the only province in Indonesia where the majority of the population practices Hinduism. The tourism industry makes up approximately 80% of the Balinese economy. The island contains several peaks over 6,600 feet and a few active volcanoes. It also produces large crops of rice and coffee. The terrain of Bali ranges from lush jungles to sandy beaches, and the island is surrounded by coral reefs.
How to Get to Ubud
Depending on where you are traveling from, your flight to Ngurah Rai International Airport (DPS) could be a long one. Our travel time was about 24 hours total with layovers in Los Angeles and Singapore. We caught a taxi for the hour-long thrill ride to our resort. If you have never been in a car with a Balinese driver, you are in for a real treat! Drivers ignore lanes, speed limits, or any sort of driving order that you may be accustomed to.
Where to Stay for 4 Days in Ubud
There are so many great and inexpensive options for lodging in Ubud. I do not think you could go wrong with anywhere you decide to stay. We opted for the Lagoon Pool Access Villa at the FuramaXclusive Resort. Our room came with a private swimming pool as well as access to the lagoon pool that featured a swim-up bar. The resort also offered complimentary breakfast buffet with wonderful local foods and a short massage. The resort employees were all so helpful and pleasant. I am not sure I have ever met friendlier people in my life.
Day 1 – Welcome to Bali
We arrived at the Bali airport around noon on our first of 4 days in Ubud. By the time we collected our luggage, went through customs, and caught a taxi for the hour drive to Ubud, we were exhausted. We wandered the resort property and ate dinner trying to stay up as late as possible to avoid jet lag. We made it until 7:30pm before we crashed.
Day 2 – A Day of Bali Culture
Our first full day in Bali, we opted to hire a private car and driver for the day. We started in the Batubulan Village where our driver took us to a traditional Balinese home where we witnessed first-hand how the local people live. Be prepared to be culture-shocked!
The next stop was to watch Balinese workers hand-carve wooden doors and other furniture. Bali is known for their intricate woodwork. Here I purchased a couple hand-carved trinkets as souvenirs.
The next activity during our 4 days in Ubud was the Barong and Keris Cultural Dance Show. I do not know if I was just tired from jet lag or if this show was just not good, but I did not enjoy it. However, the costumes were very colorful, which I did like.
Our next stop was to a coffee plantation where we tasted a flight of coffees including kopi luwak which is the most expensive coffee in the world. Civets, cat-like animals, ingest and digest coffee beans before passing them. The coffee bean is then plucked from the civets’ feces and grinded into coffee. Yummmm.
Next, we visited Goa Gajah Temple, also known as the Elephant Cave. We walked along the ruins and bathing pools built in the 9th century. The sacred temple was built for prayer and meditation.
We then drove to the Tegalalang Rice Terrace to admire the green rice paddies carved into the hillside.
Our driver dropped us off in Ubud where we walked to the Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary. This dense green forest is located in the heart of Ubud and is home to Balinese long-tailed monkeys. We walked the paths of the sanctuary among the plethora of monkeys scurrying about. These monkeys are not shy and are quite aggressive if you have food.
We walked around the streets of Ubud for the rest of the afternoon, and we ate dinner before catching a taxi back to our resort.
Day 3 – A Day with Elephants
On our third day in Ubud, Bali, we spent the day with elephants. We purchased a ticket to the Bali Elephant Safari Park that included transfers from our hotel and a buffet lunch.
The day started with a short educational presentation about the property as well as a talent show put on by the elephants.
After the show, we took a ride around the park on an elephant. Of course, our elephant was the tallest of the herd! The elephant ride ended in a bathing pool.
We spent the rest of the morning leisurely walking the property watching the elephants in their habitat and took pictures with them before we ate the buffet lunch. The park shuttle then drove us back to our hotel where we spent the rest of the afternoon sunbathing in the resort lagoon. After we had our fill of the pool, we received our complimentary massages from the resort.
Day 4 – A Day at the Beach
We actually transferred to our Kuta hotel on the fourth day in Ubud, Bali for the wedding we were attending. We spent the day at the beautiful beach in Kuta. However, you can continue your Bali trip without changing hotels. Day 4 is a beach day, so I advise you catch the hour-long taxi ride to a beach of your choice. Bali has several to choose from within an hour of Ubud such as Kuta, Seminyak, and Nusa Dua.
Other Bali Activities I Wish I Had Time For
Bali is a beautiful island with so much to do and see, and I wish I had more than 4 days in Ubud. Listed here are other things I would have liked to see on my Bali adventure. I guess I will have to make another trip someday.
- Meditate at Ulun Danu, Tanah Lot, and Uluwatu Temples
- Trek to the top of Mount Batur volcano
- Hike to Bali waterfalls
- Have a drink at Rock Bar Bali
For other international destinations, visit the Krystal Clear Trekking International Adventures page.
