Disclaimer: This post was done in collaboration with Asia Collective. All opinions expressed are my own. All information, offerings, and prices are accurate as of time of posting. Please refer to individual sites for most up to date information.

*All images are copyrighted Allons.Y Styling & Photography. Please do not use or re-post without written consent and provide credit where applicable

How to Spend 24 Hours in Ubud

I have dreamed of going to Bali for as long as I can remember. So why would I only spend 24 hours in Ubud? Especially if you consider that it basically takes 24 hours for me to get to Bali from Canada? Well, it wasn’t exactly my intention, but after a missed connection and some delays that occasionally happen during travel my stay in Ubud was essentially shortened to the same amount of time that it took me to get there.

As I arrived at Ngurai Rah at 1 am it would take another one hour drive to get to Ubud from the airport. I was tired, jet-lagged, and a little stressed that my time in Ubud had been cut down to such a short time frame. But I told myself to put things in perspective. If my biggest concern was that I only had 24 hours to spend in Ubud then I have no complaints at all because it means I truly live a #blessed life which I am grateful for. And so, vowed to make it the best 24 hours I could and I think I accomplished it.

Gimme that Money

Bali is primarily a cash based locale and their local currency is the Indonesian Rupiah. Your hotel and maybe some larger shops may accept credit cards but for the most part cash is where it’s at here. It’s best to exchange your local currency in Bali where you will get a much better rate than you will back home. Be sure to bring crisp $100 bills with you as sometimes the currency exchange shops will not accept bills of lower denomination or that are torn, worn, or generally sad looking. When you first arrive in Bali exchange just enough currency to maybe get you through one day as the airport will provide you with the lowest rate (but still higher than anything you would get back home). Once you’re in Bali you can exchange your money for a higher rate. Just be sure to go to a reputable money changer (your hotel might even provide this as a service for you).

Staying Connected – SIM cards in Bali

Since I had arrived at 1am I was concerned that I wouldn’t be able to pick up a local SIM card for my phone. Not to worry though because as soon as you exit customs\security there will be 2 booths from some of the largest providers in Bali – Telkomsel and XL (I went with Telkomsel, which has slightly better coverage), where you can get a prepaid SIM card. Yup, even at 1am there were people working the booths and eager to get you sold and connected. I paid about 250,000 IDR (approx $25 CAD) for 10GB of data. Yes, you can get them for much cheaper if you leave the airport, but since I had just finished being on planes and in airports for 24 hours and it was one in the morning I wasn’t in the mood to go find a place outside the airport (I wasn’t even sure that there would be places open). If however, you arrive at decent hour I would definitely encourage you to get the SIM card outside the airport where it will cost you half the cost (maybe even less) than what you pay at the airport. By Canadian standards $25 is still cheap though and I was happy to just not have to worry about it.

 

Transportation in Bali

Transportation in Bali might be a bit tricky to understand as there are many options and many local rules you might not be aware of. Before heading to Bali I checked out traveloffpath.com for information on transportation and found it incredibly informative and useful. Definitely give it a read. I will say a couple things about transportation based on my experience:

• I’m the type of person that likes to walk, especially when travelling, but I found walking to my destinations in Bali was something that I basically avoided at all costs (unless the place was literally just a few steps away). For one I found the streets a little dangerous in terms of traffic as a pedestrian. Most of the time there wasn’t clearly defined sidewalks and the cars & bikes in Bali weave dangerously close to the sides of the roads. And if you need to cross the street to get to the other side…well good luck. Hope you enjoy a good game of chicken. I just didn’t feel safe in that regard. Plus taxis/grab in Bali are substantially cheaper than even taking public transport here in Toronto so I wasn’t about to risk my life to save a few bucks.
• The taxi mafia is a real thing and most Grab drivers will flat out refuse to pick you up if you are in a location where there are many local taxi drivers present because they are at risk of having their cars damaged or their lives threatened. This is more of an issue in Ubud, but not so much in Seminyak. In Seminyak you can take Grab very easily and save a ton of money by doing so.
• Try to carry a good variety of different denominations of cash (large and small bills) with you as most cab or Grab drivers may not have change. On that note both cab and Grab drivers only accept cash.
• If you take a local taxi the driver might not know where they are going so be sure to have your GPS ready because they will expect you to direct them. Yes, I’m serious. Unlike the local taxis, Grab drivers always have phones of course so you will not need to direct them.
• In Ubud you can hire a personal driver to take you around if you plan in advance. I didn’t do this but I know several friends who have done this and had good experiences. Regardless I still found it reasonably easy and inexpensive to get around just by using Grab or local taxis.
• When taking a local taxi make sure you barter with them. The first price they quote will always be an exorbitant amount. Trust me, they will go down substantially lower than the initial offer.

Where to Stay – The Purist Villas

 

What a feast for the eyes! It was my very first time staying in a villa and I was blown away by The Purist Villas. A beautiful one bedroom and bathroom with beautiful finishes opened up onto a private pool with the most beautiful sitting area. I couldn’t believe the entire place was just for me! I didn’t even have to share that gorgeous pool. I wish I had had more time in Ubud to enjoy this luxurious space.

I did however very much enjoy the food here. With such a jam packed schedule I didn’t have as much time to explore restaurant and shops like I normally would so I ate quite a bit at the resort, but I wan’t mad about that because the food here was phenomenal. They offer a good mix of both local Indonesian cuisine as well as North American options. Not only that but the restaurant has a beautiful seating area complete with a pool. The perfect place to enjoy your breakfast and even a nice dinner.

 

What to Do

Tegallalang Rice Terrace

Well this one is obvious as it is basically the most well known and popular sites to visit in Ubud. But there is a reason why it is so well known because it is a BEAUTY. Words can not describe how incredible it is to see this in person. I basically took a 3 hour nap after arriving in Bali so that I could come here for sunrise at 5:40am. Unfortunately that morning there wasn’t much of a sunrise as it was actually a little rainy (just my luck right?) but it was still ridiculously gorgeous even in the drizzly weather. The nice thing though was that there wasn’t a lot of people here at this hour (just a few crazies, myself included) so I got some lovely shots with hardly anyone in them.

Bittersweet Ubud

 

While I didn’t have a chance to explore as many restaurants and local eats as I normally like to when I travel I did make a stop off at Bittersweet, which is half café and half clothing shop. The tuna poke bowl and the sate where absolutely delicious and they also offer up a wide list of espresso based beverages including a red meringue topped cappuccino.

Ubud Market

Ubud Market is located centrally within Ubud and is a nice place to take a stroll to look at locally made souvenirs and crafts. It is also the most convenient and easily accessible market within Ubud in the event that you are short on time like I was. Still, it is  a great place to check out all the local goods and especially if you’re in the market for a rattan bag (which I was). They are significantly cheaper here than the ones sold back home in North America. Be sure to bargain and you can get one at a steal.

 

Bali Swing

The Bali Swing is the place to go if you want to get that dream Instagram worthy shot where you look like you are carefree and swinging freely in the midst of the Bali wilderness. In reality they will strap you down and basically bolt you to the swing. Below the swing there is also a large safety net, so you would actually have to try pretty hard in order to fall down. Even if you are not interested in getting the famous Bali Swing shot it is still worth it to go because you do get the most incredible view of all the natural beauty of Ubud.

Campuhan Ridge Walk

Campuhan Ridge Walk is a beautiful hiking trail.  Make sure you go early in the morning, before 9am, as later on it will get incredibly hot. I went just after 9 and it was already unbearably steamy. Still it is worth if for the beautiful views and is pretty good exercise as a bonus. Make sure to wear comfortable shoes as it would easily take you at least 2 hours to walk the entire trail. You might also want to pack water and snacks because there are no stops or places to get any until you reach the very end. Oh, and then of course there is the walk back.

Relaxation at a Spa

Bali is famous for their massages and let me tell you the hype is true. The spas here are the ultimate in relaxation and all in the most breathtaking backdrop. I checked out Udaya Resort & Spa for a massage and flower bath and it was 1.5 hours of pure bliss. Easily one of the best spa experiences I’ve ever had, and I am total and complete spa junkie so I’ve done a lot of spa hours.