Overview
Long a centre of Balinese painting, dance and music under its royal court, Ubud grew from a village of artists into the island’s cultural capital, and later a hub for yoga and wellness. It sits in green hill country of terraced rice fields, palm gorges and temples, cooler and quieter than the coast though far from undiscovered. The town itself is walkable, ringed by craft villages and ridge walks, and it works as a base for the temples and volcanoes of central Bali.
Highlights
The Sacred Monkey Forest, the water palace and the Saraswati temple sit in the town, and the Ubud art market and museums show the local painting. Just north, the Tegallalang rice terraces step down the valley, and the Campuhan Ridge gives an easy walk through the hills. Dance performances most evenings, craft villages for silver and woodcarving, and day trips to the temples and volcanoes round out a stay.