Bali Travelogue: Exploring Ubud.

The one thing I realized about my traveling habits, over time, is that I constantly chase after time. I would try to cram as much as possible into a day, exploring as much as I can, so that the trip would deem worthwhile. I still get ample sleep and rest, I really do, but I do get fidgety if I stay put for too long. If you want to sleep, you're better off sleeping at home. The downside of that however, is that I would need a day or two of recovery time, after the trip.

In this trip to Ubud Bali, things were no different.

Oh, how exploring and experiencing new things taught me to live in the present.

Traveling Time
I traveled to Ubud Bali on the 1- 3 June 2018. I was there for the KILORUN Bali 2018 experience.

Flight Tickets & Accommodation

My journey from KLIA2 to Bali took 3-hours by air. From Denpasar Airport, I traveled straight to Ubud by car, 1.5-hours north of Bali. The overall journey was a pleasant one. I stayed at Champlung Sari Hotel Ubud for 2 nights. The entire trip was with compliments from Air Asia.

Local Sim

I bought a Telkomsel local sim from the airport, at IDR300,000 (equivalent to RM90). For a 3-day phone plan, it felt very-very expensive.

Places covered in this Ubud Travelogue

📍 Watercress Cafe, Habitat Cafe, Bebek Bengil, Ubud Market, Ubud Royal Palace

→Read about my KILORUN BALI 2018 Experience here←

That evening, we arrived in Bali at slightly passed nightfall. Though late, the airport was still bustling with arriving passengers when we landed on Bali shores. We were then swiftly chauffeured to Ubud upon checking out, a pleasant journey which took approximately 1.5-hours all in all. It really felt as though we have been traveling the entire day, on air and on the road, hence by the time we arrived at the hotel, we were a tad exhausted, which also resulted in us opting to have dinner at one of the restaurants in the hotel instead. While the meal was dwindling to mediocre, we had a good time mingling and getting to know each other. We decided to call it an early night-in, wanting to start afresh the next day.

The hotel was strangely quiet during the night, recognizably eerie in fact. Don't get me wrong, I was just really afraid that a monkey would jump out of no where, and scare the hell out of me. The hotel was, after all, situated very close to the infamous Monkey Forest Sanctuary.

Thankfully, the next morning, things looked way more promising when the sunlight gleamed. The hotel exuded an old-school charm, from the traditional Balinese architecture to the dual swimming pools. Plus, the place weren't as crowded as I initially thought it would be, great - leaving us with plenty of privacy to roam around.

We had breakfast with a view that morning, then some photography preaching thereafter.

It wasn't until we were pestered to join the rest of the clan for lunch, that we decided to step out of the hotel. By then, my hotel buffet breakfast felt like an eternity ago. My tummy started grumbling uncontrollably.

Lunch was at Watercress Cafe, a stones throw away from where we stayed. I thoroughly enjoyed what I had - Skillet Buttermilk Hotcake (the sound of it makes me salivate), washed down by a glass of berry-based smoothie. My traveling companions too, equally enjoyed their food. The meal was clearly a prefect vacation treat - refreshing and delicious.

It was late evening, when we put on some comfortable clothing and shoes, and made our way to the designated venue, all ready for our KILORUN Bali 2018 experience. You can read all about that here. There was a flurry of exciting activity for the next 2-hours, and after conquering 10 local dishes, at 10 separate locations, 3KM from start to finish, we completed our feat victorious.

The next morning, our mini marathon kicked off at 6.30am, quite an early feat for the usual holiday timing. We probably stopped and stumbled more than we ran. We couldn't help but stop and admire the beauty of Ubud that breezed pass.

It was about 9am early when we finished our run and went on to Habitat Cafe, for a breakfast feast for champions. The cafe was situated right across the road from the Monkey Forest Sanctuary, which provided a great view for some monkey action to say the least. We, on the other hand, decided with dining indoors, peacefully. Though we were first to arrive, the food took awhile to be served. The food wasn't cheap either, but I think we all deserved a rewarding meal after the run.

We didn't have a whole lot of free time to explore Ubud, but ample to see the necessary. I have done research on my part, and there were really only 2 place that I'd like to visit, Ubud Market and Ubud Palace. We spend the next few hours maneuvering through hordes of tourist and street vendors calling out for buyers. It was very touristy here.

At Ubud Traditional Art Market, straw hats, rattan bags, dream catchers, handmade woven cropped tops, were everywhere. Prices hovered at IDR 150,000 (RM45.00) for a rattan bag, in which I couldn't help myself but got one too. Hangling, obviously, was a necessity.

We made a short pitstop at Ubud Palace along the way. It was my second time visiting this local attraction.

The one distinct memory I had on Ubud was the uneven pavements, which proved to be challenging especially with the older folks. Tip: wear comfortable shoes. The heat too, was bearable but remember to stay hydrated at all times. Sunscreen too for that matter.

For lunch, it was a slow walk to our next destination, Bebek Bengil. We have had a taste of what they've got to offer the day before, during the KILO fun run, and enjoyed it so much that we had to return before we leave. We did away with the cafe-hopping streak and decided with some authentically Balinese cuisine for our last meal. It was also here, that I discovered my new found favorite in Crispy Duck, a definite must have here.

Like the past couple of meals, the food took awhile to arrive. Is this the standard serving time in Bali?

It was a long 1.5-hour journey back to Bali after that, with bellies full of food of course. We arrived early and luckily for us too, checking in was a breeze. Bali airport was not as crowded as I thought it would be, but possibly one of the most expensive airports I have come across. Food was overpriced and drinks too for that matter. My bottled water costs RM9.00.

It was about 7.30pm when we departed back to KL, with aching legs and droopy eyelids, but with a great sense of fulfillment to bring home. Although it was my second time visiting Ubud Bali, it really felt like the first. There were still plenty left to see and more left to eat, proving that there's always something new every time.

Contentment. Solace. Joy. That's, how traveling makes me feel.

Till my next travel escapade. 

Places covered as part of my KILORUN Bali 2018 experience

📍 For Famous Bali Restaurants And Food To Eat in Ubud Bali → Cafe Wayan Ubud, Ibu Rai, Gedong Sisi, Nomad, The Legend Cafe Ubud, Bebek Bengil. 

📍 For Places To Visit and Things To Do in Ubud Bali → I took the 5km run which brought me to: Ubud Monkey Forest, Balai Banjar Ubud Kelod, The Blanco Renaissance Museum, Pura Gunung Lebah, Museum Puri Lukisan, Pura Desa, Ubud Palace, Ubud Market, Pura Taman Sari.