Activities and suggested day trips in Ubud and around the island of Bali including nearby beaches, galleries, shopping, museums, and temples.

In the Ubud, Bali area

Magical mysterious Bali, voted number one island destination for 2004/5 by Conde Naste Traveler Magazine readers. Bali's international airport is easily accessed, either by the many direct flights, or via Singapore. Ubud is some forty five minutes easy drive from the airport in Kuta. Long considered Bali's heart and soul, Ubud is a small town in the foothills of Bali's central mountain range. It enjoys a mild climate with warm sunny days, and pleasantly cool evenings.

Ubud is the artistic and cultural capital of Bali. Prince Gde Agung Sukawati established an artists' colony in the 1930's and it has remained as one since then. You will find several fine shops, galleries, and much more than just souvenir kitsch. Because of its central location, Ubud is a great place to use as a home base for day trips to explore the rest of the island of Bali.

Ubud is famous as an artist's community, with many painters, woodcarvers, stone masons, and batik artists exhibiting their works in the hundreds of galleries in and around the town. Ubud also has many interesting restaurants and bars, from world-class gourmet establishments to interesting local style 'warungs', featuring Indonesian and Balinese dishes.

Day Trips

Monkey Forest is not far from Ubud where hundreds of friendly monkeys wander the pathway to a beautiful temple. Hold on tight to your camera and sunglasses - they have been known to snatch things from unsuspecting tourists!

Besakeh Temple is the largest temple in Indonesia and is located in the southeast of the island of Bali. It dates back to the 11th century and is a place of worship. Goa Gajah, also called the Elephant Cave because of its rock carvings of Ganesha, is the other major temple on the island of Bali which dates to the same period.

Nightlife

Beyond the pubs and nightclubs you'll find many cultural activities in Bali. Wayank Kulit is a puppet show performed late at night with cutout figures against a white screen that tells mythological stories. The Kecak Dance is a show of Balinese art and dance performed at sunset that tells the Hindu story of Rama.

Beaches

Spend a day trip snorkeling, diving near a Japanese shipwreck, or watch dolphins play from the shore. Bali is also famous for world-class surfing and regularly holds competitions in the southern beach city of Kuta.