Ubud in 2 Days: Rice Terraces, a Jungle ATV Ride & Our Honest Take
The jungle private pool view at Jannata Resort, Ubud.
Rice terraces, a private pool over the jungle, and the one Ubud afternoon we'd do again in a heartbeat.
September 2023. Our Bali route ran Canggu, Sekumpul, Kawah Ijen, Ubud, Gili Air, Nusa Lembongan and Uluwatu. See our full Bali itinerary for the whole trip.
We'll be honest with you before you book: Ubud was the part of Bali we were most unsure about afterwards. It's the place every itinerary tells you is the soul of the island, and for a lot of people it is. For us, arriving straight off the high of getting engaged at Kawah Ijen, it felt loud, busy and more touristy than we'd hoped.
So here's the honest version: what's worth your time in Ubud on a short stay, what we'd skip, and the one afternoon that made the stop completely worth it. We were there two nights, and that turned out to be about right for what we wanted.
We'll take you through where we stayed, the ridge walk you can do straight from town, the Monkey Forest question everyone asks, and the private ATV ride through the jungle that ended up being the best part of our stop.
Getting to Ubud and getting around
Ubud sits inland, in the middle of Bali, so you reach it by car from wherever you are on the island. We came in from Tegallalang just to the north, and most people arrive from the airport or Canggu, roughly 1.5 to 2 hours depending on traffic (and Bali traffic is real, so pad your plans). We booked our longer transfers through the Grab app, usually a day ahead for anything with a fixed time.
Once you're in Ubud, rent a scooter. It cost us around 70,000 IDR a day (about €4), and it's how you reach the Monkey Forest, the rice terraces and anything outside the walkable centre on your own schedule. The centre itself clogs up fast with cars and tour vans, so two wheels save you real time.
With a scooter sorted, the first thing we did needed no wheels at all.
The Campuhan ridge sunset walk
Straight from our hotel we walked a ridge path toward Ubud in the late afternoon. It runs along a green spine above the valley, well away from the traffic, with rice terraces opening up on both sides and plenty of spots to stop for photos as the light drops. It's flat, easy and free, and it's the version of Ubud the postcards promise.
We timed it for sunset, wandered into town at the end, browsed the shops and had dinner. If you do one thing in Ubud that isn't on a screen, make it this walk at golden hour.
There was one famous Ubud sight we left off the list on purpose, and it's worth explaining why.
Golden hour on the Campuhan ridge walk.
The Tegallalang rice terraces: why we skipped them
The Tegallalang Rice Terraces are the ones you've seen: Ubud's most photographed terraces, the postcard steps with the rope swings, the cafes and the entrance donations at every viewpoint. We actually spent the night just up the road in Tegallalang before Ubud, so we were right there. And we still chose not to go.
--> Here's the honest reason. On our Sekumpul waterfalls day near Lemukih, on the way through northern Bali, we'd already ridden through quiet rice fields and chased a string of waterfalls with almost nobody around. We'd had the real, unpolished version: green terraces, a farmer handing us a coconut, a natural waterslide down old tyre rings. After that, queuing to file through a busy, heavily developed terrace lined with swings and photo stops just didn't appeal to us.
So this isn't us telling you Tegallalang is bad. If you haven't seen rice terraces up close, it's easy to reach from Ubud and it is beautiful, especially right at sunrise before the crowds and the swing queues build. Go early or skip it. For us, Sekumpul had already given us the version we came for, so we spent the time elsewhere.
The next morning tested our patience a little more.
The Monkey Forest: our honest verdict
Leni talked me into the Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary, and I went in reluctantly. Entry is modest (around 80,000 IDR per person, about €5, but check the current price before you go), and there are rangers throughout, so we mostly felt safe. Mostly. At one point a monkey chased Leni, loud and fast, and she got a real fright.
Here's our take: you see monkeys all over Bali anyway. Ride up into the higher areas and they're sitting at the roadside, where locals sell little bags of peanuts and you can feed them calmly (those ones aren't aggressive and don't mob tourists). For us, the Monkey Forest wasn't worth the stress when the whole island hands you monkeys for free. If you're short on time, skip it.
What we did that afternoon, on the other hand, we'd tell anyone to do.
The ATV jungle ride (the best part of our stop)
On a whim we booked an ATV/quad tour through GetYourGuide, and it turned into the best few hours of our whole stop. We got a meeting point, rubber boots and, because we booked the option with our own guide, we had the tracks to ourselves the entire time. That last part matters, so book the private tour if you can: you set the pace, you don't eat anyone's mud, and every trail is yours.
It was pure fun. We tore through jungle and purpose-built tracks, over rocks and through water crossings, and the best moment was driving straight under a waterfall. Leni took the guide's quad and did laps through the falling water on her own, grinning the whole time. The finale was a loop with a completely flooded stretch, and I went a little faster and braver every time round. Newly engaged, filthy, soaked, laughing. That was the Ubud we'd come back for.
Back at the hotel, the pace changed completely.
Where we stayed: Jannata Resort & Spa
We stayed two nights at the Jannata Resort & Spa, and it was the kind of room that makes you cancel your plans to stay in it: a private infinity pool spilling toward the jungle, with a view over trees and rice terraces. At around €225 a night it was one of our splurges of the trip, and after the long, sweaty run from Lemukih to Kawah Ijen to Tegallalang, we didn't feel bad about it for a second.
We spent the last afternoon in that pool, took far too many photos, and rode into Ubud for dinner. If you only book one nicer stay in Ubud, this is where we'd point you.
That mix, one great splurge and one great activity, is basically our formula for a short Ubud stop.
The view from our private infinity pool at Jannata Resort was absolutely worth it.
Tips for visiting Ubud
- Rent a scooter (around 70,000 IDR / €4 a day). The centre jams with cars, and two wheels get you to the terraces and the Monkey Forest faster.
- Do the Campuhan ridge walk at sunset. It's free, flat and the prettiest, quietest side of Ubud.
- Book the ATV tour private. Same trails, your own pace, no queue behind another group. It was the best few hours of our stop.
- You can skip the Monkey Forest. Monkeys are everywhere in Bali's highlands, often calmer than the ones in the sanctuary.
- Two nights was enough for us to see the best of Ubud without the crowds wearing us down. If you love a busy, cafe-and-yoga town, add a night; if you don't, keep it short.
- Plan every drive with traffic. Ubud's centre is slow, so leave earlier than you think for anything with a fixed time.
Frequently Asked Questions: Ubud
How many days do you need in Ubud? Two nights was enough for us to do the Campuhan ridge walk, an ATV tour and one relaxed hotel day. Add a night if you love busy cafe-and-yoga towns or want day trips to the northern rice terraces and temples.
Is the Ubud Monkey Forest worth it? For us, no. It's cheap and has rangers, but the monkeys can be aggressive, and you see monkeys all over Bali's highlands anyway, often calmer. Skip it if you're short on time.
Are the Tegallalang rice terraces worth it? They're beautiful but busy and developed, with swings, cafes and donations at each viewpoint. Go right at sunrise before the crowds, or skip them. We skipped Tegallalang because we'd already seen quieter rice terraces and waterfalls on our Sekumpul day in northern Bali.
Is Ubud too touristy? It's busy, loud and very developed, especially the centre. We personally preferred quieter parts of Bali. But the rice terraces, the ridge walk and the jungle just outside town are still lovely, so pick your spots and don't only stay in the middle.
Do you need a scooter in Ubud? It's the best way to get around. The centre is congested and a scooter (about €4 a day) gets you to the Monkey Forest, terraces and viewpoints on your own time.
How do you get from Ubud to the Gili Islands? By car to Padangbai port (roughly 1.5 hours) and then a fast boat. We compare and book the crossings on 12Go so we have the times and seats locked in before we go.
Would we go back?
Ubud isn't our favourite corner of Bali, and we'd rather be honest about that than sell you a version of it we didn't feel. It's busier and louder than the Bali we fell for years ago. But the ridge walk at sunset, a private pool over the jungle and an afternoon soaked to the skin on an ATV, freshly engaged and laughing, were more than enough to earn its two nights. Come for those, keep it short, and let the crowds be someone else's problem.
Next in our Bali series: the Gili Islands, no cars, turtles off the beach and the slow island reset we needed.Read the full Bali itinerary →
Who we are: We're Marcel and Kathleen, a couple with corporate jobs, one big trip a year and a drone that comes everywhere with us. I (Marcel) plan every route down to the ferry timetable, Kathleen trusts the plan, and everything on this blog is something we did and paid for ourselves. More about us →