HOW TO VISIT UBUD MONKEY FOREST: 5 TIPS
June 16, 2024
A fun experience that Bali has to offer is to visit Ubud Monkey Forest. Here is some useful information to help you plan your visit!
Here is our 5-day itinerary to discover Bali and the surroundings of Ubud: from rice fields to wild beaches, waterfalls to temples
Bali is renowned for being Indonesia’s main tourist island! In fact, many tourists visit this magical island: it is an ideal destination for honeymooners looking for romance, surfers on the hunt for the perfect wave, backpackers and people seeking balance and meditation.
What to see in Bali in 5 days? Here is our 5-day itinerary in Bali, to discover this fantastic island!
The island of Bali has so many places worth visiting that it would take months to explore it thoroughly. Bali offers unique landscapes, beautiful beaches, ancient Hindu temples, a fascinating culture, as well as great food!
It is a place where you can enjoy the luxurious comforts of hotels and resorts, but also immerse yourself in the authentic rural life of Balinese villages.
We visited Bali for 5 days (+1 to visit Nusa Penida from Bali), focusing on the inland and central area near Ubud and trying to visit as much as possible. In fact, we varied from waterfalls to beaches, from rice fields to temples. In this article, we propose our 5-day itinerary in Bali, hoping that it will inspire you to plan your trip to this fantastic island!
Do you have more days available? 👉 Check out our 7-day itinerary in Bali
Want a full 15-day itinerary in Indonesia? 👉 Here it is!
Having only five days at our disposal, this itinerary focuses mainly on the area around Ubud. Therefore, to follow this itinerary, we always stayed in Ubud, moving around during the day and returning in the evening.
Ubud is a well-serviced town, with many clubs and shops, banks and tourist offices. Also, despite being one of the most popular destinations, it is not as chaotic as other areas like Kuta.
We found an excellent accommodation, the Bije Suite Villa, with excellent value for money! In fact, we slept in a private villa with a pool overlooking the jungle for a modest fee (around €50 per night), just a few minutes from the centre of Ubud.
The location was ideal to be close to the centre of Ubud in the evening but also to be a little bit away from the hustle and bustle. If you are interested in finding out prices and availability, you can click on this link.
As for travel, we always travelled with our own private driver and if you are interested, write to us and we will be happy to give you his contact details!
The view on the jungle from our private pool in Ubud
Our villa in Ubud
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On the first day of our itinerary to discover what to see in Bali in 5 days, we landed at Denpasar airport in the early afternoon. Here, our driver was waiting to take us to our accommodation, which was located near Ubud, one of the most popular resorts on the island.
We spent the afternoon strolling around the centre of Ubud, walking through the central streets where there are many shops, restaurants and clubs.
There are also several temples in the centre of Ubud. We recommend visiting at least the Saraswati temple and the Pura Desa temple.
The evening took us to the beautiful Palace of Ubud in Bali, where we watched traditional Indonesian dance performances, with dancers wearing typical costumes and colourful masks.
The nightlife in Ubud is lively and very busy, although at the same time there is no shortage of more secluded and very quiet restaurants!
In the centre of Ubud, you can visit two markets, one traditional and the other more touristy.
The traditional market is located along Jl. Karna road and closes at about seven o’clock in the evening.
The more ‘touristy’ market is located in a building along Jl. Raya Ubud opposite the Palace of Ubud. This market also stays open in the evening, so it is perfect for an after-dinner stroll!
If you are looking for souvenirs, handicrafts, clothes, jewellery and anything else you can think of, these two markets are the right place for you (although we recommend you opt for the traditional market!).
Traditional indonesian dance
The second day of our 5-day itinerary in Bali started very early in the morning! In fact, taking advantage of the absence of many tourists, we headed to the terraced rice fields of Abian Desa.
These rice paddies are less crowded than the more famous Tegallalang rice paddies, but they are just as beautiful (in fact, they are located next to each other).
The visit to the rice fields lasts about an hour, during which we were able to walk along the paths through the fields, meet farmers at work and take beautiful photographs of these green terraces surrounded by jungle.
Definitely, the terraced rice paddies around Ubud are one of the things to see in Bali in five days.
Opening hours: 8am to 5:30pm
Entrance fee: 25,000 IDR (about €1.50)
Our tip: Visit these rice fields early in the morning
After visiting the rice paddies, we headed to the Pura Gunung Kawi Sebatu temple, a lesser-known site but a true gem of Bali.
This ancient temple dating back to the 11th century is known for its sacred pools where purification rituals can be performed. In addition, there are colourful carp and water lilies in some of these pools.
The atmosphere in this temple is so relaxed that, as there are not many people, it is the perfect place if you want to do some meditation.
After some relaxation, we moved on to another famous temple, the Tirta Empul.
This temple is very large and famous and indeed attracts a large number of visitors. Unfortunately, its fame has led to a large influx of tourists, compromising the serene and spiritual atmosphere typical of Indonesian temples. The sacred pools of Tirta Empul are filled with tourists queuing up to take photos, to the point where the true meaning of the purification ritual is lost.
If you are interested in a tour of the temples and also doing the purification ritual, we recommend you take a look at this tour.
Opening hours: 8am to 6pm
Entrance fee: IDR 30,000 (approximately €1.80)
Our tip: Enjoy the tranquility of this temple because you won’t find many that are so uncrowded
Opening hours: 8am to 6pm
Entrance fee: IDR 50,000 (about €3
Our tip: take your time to visit this site but, if you want to, do the purification ritual at another temple.
After visiting the temples, we took a break to visit the Segara Windhu coffee plantation.
During the first part of the visit, you will be explained how the famous Indonesian coffee is produced: Kopi Luwak. Here’s a little clue: the Indonesian word Kopi means coffee, while Luwak is a mongoose.
In fact, Indonesian coffee is made from the faeces of mongooses that eat the coffee berries and change the flavour during digestion: the ‘distinctly bitter’ notes are replaced by more roasted ones.
After the first part, you can have a tasting on the terrace with a panoramic view of the jungle. You can taste various types of coffee and herbal teas and understand the difference in the taste of coffee produced by male and female luwaks.
For us, the ginseng coffee with added mango was fantastic but the mangosteen herbal tea was also outstanding. Definitely worth trying!
Opening hours: 8am to 5pm
Entrance fee: visiting the plantation is free, while tasting the female Kopi Luwak coffee costs IDR 50,000 (about €3), the male Luwak coffee IDR 80,000 (about €4.70)
Our advice: for us, the mangosteen herbal tea was really something! If you want to bring home some unusual souvenirs, stop and buy some tea or coffee bags, like Luwak’s, at the plantation shop!
Our last stop on this second day exploring Bali and Ubud was the famous Ubud Monkey Forest. This forest is located close enough to the centre of Ubud town that you can walk there in about ten minutes.
Obviously, the Monkey Forest is one of the places you absolutely must visit during a five-day trip to Bali.
It is a very fun experience because you will visit a forest where hundreds of monkeys live freely and you will get to walk among them! The monkeys are accustomed to tourists so they move quietly along the paths in search of food or something to steal from you, or they rest lying on the trees or statues that decorate the park. Within this forest there is also a Hindu temple and a traditional Balinese cemetery.
Our advice for visiting the Ubud Monkey Forest is to buy tickets in advance to avoid the long queues at the entrance.
Opening hours: 9am to 6pm
Admission fee: IDR 80,000-100,000 for adults (€5-6)
Our tip:
Details from Tirta Empul Temple
Relax in Pura Gunung Kawi Sebatu temple
Tender moments in the Monkey Forest in Ubud
A fun experience that Bali has to offer is to visit Ubud Monkey Forest. Here is some useful information to help you plan your visit!
Day 3 of our 5-day itinerary in Bali took us south, on a tour of beaches and temples, in search of authentic experiences and less crowded places. In fact, we were looking for some lesser-known places and Nunggalan beach was the right choice!
Our first stop was Nunggalan beach, which is located in the far south of Bali, so it takes a while to get there from Ubud. After parking, you have to walk down a path.
The path is quite steep, so we recommend that you wear tennis shoes or, even better, trekking shoes. The walk takes 30 minutes (which you will also have to do on the way back, but uphill!) but we assure you that the beauty of this place will absolutely repay the effort!
We found ourselves on a long stretch of golden sand bathed by a beautiful sea, surrounded by mountains covered by jungle vegetation, where there must have been at most a dozen people!
In this place you have the feeling of being far away from everything and everyone, it really is an exceptional place and we recommend that you do not miss it! In addition, along the beach you will also find a shipwreck from which you can take beautiful photos!
This beach is definitely one of the places to visit on a 5-day trip to Bali.
After tackling the (long) climb, we headed to the temple of Uluwatu, located on a cliff with a breathtaking panoramic view of the sea. This temple is one of many built along the coast to protect the island of Bali from the forces of the sea.
The temple did not particularly impress us but, certainly, its location makes it absolutely unique! Also, if you have the opportunity to stay in the area in the evening, Indonesian fire dance performances are held in this temple.
Opening hours: 7am to 7pm
Entrance fee: 50,000 IDR (about 3 €)
Close to the Uluwatu temple is the beach of the same name, which is a popular surfing spot.
The beach is embedded below the cliff and, therefore, you have to climb a flight of steps to reach it. When you get to the beach, the spectacle is unbelievable because it is a very small inlet protected by the rocks of the cliff that create a real cave. This beach is absolutely one of the places to include without a doubt in any 5-day itinerary in Bali.
We stopped at the beach bar located above the cliff, from where we could enjoy the beautiful view of the coast and have fun watching the surfers’ acrobatics in the waves.
Obviously, being very exposed, it is not the ideal place if you are looking for a beach where you can swim in calm waters!
Nunggalan beach
Uluwatu beach
Our last stop, scheduled for sunset, was at the temple of Tanah Lot, another temple located on the coast, but this time surrounded by the ocean.
In fact, the peculiarity of this temple is that it is located right in the middle of the sea and is only accessible during low tide. It is one of the most photographed places in Bali, which means it is often crowded, especially at sunset.
Despite the crowds, it is still worth a visit to admire the magnificent spectacle offered by the Tanah Lot temple in the middle of the sea at sunset.
Consider that getting to the temple will take a long time because you will have to queue all the way. Just to give you an idea, it took us more than three hours from Uluwatu to Tanah Lot (we are talking about a distance of about 40 km!).
Opening hours: 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Entrance fee: IDR 75,000 (about €4.40)
Our tip: check what the sunset time is so you can be there in time. Then, consider that to get to the temple you’ll have to cross the Kuta area, which is always super busy.
Day four of our Bali exploration trip focused on the natural wonders of the island near Ubud, particularly its waterfalls. If you want to dedicate an entire day to discovering Bali’s waterfalls, it might be a good idea to book a waterfall tour, which will allow you to visit all the most beautiful ones on the island.
The first waterfall we visited was Taman Sari, and this was probably our favourite. In fact, this waterfall is less well known than others and therefore less crowded.
Here we were able to bathe and enjoy a relaxing shoulder massage under the waterfall, with very few people: it was indeed a truly relaxing moment!
Opening hours: 8am to 5.30pm
Entrance fee: IDR 25,000 (about €1.50)
Our tip: visit these waterfalls early in the morning because, in our opinion, they are the best places to enjoy a swim! If you want, there are also lockers available to store your things.
The second waterfall we explored was Tibumana, a little more crowded than the previous one, although, in our opinion, not as beautiful.
To reach it, we followed a path through the jungle, crossing small bamboo bridges.
The waterfall is located in a clearing and flows into a small pond below where you can swim.
Opening hours: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Entrance fee: IDR 25,000 (about € 1.50)
Our tip: visit these waterfalls early in the morning as they are very popular!
Our third stop took us to the Goa Rang Reng waterfall, which gushes between the rocks and continues into the forest, creating spectacular natural corridors between the rock walls and the vegetation.
Here too, you can bathe at the foot of the waterfall, but watch out for the current!
There is also another waterfall where you can dive and which you can reach on foot, but only if you are accompanied by a local guide.
Opening hours: 8am to 6pm
Entrance fee: IDR 20,000 (about €1.20)
Our tip: you can visit the main waterfall on your own, but if you are accompanied by a local guide (at a cost of about 12 €) you can get to some very nice spots, such as another waterfall where you can dive in!
Next, we headed further south to visit the Kanto Lampo waterfalls, our fourth and final waterfall of the day.
These waterfalls are extremely ‘Instagrammable’ and therefore very popular with tourists. In fact, long queues of tourists form along the steps leading up to the falls, wanting to take a photo under the waterfall.
In front of the waterfall is a small cave, which can be reached by fording the stream and following a path that leads in front of the falls. We recommend you stay for a refreshing dip in the stream, but watch out for the current!
Opening hours: 6:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Entrance fee: IDR 20,000 (about €1.20)
Our advice: if you want to take the perfect instagram photo, it is imperative to be there at the opening, unless you want to queue for a couple of hours! (Is it really worth it?).
Taman Sari waterfall
Tibumana waterfall
Candlelight dinner in the jungle
We ended our tour with a visit to the Pura Puseh Desa Batuan temple, which is located a few minutes from the falls.
This temple is very large and is less frequented by tourists than others, despite its beauty and size.
Here, we were able to enjoy an hour of tranquillity, walking inside the temple complex, finally away from the hustle and bustle.
Opening hours: 9:00 am to 6:00 pm
Entrance fee: 30,000 IDR (approximately 1.80 €)
This fourth day ends with a truly magical and romantic experience: a candlelit dinner in the jungle! This is a 6-course dinner, served on a private terrace overlooking the jungle, with a personal waiter. We definitely recommend booking this experience (in advance) as it will allow you to disconnect from the hustle and bustle of downtown Ubud and enjoy a great dinner while listening to the sounds of the jungle!
On the fifth and final day of our five-day itinerary in Bali, we headed to the famous Tegenungan waterfall, one of the largest on the island. The waterfall is absolutely stunning, but you have to keep in mind that it is very busy with tourists. Therefore, we highly recommend visiting it early in the morning to avoid the crowds.
There is also a bar overlooking the waterfall, with a viewing terrace and a swimming pool, where you can enjoy a spectacular view.
Opening hours: 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Entrance fee: IDR 20,000 (approx. €1.20)
Our tip: to get to the waterfall you will have to climb almost 200 steps, so arm yourself with patience!
After visiting the waterfall, we made our way to the carpenters’ quarter, known for its workshops specialising in creating works of art from rough wooden logs.
There are finely crafted statues and paintings carved to the smallest detail of any size, even life-size.
In the afternoon, we explored the surrounding areas around the centre of Ubud, in particular the forest and rice paddies that extend close to the town and can be crossed by two footpaths that start directly from the centre of Ubud.
The first is the Campuhan Ridge walk, while the second is known as Sweet Orange. Both of these walks offer breathtaking views of Bali’s nature and are a great way to relax, soak up the island’s atmosphere and connect with its natural beauty.
Carpenter's shop
Tegenungan waterfall
As you have read, our trip to Bali was an intense experience with a rather tight schedule in order to visit as many places as possible, but there was no shortage of moments of relaxation in the temples and in nature, which helped to make the trip truly special. Indeed, visiting Bali in 5 days requires a bit of effort and above all (and unfortunately) a choice of places to visit, as this incredible island has so much to offer and one could certainly spend a much longer period than 5 days exploring even just the surroundings of Ubud without getting bored.
We hope you found this article useful as a starting point for planning your itinerary to discover what to see in Bali in 5 days! Also, if this itinerary has inspired you to book your trip to Bali and you want some information on how to organise a DIY holiday in Indonesia, we recommend you read this article, where we give you lots of useful tips and info!
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