In this blog article we will share with you our route for the region surrounding Ubud. The landscape here is so breathtakingly beautiful that we lack the words to do this place justice. Even just the feeling of whizzing around on the scooter through landscapes lined with rice fields – writing this blog entry brings back many fond memories.
Overall, you should plan a whole day for our route. If you prefer to have more time and comfort, we recommend dividing the day trip into two days.
Campuhan Ridge Walk at sunrise
Best to go early in the morning – preferably before sunrise. The Campuhan Ridge Walk is not a secret in Ubud. Nevertheless, we believe that a visit is definitely worthwhile. The short hiking trail leads you through the beautiful landscape of Ubud. You are rewarded with beautiful views of the lush green nature in all directions.
It is about two kilometres to the well-known Karsa Café. If you have limited time, you can just do the first section of the track. You will reach a well-known photo spot in about 15-20 minutes.
There is a lot going on here during the day – but at sunrise you can enjoy the magical atmosphere of Ubud in peace.
Getting there & Parking: We have marked the starting point of the Campuhan Ridge Walk on the map for you at the end of the article. You can basically park your scooter at the entrance.
Tegalalang Rice Terraces
The Tegalalang Rice Terraces is one of the most famous sights around Ubud. The sooner you get there, the better. Apart from the fact that the light is wonderful for sunrise (if you’re lucky with the weather), you can visit the rice terraces in the morning with more peace and quiet.
Depending on the stage of growth, the rice terraces always look a bit different: everything from mini plants in standing water to lush green nature is possible.
Our tip: Take a little more time here and walk down the terraces. There is no entry fee. Also, just so you are not hit with a surprise, there are countless souvenir stalls, restaurants and cafés here. We made the best of it and indulged in a delicious cinnamon tea at a café and enjoyed the view.
Getting there & Parking: From Campuhan Ridge Walk, several trails lead north to the Tegalalang rice terraces. We like to stick with the side streets (eg. Jalan Suweta) and avoid the main roads. Parking is possible on the roadside at the rice terraces with no problem. We never had to pay a parking fee, but we have also heard the opposite.
Gunung Batur – Spectacular Volcanic Landscape
Continue in the direction North. Gradually, the traffic becomes much lighter and the temperatures also drop. Our destination is the mountain region Kintamani, where the volcano Batur is located. Admittedly, at the beginning we did not plan to ride to Gunung Batur. But once we got there, we wanted to see the impressive active volcano with our own eyes.
Along the Jalan Raya Penelokan, you will find some lookout points. No wonder some restaurants have settled along the road. If you want to enjoy lunch with a view, then you are in the right place. However, the prices are usually a bit higher due to its location. You can also ride down the road to the crater lake, which we didn’t do.
We should point out, however, that the stretch from Tegalalang to Gunung Batur takes a comparatively long time and it starts to get rather uncomfortable sitting on the scooter for that long. Nevertheless, we don’t regret it for a second. The volcanic landscape view is just stunning.
Also very worthwhile is the ascent of the Gunung Batur at sunrise. If that’s what you’re planning to do, we suggest that you book a pickup tour from your accommodation. The tour starts at 2am in the middle of the night.
You can book the tour here: Batur Volcano at Sunrise
Getting there with the scooter: The journey from the Tegalalang Rice Rerraces takes approximately one hour. Kintamani charges a fee of 30,000 IDR per person. You can usually park on the roadside.
Pura Tirta Empul – the Holy Water Temple
The Tirta Empul water temple is one of the holiest temples in Bali. With its magical, spiritual atmosphere, it is still one of those places in Bali that radiates something special. As other people also seem to share this opinion, the Pura Tirta Empul is becoming increasingly popular. This can be seen by the numerous souvenir shops, which have popped up.
We are not surprised that the Pura Tirta Empul is a magnet for visitors. You can observe in very close proximity, the Balinese Ritual Purification Procession with the holy spring water. If you find this interesting, then you will love the temple.
Personally, we find it incredibly fascinating to observe the people doing this. It is also possible to borrow a sarong and even enter the pools – however, out of respect, it’s our opinion that this ritual should be reserved for the devout Hindus.
How to get to Pura Tirta Empul: From the Gunung Batur, the Tirta Empul is practically on the way home. We have pinned the exact location on the map at the end of the article. There is a big parking lot where you can park your scooter (fee 2,000 IDR). Admission to Tirta Empul is 50,000 IDR (as of January 2019). Note: The temple closes at 6pm.
Rock Temple Gunung Kawi
Just a stone’s throw away from the Pura Tirta Empul is a temple – by no means less impressive – called Gunung Kawi. First of all, it’s important to note that: There are two temples in this region, both of which bear the name Gunung Kawi and are not that far from each other. We have visited both before, but in this blog article, we are referring to the larger of the two.
Depending on how long you have been on the road already, it may be too late to visit Gunung Kawi, as it closes at 5pm. For the tour of Gunung Kawi you should plan at least one hour (which is rather tight already).
The reason for this being, that the actual temple is located in a valley and can only be reached at the end of a long flight of stairs – a total of 300 steps in fact – and you have to make your way up again at the end. Our tip: take enough water with you. For emergencies, there are also some shops along the stairs.
Just because of the spectacular location in the valley, the rock temple Gunung Kawi is incredibly impressive. The scenery with the surrounding rice fields is simply stunning. As a bonus, there are generally fewer visitors on the way than one would expect.
Getting to Gunung Kawi: Only about five minutes by scooter from Tirta Empul. Admission is 50,000 IDR (as of January 2019) and there is adequate parking offered (parking fee 2,000 IDR).
Furniture Stores
Ok, now it’s really time to head home to Ubud so that you don’t get back in the dark. On the way back, you will drive along the main road past countless craft shops, where they sell furniture, wood carvings, sculptures and much more. In between, there are also workshops where you can see the pieces being made.
Those who knows us, will know that furniture is our weakness! We love unique custom made furniture and would secretly love to just import several containers full of chests of drawers, boxes and other trinkets. It is not surprising that we were particularly excited about this section of the journey. Whenever we drive past here, we make sure to stop and admire the furniture, whilst inquiring about the production and shipping.
And, believe it or not, we’ve actually shipped a few pieces from Bali in the past. Nowadays, we have Balinese pieces of furniture decorating our home in Vienna – but that’s another story.
