Ubud Guide
The centre of Ubud is walkable: the Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary, Ubud Palace and the Art Market across from it, and Saraswati Temple with its lotus pond, plus the Campuhan Ridge Walk on the western edge. Day trips reach the Tegallalang rice terraces and Goa Gajah. Riviera Boutique Hotel sits on Jalan Raya Pengosekan inside this belt.
The centre holds most of Ubud's landmark sights within a short walk of each other. The Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary in Padangtegal, Ubud Palace (Puri Saren Agung), the Ubud Art Market across the road, and Pura Taman Saraswati with its lotus pond are the ones most visitors start with. From a base in the central belt you can reach them on foot or a short scooter ride.
The Campuhan Ridge Walk follows a paved path along a green ridge on the western edge of town, past Pura Gunung Lebah in the Campuhan valley. It is best early in the morning before the heat, and it is one of the few Ubud sights that costs nothing and asks only for comfortable shoes. The there-and-back is a gentle couple of hours.
North of town the Tegallalang rice terraces show the subak irrigation the region is known for. East, near Bedulu, Goa Gajah, the Elephant Cave, is an archaeological site with a carved cave mouth and bathing pools. The Tegenungan waterfall sits between Ubud and Denpasar. Each is a short drive, and a central base shortens the trip out and back.
Ubud has been an arts town for a century. The Agung Rai Museum of Art (ARMA) and the Neka Art Museum hold Balinese and Indonesian painting, and the Blanco Renaissance Museum sits above the Campuhan valley. Pengosekan, where Riviera stands, grew up as a painters' community, and galleries still line its road.
A base in the central belt puts the walkable sights at the door and starts every day trip closer to the main roads. Riviera Boutique Hotel is on Jalan Raya Pengosekan, south of the Monkey Forest, with a spa, a cafe and coffee lounge, and Kumo dining on site, so the downtime between outings stays close to hand.
See Riviera's rooms in central Ubud, or read our guide to how many days to spend in Ubud.
Common questions
Ubud is Bali's arts and culture town, known for the Sacred Monkey Forest, its palace and temples, the surrounding rice terraces, and a long tradition of painting and craft.
Not for the centre, which is walkable. The outlying rice terraces, waterfalls and temples are spread out and need a scooter or a hired driver.
Pengosekan sits south of the Monkey Forest, so the sanctuary, the centre's market and palace, and the galleries along the road are all close by.