Discover how, like ‘Eat, Pray, Love’ author Elizabeth Gilbert, my partner and I found love in, and fell in love with Ubud in the beautiful island of Bali.
2018 was the year when I probably visited Bali the most - once for a bachelorette, once with my colleagues, once just me and my partner , and once with my partner’s family. Spending all of it in Seminyak, something in me decided that for this year’s Chinese New Year break, we should experience and visit Seminyak’s counterpart up north, Ubud.
Known for being featured in Elizabeth Gilbert’s book ‘Eat, Pray, Love’ alongside its movie version that starred Julia Roberts, Ubud has since become a destination for every person seeking for and wanting to experience love. Whether it is a couple on a romantic dinner, a new family enjoying by the pool, two women on a motorbike, or like us, a newly engaged couple; everyone seems to be in the mood for love.
Ubud is situated north of Denpasar, about an hour and a half drive from Ngurah Rai International Airport. With its temperature slightly different from Seminyak, this little town up in the mountains of Bali prides itself for having two rivers flowing on each side of the town, the Ayung River and the Telaga Waja River, with luscious rainforests surrounding it.
With so much love in mind, here’s my top five list of things to do in Ubud to experience romance whether you’re single or with your partner:
GET A ROOM WITH A VIEW
Whether you’re renting a five-star hotel with an infinity pool overlooking endless lines of trees or a villa right by Ayung River with the relaxing sound of water, it’s easy to get yourself a room with a view in Ubud. After reading hundreds of travel blogs and scanning through every Tripadvisor review, we finally settled with Bisma Eight Ubud.
This gem of a boutique hotel can be found right in the heart of the city along an up-and-coming street, Jalan Bisma, which is slowly starting to be filled with watering holes and dining spots. Only about ten minutes away from Ubud’s main area, it’s easy to go in and out of the hotel to enjoy what’s in store for you in this quaint little town.
The hotel will tempt you to stay in the whole time though, with its infinity pool and a view of the luscious rainforest alongside Ayung River. Our room has that view and at night, when it’s all calm and quiet, you can hear the soothing sound of the river flowing a few meters away from you.
One of the most advertised adventures in Ubud is the white water rafting. I’ve done this before with my best friends but this time, being with my fiancé, would make it a lot more different, probably even romantic.
Romantic it was, thanks to the team at Bali Sobek - the pioneers of river rafting in Bali, who made the whole experience worth every penny.
We were picked up in our hotel and was taken to their headquarters where we will start. You will be welcomed by a beautiful bamboo and straw cottage where the briefing will happen. You get on your gears and head 500 steps down to get to the starting point.
Straight away, once you get into the raft, you are in for a two-hour wild water adventure. The Ayung River is full of fast-churning rapids and white water but tame enough for beginners like us.
But probably what’s more amazing was the untouched tropical forest that will welcome you in every turn with tall trees and beautiful ferns all around. Waterfalls emerged spontaneously along the way making the sceneries overflow with beauty.
TASTE THE FINEST INDONESIAN CUISINE
Aside from its sounds and sights, Ubud is also known for its tastes - from award-winning fine-diners to locally acclaimed restaurants; this town has it!The food scene is as diverse as its luscious, jungle-covered landscapes. So we took a break from temple hopping and boutique shopping to get some Indonesian food in our bellies.
We started with Restaurant Nusantara by the same award-winning team at Restaurant Locavore on our second night. This food haven is all about bringing together top-end Indonesian cuisines from around the archipelago, putting their own twist to it.
You will be welcomed with a fire grill right outside the restaurant to give you a slight taste of what’s in store for you. Right as you come in, you will notice how even the interiors stayed true to its roots using rattan and wood as its main materials.
With Chef Putu at the helm, Restaurant by Nusantara uses local ingredients to bring out the traditional flavour from Central and West Java, West Sumatra, North and South Sulawesi, and of course, Bali. The menu boasts of small dishes like Gulai Sayur, Tempe Bacem, and Tinoransak; and big dishes with the favourite Ayam Sambal Ijo, Sate Languan, and our top choice, Tuturuga.
But it doesn’t stop there.
Another one of the highly recommended restaurants in Ubud is right by the town’s centre, Hujan Locale, from Bali’s celebrity street food chef - Will Meyrick. Being the man behind our favourite Mamasan in Seminyak, there was no second thoughts in giving it a try.
Chef Meyrick didn’t disappoint from the interior all the way to down to its menu. Downstairs, Hujan Locale allocated it to thirsty customers who came for their signature cocktails but upstairs is where all the action happen. Design a lot similar to its counterpart in Seminyak, the dining area is a 30 seater that’s open from lunch to dinner.
Hujan Locale prides of its farm to table practice, using only sustainable grown produce to bring the best out of their dishes. Our favourites are, for starters, the soft shell crab with salted duck egg curry leaves and the Dalca Kambing, lamb shank in curry-style sauce with roti canai.
CYCLE THROUGH ENDLESS RICE PADDIES
It’s no a secret that Ubud is a town full of breathtaking views, endless greeneries, and beautiful rice terraces. But it’s also no secret that it’s a town full of rolling hills, so cycling will definitely be quite a task here.
Luckily, we found Bali e-Bike Tours, a few steps away from our hotel along Jalan Bisma. Their bikes are no ordinary ones; it has a built-in machine to ease your ride as you go up the hills of Ubud and fat tires, tailor-made for the town’s broken paths.
In the tour, we cycled through Jalan Subak Soh Wayah and stopped to visit a Balinese house where the guide explained how the architecture of these houses are aligned to the beliefs and traditions of the community. We then went on to visit a community temple until we reached Tegallalang Rice Terraces, probably the most stunning one within the area.
STRETCH THOSE MUSCLES
After all the activities, it’s all worth it to just pause for a minute and acknowledge all the great things around you in Ubud through yoga. The town is filled with studios with equally stunning views that will bring you to total mindfulness.
We chose to do it in Intuitive Yoga with its studio perched on top of a hill overlooking the beautiful luscious greens of Ubud. Being first-timers, we needed to take it easy and decided to go for the basic class.
The classes at Intuitive Yoga are very personal. Aside from having only 5 people in the class, the instructor, Antonio, took time to explain to us each pose, making sure that we understand the importance of each and the benefits we get from it.
For the more advanced practitioners, the studio also offers yoga teach trainings, retreats, and workshops to develop your skills and ‘strengthen your inner and outer self’.
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