After spending the first two days of our getaway, just driving our moped around, it was time to book a tour and experience the most popular Bali spots.
If you are interested in reading about how we started our Ubud trip, check this link out. ^_^
Day 3 — Touring the island 🌴
The following day we booked a tour via GetYourGuide. The tour was called: Bali: Full-Day Instagram Highlights Tour (affiliate link)💀 😂. The reason we chose this one was that it included visiting places like:
- Lempuyang Temple
- Tirta Gangga
- Tegallalang
We wanted to experience and see some of the popular Bali sights, but at the same time get to know a bit more about its culture. The tour included a private driver and guide (aka photographer 😂). We initially wanted to drive ourselves, but 30 minutes into the ride to the first Temple, we realized that that would have been a terrible idea. The terrain was pretty mountainous and not so moped-friendly. At least not for inexperienced tourists like us.
Lempuyang Temple 📷
This is one of the oldest Hindu temples in Bali, located on Mount Lempuyang. It is also probably the most famous one, because of its gates, also known as the Gates of Heaven.
Like in most Hindu temples, non-Hindu people were not allowed into the temple itself, but we were able to hang around it, enjoy the views, and take photos. Although you can’t see in the photo above, this spot has a really amazing view of Mount Agung, the highest point in Bali. We were lucky enough to get a couple of minutes of cloud-free sky and enjoy the majestic view of the mountain.
I think it would be disrespectful to call this place a tourist trap, due to its importance to the local Balinese, Hindu people. Even though the views, architecture, and history are amazing, I wouldn’t come back here, due to the enormous amount of tourists.
If you want to take photos at the Gates of Heaven, you’ll have to wait at least a couple of hours, so be prepared. When we arrived there, our tour guide took a number for us, and in total, I think we waited around 2 hours. Our guide told us that in the past you had to wait in an actual queue, but now they have semi-digitalized the waiting. 😂
We used those two hours to walk around the area, check out different parts of the Temple, and eat some fruits that we got from the auties stalls.
When it’s your turn to take photos, they have dedicated people to whom you give your phone and they take photos for you. In the end, if you want, but I would highly recommend, you can tip them.
Please keep in mind that this is a holy place for a lot of people, so be respectful and follow the signs and rules that are displayed around you. 🙏
Tirta Gangga 🐟
This is a former royal palace, which is known for its water fountains and koi fish. By the time we reached the palace, the weather changed and already started raining. Luckily it was a short rain, so we got to explore and enjoy the surroundings.
Tegallalang 🌾
After lunch, we had the opportunity to choose if we want to go to a waterfall and a coffee plantation, but due to the bad weather, we decided to skip the waterfall.
The day before we already went to a coffee plantation, so we skipped that part as well and went straight to Tegallalang. This is an area that is popular among tourists due to its rice fields and terraces. And I can see why! The views there were phenomenal!
Our local guide was super knowledgeable and explained to us about the rice culture and the different rice types they grow in this region (and in Bali in general).
This was our last stop on the tour. After this, the driver dropped us off at our hotel. So the question you all must be asking is…
Was the trip worth it?
I would say yes, only as a first-timer in Bali. Our guide was super fun and shared a lot of local tips and insights about the island with us. It was great to see the rice fields and some of the most famous and holiest places in Bali too. But, as I wrote earlier in my article, I wouldn’t come here again. Most likely will go to the west side of the island and check out that area, which we didn’t have time to go to this time around. :(
Day 4 — Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary 🐒
This was our last day in Ubud and before heading back to Canggu, I wanted to visit one last place — the Sacred Monkey Forest. This is a sanctuary, including three temples. In the whole area, monkeys are freely walking, running, eating, etc. There are designated spots where you can buy food and feed the monkeys (and take photos with them).
All the monkeys here are free, they are not contained and can literally do whatever they want. So basically you are on monkey territory. There are some caretakers who take care of the monkey and in case of “incidents” they are here to help you.
As we were walking around the forest, one monkey showed an interest in my bag. He was eating, dropped his food, and started fast walking towards me. Luckily, I read the guidelines 😅, so I stayed calm. He smelled my bag and once he made sure that there was no food, he left. No food, no interest 😂
I would definitely recommend visiting this place. If I end up being in Ubud again, I’ll visit it again. The entrance is not too expensive and it’s a nice walk in the forest. Just remember to read the rules before going in there and also make sure you follow them!
This wrapped our Ubud trip! This is a place I think everyone visiting Bali should see it. Including me, next time I’m there. I’d like to see more of the local cafes and restaurants and experience Ubud town itself better.
Till next time! 👋
