Ubud: Travel Tips
I spent 3 days in Ubud, so here are some tips based on my experience.
If you are in Bali, Ubud is definitely worth checking out. Spend at least 2-3 nights here and see if you like it and want to stay longer. Just spend a couple of days walking around the town, maybe book one or two organized tours, like this one http://www.baliecocycling.com/cycling-tour/
Sights and Daytime Activities
I’m not writing a guidebook here, but I can recommend one: Ubud Unanchor Travel Guide - Art and Culture in Ubud, Bali - 1 day Highlights by Ray Montgomery.
All main sights in Ubud are within walking distance. I went to one museum, two temples, walked the rice fields, went to Monkey Forest and bought a couple of souvenirs from the street market. All the sights are either free or cheap.
Lots of excellent dining options. Portions are rather small. Go to Lotus Café near the temple and get a table in the back with a temple view.
Cheap massages: 70K for an hour of traditional Balinese massage. You can’t go wrong with a massage for the price of a drink at a bar.
Accommodation
I used booking.com and stayed at a small hotel near Monkey Forest. There are tons of hotels and guesthouses. Make sure it’s walking distance from the center (I would use CP Lounge as a point of reference, more on this lounge later).
Nightlife
People keep saying don’t come to Ubud for the nightlife, but it’s surprisingly good. As I mentioned, this part of the trip was not about “swooping”, but I’m pretty sure it’s possible with a moderate amount of game.
Most nightlife options are concentrated around the football field, all within 5-10 minutes’ walk.
Havana Club. It’s a salsa club which is very good. Went there on my first night at 11 and it was too late. Last night got there at 9 and there was a nice crowd and a live band playing. The best ratio I’ve ever seen at a salsa club. Mostly western girls and a couple of odd Chinese tourists. I was almost the only guy who danced there except for the instructors. Girls had to dance with each other or just sit and drink at the bar – that’s how bad it was for them. If you’re any good at salsa, you’ll fucking own that club. I just know a couple of moves, but that was enough to dance. I would have danced much more than I did, but it was too hot for me, so I spent a lot of time just standing next to the air conditioner. Talked to a couple of girls about random stuff, but didn’t try to game them (maybe I should have, but I think Western girls are too much work, can’t be bothered in Indonesia). I saw some of the girls at CP lounge later that night, so if you dance with them at the salsa club, you can stop by and say hello later or run into them during the day.
CP Lounge
This is the place to hang out at night. Get there around 11-30 to midnight. The party’s on till late. There is a cover band playing in the main open air area, then there’s a lounge with a DJ. When the cover band stops at around 12-30 most people move to the lounge. A mixed crowd of tourists and expats. Mostly foreign, but some Indonesians too. Pretty good ratio, about 50/50. Good place overall given that it’s in Ubud, I just wish there were more people there.
Other venues: I walked by a bunch of bars, and a couple of them were packed on a Thursday night. There a place called Laughing Buddha which pretty is close to CP lounge. Across the football/soccer field, there is a shisha bar and a few more places. Just walk around - they’re all in the same area.
I spent 3 days in Ubud, so here are some tips based on my experience.
If you are in Bali, Ubud is definitely worth checking out. Spend at least 2-3 nights here and see if you like it and want to stay longer. Just spend a couple of days walking around the town, maybe book one or two organized tours, like this one http://www.baliecocycling.com/cycling-tour/
Sights and Daytime Activities
I’m not writing a guidebook here, but I can recommend one: Ubud Unanchor Travel Guide - Art and Culture in Ubud, Bali - 1 day Highlights by Ray Montgomery.
All main sights in Ubud are within walking distance. I went to one museum, two temples, walked the rice fields, went to Monkey Forest and bought a couple of souvenirs from the street market. All the sights are either free or cheap.
Lots of excellent dining options. Portions are rather small. Go to Lotus Café near the temple and get a table in the back with a temple view.
Cheap massages: 70K for an hour of traditional Balinese massage. You can’t go wrong with a massage for the price of a drink at a bar.
Accommodation
I used booking.com and stayed at a small hotel near Monkey Forest. There are tons of hotels and guesthouses. Make sure it’s walking distance from the center (I would use CP Lounge as a point of reference, more on this lounge later).
Nightlife
People keep saying don’t come to Ubud for the nightlife, but it’s surprisingly good. As I mentioned, this part of the trip was not about “swooping”, but I’m pretty sure it’s possible with a moderate amount of game.
Most nightlife options are concentrated around the football field, all within 5-10 minutes’ walk.
Havana Club. It’s a salsa club which is very good. Went there on my first night at 11 and it was too late. Last night got there at 9 and there was a nice crowd and a live band playing. The best ratio I’ve ever seen at a salsa club. Mostly western girls and a couple of odd Chinese tourists. I was almost the only guy who danced there except for the instructors. Girls had to dance with each other or just sit and drink at the bar – that’s how bad it was for them. If you’re any good at salsa, you’ll fucking own that club. I just know a couple of moves, but that was enough to dance. I would have danced much more than I did, but it was too hot for me, so I spent a lot of time just standing next to the air conditioner. Talked to a couple of girls about random stuff, but didn’t try to game them (maybe I should have, but I think Western girls are too much work, can’t be bothered in Indonesia). I saw some of the girls at CP lounge later that night, so if you dance with them at the salsa club, you can stop by and say hello later or run into them during the day.
CP Lounge
This is the place to hang out at night. Get there around 11-30 to midnight. The party’s on till late. There is a cover band playing in the main open air area, then there’s a lounge with a DJ. When the cover band stops at around 12-30 most people move to the lounge. A mixed crowd of tourists and expats. Mostly foreign, but some Indonesians too. Pretty good ratio, about 50/50. Good place overall given that it’s in Ubud, I just wish there were more people there.
Other venues: I walked by a bunch of bars, and a couple of them were packed on a Thursday night. There a place called Laughing Buddha which pretty is close to CP lounge. Across the football/soccer field, there is a shisha bar and a few more places. Just walk around - they’re all in the same area.