This teacher training course gives you the opportunity to treat yourself to a Balinese relaxing massage. You can also enjoy an array of activities during your free time.
Ubud Monkey forest
Ubud Monkey Forest, also known as the Sacred Monkey Forest of Padangtegal, is one of Ubud’s most popular attractions; a natural forest sanctuary that is home to a horde of grey long-tailed macaques. The site is well preserved thanks to a community-based management program. The forest is also conveniently positioned near Ubud Town Centre, and within easy walking distance from guesthouses and resorts along the main roads of Jalan Hanoman and the namesake Jalan Monkey Forest.
Besides watching playful monkeys in their natural habitat, swinging through canopies, lazing along pathways or feeding on bananas, the site offers cool walks along paved pathways through a leafy nutmeg forest. Beautiful ancient temples with guardian statues covered in moss also feature throughout the forest. Those staying outside of Ubud and coming for a day tour usually have the Ubud Monkey Forest as a must-visit, combined with sightseeing highlights at the Ubud Royal Palace and shopping sprees through the expansive Ubud Art Market, all only a 10-minute drive away.
Tegallalang Rice Terraces
Tegallalang rice terraces in Ubud is famous for its beautiful scenes of rice paddies involving the subak (traditional Balinese cooperative irrigation system), which according to history, was passed down by a revered holy man named Rsi Markandeya in the eighth century. Tegallalang forms the three most splendid terraced landscapes in Ubud’s shared region, with the others being in the villages of Pejeng and Campuhan.
The Tegallalang rice terraces alone offers a scenic outlook that spreads down before you and away to the rice paddies on the slopes across the valley. The high roadside location is cool and breezy and it is a well-known spot for tourists to stop and take photos. Painters and nature lovers also enjoy visiting this spot, and there are numerous art kiosks and cafes near the ledge offering their ware.
Goa Gajah "Elephant Cave"
Goa Gajah is one of the island’s most impressive archaeological sites, located south of the Bedulu village, a region famous for its collection of historical sites. The temple complex is within a six-kilometer drive south of central Ubud and an hour’s drive northeast from the provincial capital of Denpasar. Down a flight of stairs, you will discover a relic-filled courtyard and the main 11th century "cave" in which you can enter to view rock-wall carvings and a meditational site, while out on the perimeter are a Hindu temple and an impressive bathing pool with fountains, excavated back in 1954.
Puri Saren Royal Palace
Just a hop away from the Ubud Art Market is the palace of the Ubud royal family, referred to as Puri Saren Agung. The Ubud Royal Palace is one of the most prominent places in Ubud, as it is smack-dab on the main Jalan Raya Ubud road and intersection. The palace can also be regarded as the focal landmark of Ubud.
The Ubud palace was built during the lordship of the late Ida Tjokorda Putu Kandel (1800-1823), and is well-kept by his successive heirs. A visit to the Puri Saren is on many of the itineraries to the Ubud area. It has well-preserved Balinese architecture and charming garden settings, and is best known among lovers of Balinese arts as one of the main sites to view dramatic evening dance performances.
Campuhan Ridge Walk
For a free and easy nature trek in Ubud, try the Campuhan Ridge Walk that offers you an escape from the bustles of the main Ubud streets to enjoy cool fresh air and probably the most gorgeous hillside vista in the region. It starts off from the scenic Gunung Lebah Temple, and there’s a chance you’ll meet a few fellow trekkers and joggers on their way back from their morning walks. However, most of the time you’ll have the path to your own.
Ubud art market
The Ubud Art Market, locally referred to as "Pasar Seni Ubud" is located opposite the the Puri Saren Royal Ubud Palace and is open daily. Here you can find beautiful silk scarves, lightweight shirts, handmade woven bags, baskets or hats; statues, kites and many other hand-crafted goods. Most of the goods found at the Ubud Market are made in the neighboring villages of Pengosekan, Tegallalang, Payangan and Peliatan. The location of the Ubud Art Market which is centered among the art producing villages, and being just opposite the royal palace which is a center point to Ubud itself, make it a strategic shopping place for Balinese handicrafts and souvenirs.
Blanco Renaissance Museum
Blanco Renaissance Museum is an unofficial landmark in Ubud, the house and studio of the late flamboyant Philippine-born maestro, Don Antonio Blanco. Located on a hilltop overlooking the lush valley of Campuhan, it houses paintings, collages and illustrated poetry, together with lithographic artworks of his favorite subject: nude Balinese women.
The private residence and lavish studio has guided tours of the facility, with the artist’s family members hosting you if you’re lucky. The thought-provoking collections, lush garden surroundings and a fine restaurant established in the name of the artist’s late wife and muse all provide a great stopover on your trips to Ubud.
Pura Taman Saraswati Temple
The Pura Taman Saraswati is a beautiful water temple in central Ubud, accessible from the Jalan Kajeng side street off the main road of Jalan Raya Ubud, just behind Café Lotus. The temple is a great stopover along your leisure walks through Ubud town, offering sightseeing and photo opportunities with its classical Balinese temple architecture and a beautiful foyer featuring ponds filled with blooming pink lotuses.
Entry into Pura Taman Saraswati is free but, as with any temple visit in Bali, a sash and sarong around the waist is compulsory. You can also drop into Café Lotus for a minimum dinner cover charge of 200,000 IDR or 15 USD, which will get you the best view over the lotuses and to the temple’s open stage, where regular traditional dance performances are held in the evenings from 19:30.
Bali Bird and Reptile Park
Park and Reptile Park is a unique and educational attraction fit for the whole family. Two hectares of fine tropical gardens offer an interesting leisurely walk amidst the rich compilation of nearly a thousand exotic birds from the Indonesian archipelago and around the world. The Bali Bird Park is located in the village of Batubulan, Gianyar Regency, and serves as a fun and attractive playground for bird-lovers, as well as a convenient stopover for those on day tours en route to the central regions such as Ubud, Celuk and Mas.
Tegenungan Waterfall
These falls are conveniently located halfway between Ubud and Bali’s provincial capital of Denpasar, and is considered the closest natural attraction of its kind that you can reach within only a half-hour transfer southeast from Ubud town. Getting to the falls is a pleasant drive down paved village roads lined with stretches of green rice fields on both sides.
To get to the falls, you follow down a trail beyond rows of souvenir shops, with green valley panoramas in view. Dense foliage frames the falls, and the water volume is impressive at almost any time of year.