Tourists Are Using Bali’s Ubud As A Launchpad To Explore Unique Parts Of The Island

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Ubud in Bali is the island’s cultural capital.

The gateway to the dense tropical jungles, and home to majestic temples and palaces, Ubud is a real wonder to explore.

Increasingly, tourists are not just staying in Ubud to see what the town has to offer; visitors are frequently using Ubud as a launchpad to explore more of the island’s unique destinations. 

And it is not hard to see why. Ubud is located in the very heart of the island.

Just an hour from I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport and popular coastal resorts like Sanur, Ubud is the perfect place to use as a base for day trips and adventures in Bali.

There are five increasingly popular day trip destinations that tourists are enjoying from a ‘home base’ of Ubud.

With plenty of accommodation options, some of the best restaurants on the island, and good road access to other parts of the island, Ubud is the perfect launchpad for tourists. 

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Day Trip To Kintamani

Kintamani is one of the most beautiful areas of Bali. Located an hour north of Ubud, Kintamani is the gateway to Bali’s sacred Mount Batur. Although hiking Mount Batur is off the card for the foreseeable future since Governor Koster banned all hiking on Bali’s mountains, there is still so much to explore in Kintamani. 

The first stop on a day trip to Kintamani has to be at one of the many coffee roasters on Penelokan Main Road.

This little-known stretch of road is home to dozens of incredible coffee shops and roasteries, all proudly serving up the finest homegrown Kintamani coffee around.

What makes Penelokan Main Road extra special is that all the cafes offer truly breathtaking views of Mount Batur and the glistening Lake Batur below.

On a clear day, the vista even showcases glimpses of striking Mount Abang and the island’s highest peak, sacred Mount Agung. 

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After caffeination, be sure to head just 15 minutes down the road to the Batur Natural Hot Spring. This is a truly unique experience to bathe in the natural hot pools of the active volcano while daydreaming out over Lake Batur.

Guests are given a towel and locker to store their belongings and can stay as long as they like. Remember to bring cash, as the card is not accepted. 

On the drive back to Ubud, there are plenty of agrotourism projects to visit, where tourists can sample coffee directly from the plantation.

Some projects offer guided plantation tours, and at Kintamani Orange’s Selfpick Agrotourism, tourists can explore the region’s famous orange groves and take a bounty of their own back to Ubud!

Day Trip to Sidemen Village

Day itineraries to Sidemen Village have gone viral a dozen times in the last year. The area is really starting to concrete itself in the Bali tourism experience, and rightly so.

The village has so much to offer; charming and traditional, guests can dine at family-run restaurants and sample local classics like nasi goreng (fried rice) and gado-gado (Indonesian salad with peanut sauce). 

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Popular activities in Sidemen Village include silver-making workshops with Agung Silver and a gentle walk around the working rice terraces.

Sidemen Village also offers incredible views of Mount Agung, and there are several secret viewpoints hidden around the village, be sure to ask the locals where is best for photos!

Day Trip To Tegallalang Rice Terraces

A day trip from Ubud to the Tegallalang Rice Terraces is perhaps the most popular day trip of them all!

The Tegallalang Rice Terraces are easily the most famous rice fields in Bali and are home to the even more famous Bali Swings. 

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It’s good to remember that these are working rice terraces protected by UNESCO World Heritage status, even though the area has undergone a series of upgrades that make it easier for tourists to enjoy exploring the area.

The Tegallalang Rice Terraces are a quick 40-minute drive from the heart of Ubud.

It is best to get there early to beat the crowds and enjoy the rice paddies in the glow of the early morning sun.

Day Trip to Sanur

If you’re a jungle lover who just needs to dip their toes in the ocean just once on vacation, then a day trip to Sanur from Ubud is ideal.

Sanur Beach can be reached from Ubud in just over an hour and is the perfect coastal retreat.

There are plenty of sun loungers and umbrellas along the shoreline to hire by the day, and restaurants like Genius Cafe will keep you suitably well-fed and hydrated before making the mission back to Ubud for a well-earned rest after a long day relaxing in the sun!