The Ultimate Ubud Itinerary for You: Part 2
Welcome back to our two-part series on what to do in Ubud, and which Ubud villa to stay in. This time, we’re talking to you, fun loving families and wellness lovers! We’re going to take you through the very best Ubud villas, plus a full two-day itinerary to get the most out of your time in beautiful Ubud.
Fun for all the family
Whatever age your kids are, there’s something to keep them happy in Ubud. Outdoor adventures, exploring, pool clubs, playgrounds, fun workshops and let’s not forget – monkeys!
Stay: Omah Padi 5bed is the best Ubud villa for families whatever ages your kids are
When you’re travelling as a family, you need plenty of space for everyone to be able do the things they love, and plenty of space for everyone to be together. Our Omah Padi 5 bed villa is favourite Ubud villa that gives you just that. Your older kids can get a sense of independence in their own standalone poolside suites (each is in its own building), while you know that they’re safe within the villa grounds. Your younger kids can stay in the two rooms located below the master bedroom, closer to you. And if they’re younger still, just ask and we can put a cot in your master bedroom.
What we most love about our Omah Padi Ubud villa is its vast grounds. With 1.600m2 in total, there is plenty of space here for running off some energy, exploring, or just finding a quiet corner. There’s a 15m pool with a kid friendly shallow end, and this is adjacent to the living room area, which is open and airy but under the shelter of a traditional canopy roof. You can sit back with a cocktail here while still keeping a weather eye on the kids splashing about.
We’ve also got all the conveniences you need – 5 bedrooms, a fully equipped kitchen, lots of dining space. If you want, we can offer child friendly additions like a pool fence, a high chair, or even babysitting services. The master bedroom boasts a delightful private balcony for some alone time. On top of that, this Ubud villa is served by staff 24/7, so should you want someone to cook you dinner, or fetch you groceries – just ask!
Day 1: Monkeys, crafting and fun
Let’s start this holiday with a bang! Your villa isn’t too far from Ubud’s famous Monkey Forest, so that’s our first stop this morning. Let the villa staff make you a delicious breakfast at the villa, or if you prefer to eat out, you could stop along the way to the Monkey Forest at Sage, a small vegan café that serves up a great breakfast. We love their smoothie bowls and banana pancakes.
The Sacred Monkey Forest is the most iconic of the monkey temples and forests in Bali, and is a must see that is fun for people of all ages. There are more than 1,200 long tailed macaques living here, in a verdant forest with the remains of a 14th century temple, waterfalls, Banyan trees and vines galore. A wander through the forest guarantees the attention of the monkeys who are everywhere, swinging through trees, lazing in the sun, or approaching you in the hope of food. Be aware that the monkeys are quite confident, especially if they think you have food, and you may easily find yourself with one perched on your shoulder.
Time for lunch! Milk & Madu, one of our favourite cafes for families, is only a short distance from here. Not only does it do great food, it welcomes children: there’s kids’ meals that come with juice, fries and fruit, there’s toys and colouring paper, and it even has a mini playground.
Palaces, temples and crafts
You’re right in Central Ubud now, so this is a perfect chance to look around some of the main tourist sites. It’s perfectly doable to get a sense of the culture and history of Ubud from here without a lot of walking and without overwhelming younger kids. Ubud Palace is just across the road – it’s free to enter so you can stop for a quick look and leave before anyone gets bored. Your kids may enjoy spotting the different expressive gargoyles and picking their favourite. They might also enjoy the Legong traditional dance that’s performed here in the evenings – book your tickets in the afternoon if you want to reserve seats.
Also, very close to here is Saraswati Temple with its Lotus Pond, which is ideal for wandering around – your children are likely to enjoy the brightly coloured lotus flowers and the intricate carvings. After this, head to Ubud Art Market – there are lots of colourful, tactile souvenirs here to spend their money on and learning the art of haggling can be fun.
If Ubud Art Market gets a bit over stimulating, we’d recommend dropping in at Pondok Pekak, the main library of Ubud, where there is a whole range of classes and workshops on offer. Courses start at 1pm most days and typically last around an hour, and many are geared towards children. We recommend the classes on traditional arts, crafts, music and/or dance.
Time for dinner and a show
For dinner, we’re going to go back to the area close to the Monkey Forest. If everyone is tired, now might be a good time to head back to the villa for a nap or some quiet time before the evening plans start. The adults can sip on a cocktail by the pool while the kids nap, splash around in the pool, run around the gardens, or make full use of the WIFI.
Our venue for dinner tonight is Laka Leke. This open air, kid friendly restaurant is relaxed and easy going, tucked away from the more hectic areas of Central Ubud. With views of gardens, lily ponds and rice fields, it’s a pleasant way to wind down a busy day. The menu is packed with traditional Balinese favourites, with some simple dishes too for those who prefer more familiar flavours. On top of that, the café puts on its own performances of traditional dances including Kecak. These are short performances full of bright colours, and will keep the attention of even the most tired or over excited child. And it’s just a 15-minute ride home to your beautiful Ubud villa, where you can sit out in your expansive gardens and gaze up at the clear night sky.
Day 2: Waterfalls, reptiles and poolside fun
Today we’re going to try to get an early start, and explore a little way outside of Central Ubud. We can start with a leisurely breakfast at the villa, and then we’ll drive out of town, towards Tegunungan Waterfall. It’s only a 20 minute drive but if possible we recommend getting there early, before the crowds arrive. This is a beautiful, thunderous waterfall. There are lots of steps down and they can be slippery, so plan footwear accordingly! Kids love exploring up and down the steps, and the delicious homemade ice creams on sale at the entrance help too.
When you’ve finished here, drop in at the Luwak Coffee tasting place just a short walk away from the waterfall. Luwak coffee is something special – it’s made from the faeces of a Luwak, or civet. A visit here will teach you all about the process and allow you and your kids to participate in roasting the beans, before a tasting experience of all the different varieties.
Our next stop is Bali Bird and Reptile Park, where you’ll find lush tropical gardens full of exotic bird and reptiles. Your kids will be fascinated by the Komodo Dragon. With regular feeding times for birds ensuring they’ll be in view, it’s easy to have an engaging few hours here.
If your children are a little older, you could swap out this morning’s itinerary and instead take a half day trip water rafting and/or ATV driving by the Ayung river. Contact Bali Comfy Trips for details and we can arrange it for you.
Poolside fun, and caves to explore
However you spent your morning, you’ll be in need of cooling down now! Ubud has a selection of day pools where you can cool off. Our pick of the bunch for kids is Titi Batu, just a 15-minute drive north of the bird park. There’s a fabulous family pool here, featuring a jumping bridge, plus all manner of activities to keep your kids busy – there’s a skate park for the older kids, a playground for 4–10-year-olds and a kids’ room for creative play and artwork. Grab lunch here too – there’s a nice restaurant with both Western and local dishes.
If you have any energy left at all, we have one more suggestion in this area, and that is Goa Gajah Elephant Cave.  Kids will enjoy the impressive – and frankly quite scary – carvings on the cave entrance as well as exploring the central cave. Pick up a fresh cold coconut each while you’re there!
To round off your day, we suggest trying Maha restaurant this evening. This is also situated close to the Monkey Forest, so it’s an easy drive there and back to your villa. Ask for a table in the garden. Not only is it a beautiful, relaxed environment to eat in, it also boasts bunnies and cats roaming freely around the garden – surely a hit with at least one of your family! The food is excellent and there’s a good range of Balinese and Western foods to suit everyone’s palate.  The crispy duck is a great choice for those who want to try the local dishes, while the burgers are also top notch for those wanting a taste of the familiar.
Wellness and relaxation
Ubud is the perfect place to relax and reconnect with nature. The yoga and meditation centre of Bali, there’s an abundance of choice for classes, retreats or even getting certification. Take your pick of spas and healthy eating cafes. Take part in a purification ritual, or visit a healer. Immerse yourself in the tranquillity of the natural environment – stroll through rice fields, hike up a waterfall, bike around villages, climb an active volcano – the choice is yours. We’re here to suggest your perfect 2 day itinerary, and to suggest which of our Ubud villas is the best fit for you.
Stay: Omah Padi 3bed is our top choice Ubud villa for balance and relaxation
If serenity is your goal, we have the perfect Ubud villa for you. Omah Padi 3 bed villa is on the edge of Ubud, in a quiet area surrounded by rice fields and small temples – but only a short bike ride from the centre of town. Sit back in its vast grounds of 1.600m2 and take in the sound of murmuring water in the koi pond, birdsong in the trees, and the floral scents of the Balinese evening. This Ubud villa is a gloriously peaceful retreat from the buzz of Ubud. It’s the ideal spot for yoga sessions or for just embracing nature.
You can spend hours here just reconnecting with yourself. Lie by the 15m pool, book a massage (we can help with this), ask the 24/7 staff to prepare you a healthy meal using fresh local ingredients. The living space offers shade as an open space with a canopy roof, adjacent to the pool. There’s also a fully equipped kitchen and dining area. The bedrooms are wonderfully comfortable, with AC and smart TVs and in some cases, bathrooms that are open to the Balinese skies. And the master bedroom features a private balcony with a vista over the rice fields surrounding you. You might never want to leave.
Day 1: Exploring nature and spirituality
We’re going to kick off this two-day itinerary with an adventure. Stepping outside the usual tourist circuit, we’re going on a four-hour hike that will connect you with the world around you – the natural, the cultural, and the spiritual. You’ll need to make an early start, as our destination is around 1 hour 45-minute drive away from your villa.
You may have heard of Lempuyang Temple and the Gates of Heaven with their backdrop of Mount Agung. The queues here to get this famed Instagram shot tend to be very long, and while the experience here is visually arresting, it’s very popular with tourists and doesn’t feel as authentic as we think you might want.
We suggest this: skip the Gates of Heaven and instead hike up to the seven temples peeking out of the mists that hug this mountainous site. It takes about four hours to loop between them all. It’s not for the faint-hearted – there are about 1,700 steps to the top temples – but you’re rewarded with stunning views and a deeper understanding around the importance of water in Balinese rituals. You’ll leave the other tourists behind at the base, and probably only encounter locals carrying their offerings up to the temples. If the walk has kickstarted your appetite, you’ll find the occasional small stall along the way offering simple local dishes.
After your hike, a well deserved massage
While you’re in the area, twenty minutes’ drive from here is an opportunity to further explore local spiritual beliefs around water. Tirta Gangga, or the Royal Water Gardens of Bali, was built as a royal residence and features pools of koi carp, gargoyles, and holy pools crossed with ornate bridges.
As an alternative, consider hiking Mount Batur.  You’ll need to start in the early hours, in order to reach the summit by noon. This is quite a strenuous climb, but it’s not technical and it’s extremely rewarding, with stunning views from the summit.
Back in Ubud, we think you deserve a treat. Ubud has a wide variety of wonderful spas utilising local treatments and ingredients, but today we recommend Fivelements Retreat, by the Ayung River. We’ve brought you here today for spa treatments after your morning hike, but this is also a great place for yoga, meditation and traditional Balinese healing. Secret Balinese recipes, fresh local ingredients and village remedies passed down from generation to generation are the order of the day here. We love the Balinese Boreh massage, scrub and flower bath, but you do you.
Hungry? Ubud is crammed with wonderful restaurants and cafes serving healthy, organic and vegan options. If you feel like going back into Central Ubud, we recommend The Elephant for its fabulous vista across the Tjampuhan Ridge as well as its great food. This all-vegetarian restaurant specialises in slow food with environmentally aware and socially conscious work practices. And if you feel you’ve earned it, their cocktail list is excellent.
Day 2: Reconnecting with the self
Today, take a light breakfast at your Ubud villa, prepared for you by our staff. Your villa grounds are a perfect place for your sunrise salutations for most days but instead, we’re going to travel into Ubud to one of the most famous yoga shalas in the area, The Yoga Barn.
The Yoga Barn is a not only a full-service yoga studio, it is also a holistic retreat centre and offers a wide range of activities including full day or multi day self-care adventures, spiritual healing, detox, and yoga teacher training. We recommend the 1-day Blissful Package, covering yoga, meditation, massage and a meal. If you’re here purely for a yoga class, it offers a diverse selection of yoga schools including Hatha, Vinyasa and Kundalini as well as guided meditations and much more. Whatever it is you’re seeking to find, you are likely to find it here. Even if that something is just a really good café. The onsite café here offers raw vegan and vegetarian foods that align with its yoga lifestyle.
Life advice, and lunch!
Now you’re feeling more balanced, maybe you want to delve deeper and seek out some spiritual guidance. Make an appointment with a traditional Balinese healer. Healers can help you with anything from specific physical pains to spiritual clarity and life guidance. Agus Sihman is a well-known healer, known for his extraordinarily long finger nails, who will read your body and your palm to give you guidance and advise on life changes. His sessions take place at his home in his beautiful gardens about twenty minutes’ drive from The Yoga Barn, and can be booked in advance.
Back into Ubud and time for a relaxing lunch at the beautiful Sari Organik. It’s located in the middle of a rice field, and offers healthy authentic food from ingredients grown on their property.  This café offers a relaxing respite from the bustle of central Ubud: rest here a while before venturing into the main areas of the town and exploring key sites like Ubud Palace, Saraswati Temple and Ubud Art Market. Wander around and soak in the culture and the atmosphere.
Sunset strolls, organic food and chill
After you’ve spent a few hours exploring the main attractions of Ubud, it’s time for a restful walk as the sun begins to set and the heat of the day ebbs. Campuhan Ridge Walk is a serene trail located at the edge of the town centre. It takes around 30 minutes and offers stunning views of the rice fields and forests, and takes you past the beautiful temple of Pura Gunung Lebah at the southern end of the trail. We suggest you start at the north and work your way down slowly, taking in the views and reassessing your experiences over the past two days, and how they have impacted you.
Yellow Flower Café is close to the end of this walk, and this is where we will end today’s adventure. A quiet café with gorgeous views and healthy, organic food options, it is locally owned and has some great authentic dishes. Not only that but it also has its own jewellery store, selling charming boho pieces.
It’s been a big day, and you’re tired. Time to head back to your beautiful, serene villa, pour yourself a glass of whatever you fancy, sit by the pool, and listen to the sounds of nature around you. Sleep well – we’re sure you will.
To find out:
The ultimate Ubud itinerary for you part 1 click here.
Top things to see and do in Ubud Bali click here.
The best villas to stay at in Bali click here.
More informaton on where to stay in Bali click here.
What to do in Bali click here.
The 10 must do day trips in Bali click here.
