Ubud

Where to shoot

• Puri Saren Ubud (the royal palace) — nightly Barong and other Balinese dance performances with live gamelan, in a working palace courtyard rather than a theater built for tourists.
• Tegallalang Rice Terraces — UNESCO-recognized subak-irrigated terraces stepping down a steep valley just north of town; go at opening time to beat both the heat and the crowds.
• Campuhan Ridge Walk — a flat, easy ridge path above two river valleys, walkable directly from the town center, no entrance fee.
• Sacred Monkey Forest — a nature reserve and temple complex home to several hundred macaques, at the southern edge of town.
• Goa Gajah (Elephant Cave) and Tirta Empul — a demon-face cave-mouth meditation site and a working spring-fed purification temple, both a short drive from the center.
• Tegallalang Rice Terraces — sculpted UNESCO-recognized paddies stepping down a valley, greenest after the rains
• Tirta Empul — a Hindu water temple where worshippers bathe in sacred spring-fed pools
• Sacred Monkey Forest — a forested temple complex in town inhabited by long-tailed macaques
• Campuhan Ridge Walk — an easy green ridge path above river valleys, coolest at sunrise
• Central Ubud before breakfast
• A traditional dance performance
• One museum or artist compound
• A rice-field or river walk at the edge of town

When to go

April to October (dry season) for the most reliable weather and easiest walking on the ridge and rice-terrace paths; the wet season (November to March) brings the terraces to their greenest but adds afternoon downpours most days. Early morning, regardless of season, is the only reliable way to see Tegallalang or the palace courtyard without a crowd.

What to eat

Babi guling (spit-roasted suckling pig, seasoned with a dense paste of Balinese spices) is the dish Ubud is known for island-wide, sold at warungs that often close as soon as that day's pig runs out. Nasi campur — a plate of rice with a little of everything available that day — is the everyday equivalent, served differently at nearly every warung in town.

Where to stay

The town center, within walking distance of the palace and the main market, keeps the Campuhan Ridge Walk and most temples reachable on foot or by a short scooter ride; staying further out toward the rice terraces trades that walkability for a quieter, greener setting.