The Nicest Hostel I’ve Stayed At in Ubud
My time in Bali so far had not been the tropical paradise I expected. The beaches in Kuta were disgusting and while I enjoyed Canggu a lot, its surfing-friendly beaches and trendy cafes were no replacement for the lush wildlife the island is known for.
To understand what Bali is really about, you have to go further north. The town of Ubud, located a forty-five minute drive from Canggu, is the heart of Bali both physically and culturally. While Ubud is quite touristy, it is tastefully done and so beautiful that it’s touristy for a reason.
When my Grab dropped me off in front of my hostel, I thought I was in the wrong place at first. Backpackers I met in Canggu recommended I stay at the Puri Garden Hotel, a hostel with both single and dorm rooms. It was twice the price of the hostels I’d stayed at so far, but when we’re talking twenty dollars a night versus ten, I was ok with splurging.
The Puri Garden Hotel is the nicest hostel I’ve ever stayed at, period. Or as the Brits say, full stop. I was still in a dorm room, but the bunks were double beds and the mattresses were actually soft. There was also tons of storage for my stuff which is not common in hostels. Usually I just put my backpack on the floor, or in a locker at best.
After checking in and settling in to my room, I went to book my day trip for the next day. Unfortunately the tour was already booked up, so I put myself on a waitlist in case anyone cancelled. After that I joined in on a beer pong tournament that had just started in the common area. My teammate and I made it to the final round but ended up being defeated. It was a lot of fun and a great way to break the ice with other backpackers.
The next day I was able to go on the day trip as someone had dropped out. Our tour guide was a Dutch guy who worked at the hostel. Our first stop was a local elementary school which gave us some insight into the lives of Balinese schoolchildren and gave them an opportunity to practice their English. Some of the girls even performed a traditional Balinese dance which was really cool!
Our next stop was the famous Tegenungan Waterfall, which is a great spot if you’re looking for some Instagram shots. You can take stairs all the way to the bottom, but I didn’t bother as it was already packed with people taking photos.
At this point it was lunch time, so we stopped at a restaurant overlooking the palm trees and rice terraces. It was a gorgeous view and the food was really good. I had my first nasi goreng here, it was delicious but I was still missing my beloved Thai food.
Our next stop was my favourite of the day: the famous Tegalalang Rice Terrace. The street near the entrance is full of touristy stores and cafes, but once you’re in the terrace proper it is truly a sight to behold. Once I was surrounded by nothing but rice fields, it looked too perfect to be real and seemed to go on forever. It’s one of the most beautiful things I’ve seen in my life. Hiking through the entire area was quite a workout, so make sure you bring your comfy shoes.
Next was a coffee plantation that produces kopi luwak. This is a coffee made from partially digested coffee cherries that are eaten and excreted by a luwak, also known as an Asian palm civet. It is one of the most expensive types of coffee in the world, and while I didn’t try one I did try a traditional Balinese coffee. It barely tasted better than instant and was loaded with sugar, so as someone who normally drinks black coffee I wasn’t a fan. I also tried a tea which wasn’t much better.
The final stop of the day was at a water temple called Pira Tirta Empul. It was a bit of a speed run though as we were running late and had to be back at the hostel for a certain time. Upon exiting the temple we were subjected to a long, unavoidable maze of vendors which was a little annoying.
After the drive back to the hostel I was starving so I grabbed some dinner at a Mexican restaurant called Taco Casa. I was already starting to get tired of Indonesian food and this chain ended up being a godsend during my time in Bali. At the entrance to the restaurant I recognized one of the Dutch girls from my day trip. We ended up having dinner together with an English guy and a Brazilian girl, also from the hostel. After dinner we headed back to Puri Garden and had a beer in the common area.
The next day I did the Campuhan Ridge Walk with the girls from yesterday as well as another Dutch girl from the day trip. The path is pretty flat but it’s quite long and you can easily spend a couple hours on it. I remember it being particularly hot that day so try to do it in the morning if you can.
Afterwards we headed to a pool bar called Jungle Fish which was awesome! It was only about seven bucks Canadian for a lounge chair and pool access for the whole day. The infinity pool was gorgeous and the beer nuts and San Miguel beer tower were delicious! I highly recommend stopping here if you’re in Ubud as it’s a great way to spend the day.
After a day of lounging and swimming we headed back into town and grabbed some dinner at Laughing Buddha Bar. I had some Cajun chicken which was delicious but the portion was pretty small. There was a blues band playing which were really good and they rocked the heck out of Free Bird!
Later on we went to a place called CP Lounge which is a huge bar with tons of pool tables and lounge areas. It wasn’t very busy when we got there so we just chilled out and had some drinks. By midnight a DJ started playing and there was lots of people dancing.
So that was my time in Ubud. It’s an essential stop in Bali as many of the island’s most famous attractions can be found here. If you’ve been to Ubud you might be wondering, what about the Sacred Monkey Forest? Well, I decided not to visit as I’d already been to Monkey Beach on Ko Phi Phi. It wasn’t a priority for me and I didn’t feel like getting a rabies shot if one of them bit me.
The next day I headed back to Canggu as there were a few things I still wanted to do there before leaving the island. My original plan was to head further north to really get as close to the untouched nature of Bali as possible. But my fear of scooters and a lack of tourist amenities made me change my mind, but it gives me more to do if I ever go back.
I had also heard from several backpackers about three small islands east of Bali which I hadn’t heard of before and sounded really fun. So just like I did with Koh Rong Sanloem in Cambodia, I changed my plans and decided to go with the flow. It’s a mindset that changed the way I look at life and continues to this day.
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