Ubud

What isn't there to do in Ubud ? Ubud offers something for everybody; whether you're an animal lover, or a more extreme sports goer, it has it all.

Animal experiences Ubud's sacred monkey forest In the centre of Ubud is the sacred monkey forest, where you can pay to walk around in their beautiful natural habitat. Of course, you may not have had your rabies jabs and there is also the anxiety of potentially being bitten, but if you do everything right you'll be absolutely fine. At the monkey forest you will see monkeys feeding and playing. It is really worth going, despite the increased cost to 80,000 rph (£5ish). My 10 top tips for visiting the monkey forest: 1. Walk on by, and they will just pass you 2. Do not take any sunglasses , jewelry, watches or anything shiny which will attract the monkeys 3. Do not look them in the eyes 4. Do not approach a baby monkey (the mother or father is always nearby and will not be happy) 5. Do not take any food , as they will know you have it , even in your bags 6. Plastic bottle caps are dangerous to them , and may mean surgery is required to remove them. 7. They love plastic bags , so please don't take them 8. Stay in a big group of people if you can , sometimes this helps deter the monkeys 9. Ladies - wear your hair up, this avoids the monkeys finding the opportunity to jump on you and swing on it 10. If they land on you, keep calm, walk slowly and they should jump off Monkeys are intriguing animals with such character, there is always a need to be wary to an extent but it is really worth a visit! There is a first aid area at the monkey forest, and it is likely that all these monkeys will be free of rabies but as it's a forest and they roam free , you can't be certain so it's always important to go through the right procedures if you have been bitten.

Bali bird park Bali bird park is located 40mins away from Ubud , with tour guides offering the opportunity to go and potentially pay an extortionate price in a taxi. The cheapest option to get to the bird park is by bus from the Puri Lukisan Musuem, and costs only 90,000 rph for a day pass. This is with the company Kura Kura bus. It is best to get your pass online at kura2bus.com. Alongside this, to receive a slight discount on your ticket to the bird park, buy your tickets on their website . This is cheaper than buying at the door. The bird park offers the opportunity to feed the birds , learn about the parrots and understand where each type of bird comes from. It is quite expensive (£20+) but is definitely worth it!

Surroundingg areas : There is a reptile park located directly next to the bird park, alongside the Bali zoo , which is within walking distance (30-40mins) from the bird park. Activities Cycling tour... This tour is a cycling tour around Bali's rice fields , through a lovely Balinese traditional village and to a coffee plantation. At the coffee plantation you are provided with information on how they make the coffee , you see the luwak animal who makes the luwak coffee and you get the chance to taste 12 different flavours of tea and coffee. This tour is a great way to get a feel for more of a natural bali away from the tourist areas. If you barter for the tour you can get it for 300k rph / person.

Trekking up mount batur This is one of my most recommended activities. If you're physically able , this opportunity is brilliant ! You are picked up at 2am from where you are staying , and driven to the base of MT Batur volcano base. You are prepped with eggs, green bread , water and bananas for your journey. You start the hike up the volcano , in the dark which takes roughly 3 hours, ready for sunrise. It is a beautiful sight seeing everyone's torch lights snake up the mountain. When you are at the top, once the clouds part , you are able to see the sun rise above the mountains. Do not worry about not taking enough to drink, as there are Balinese people selling drinks at the top (amazing huh?) Tips - it can get pretty cold during the walk so I advice to take a light jumper / trousers - make sure you're wearing walking boots or firm trainers - there are monkeys at the top so keep a good eye on your belongings - you will be in groups of 5-8 people with a tour guide so you will be accompanied the whole time - please only do this if you are confident in your ability - there is a moped which can take you up , for a fee , if you struggle / at the begining - always take extra water and have a head or hand torch rather than using your phone.

Capuhan Ridge walk Ubud offers the Bali swings to go on , which I didn't try myself, bit if you walk up the Ubud ridge walk there is a swing there , if you're looking for an instagrammable picture. The swing tours are pretty pricey and I imagine there is a long queue. But the Capuhan Ridge walk is free , and you get to walk alongside the forests.

Ubud markets Ubud markets are located in the centre of Ubud , and are beautiful to see. Please barter , as the locals are selling their items at a high fee and they will come down to a price if you stick to what you say! It is a great for bags , sarongs, clothes, souvenirs , presents and coffee. If you're travelling around for a while, it may be worth leaving some space in your backpack for a few of these items ! Food My top restaurants were : 1. Gluten free kitchen ( offering vegan, vegetarian and gluten free ) 2. Three monkeys ( great for Indonesian food) 3. Elixir (vegan options, lovely setting but quite pricey) Bars 1. LOL bar has live bands on every night 2. CP lounge 3. Lots of other places do happy hour cocktails so make sure you catch them then ! Ubud has a real mix of things to do, and I haven't listed them all. It's really worth going for 4-5 nights , if not longer if you are doing the volcano trek. Unfortunately Ubud is now busier and more expensive than it once was but still has character all the same. If you're going to Bali this is a must visit location.