Best of Ubud: Vegan Food, Mindful Activities & Accommodation

Ubud is a very popular and eventful city in the center of Bali. Ubud is also known as one the vegan & mindfulness center on the island. In fact, the offer of yoga schools and vegan cafes is limitless. We decided to stay a total of 2 days in Ubud and it was enough to enjoy what this sacred place had to offer. It is definitely one of the most touristy place we visited during our whole trip and we didn’t enjoy the fact that it was “Westernised”. However, if you are planning on staying long term somewhere in Bali to work remotely and meet other entrepreneurs, Ubud is filled with co-working places and easy access to many shops, restaurants and activities.

Where to stay ?

David and I stayed at a very lovely Airbnb villa located in a quiet neighbourhood 5 minutes from the city center by scooter. We rented a scooter for 70K Rupiah/day (approx. 5USD) up the street from the villa and it made it so much easier to get around and visit as much as possible. The villa was like on the pictures, spotless clean and with a private pool, we really enjoyed staying there. The breakfast is included and is served every morning upon request. They offered a few vegan options, we mostly had fresh juices and fruit platter.

Feel free to use this link to get 52€ off your upcoming Airbnb reservation.

What to do ?

Campuhan Ridge Walk

We went there for a run on our last day in Ubud. It does have a really nice view and is relatively short. We recommend you go there early in the morning around sunrise to avoid the crowd and the heat.

Monkey Forest

As touristy as it could get, I personally loved that one. I would highly recommend going early in the morning when it opens as it gets crowded very quickly. It’s important to respect the rules and the monkeys if you decide to go. They are in semi-captivity and actually have plenty of space to move as the forest is relatively big. However, if you’d like to see monkeys without having to pay an entrance fee, we saw wild ones on the side of the road near Seraya (East of Bali) and Lombok.

Sound bath meditation at the Pyramids of Chi

I did a sound bath meditation in Los Angeles two years ago and when I saw Ubud offered similar events, I had to take David to try this. Although the session at the Pyramids of Chi was very different from the one I previously experienced in L.A. I personally really enjoyed it. This activity is definitely on the more pricey side as it is clearly designed for foreigners visiting the area. However, I decided to treat myself as this is something unique that I don’t have the opportunity to do back home.

Tegallalang Rice Terraces

We personnally chose not to go because we saw many tourist-free rice terraces during our trip which where in complete nature and costless.

Where to eat ?

Sawobali $$

A vegan all-you-can eat buffet for approx. 5USD. The food was delicious and the selection offered many traditional dishes. Definitely a great way to try loads of different flavours and local specialties. My favorite place we ate at while in Ubud by far.

Sayuri Healing Food $$$

This place is in the center of Ubud, in the same street as Sawobali vegan buffet. The menu offers so many flavourful options. The smoothies are delicious and would totally recommend the smoothie bowls there as a full meal. The portion is particularly large for a smoothie bowl compared to most places in Bali and it’s topped with lots of fruit and granola. David & I tried the Tempeh Burger and the Jackfruit Rendang. This place also offers many vegan deserts and ice cream which you can either eat in or take away.

Zest $$$

Zest is a vegan restaurant which also offers yoga classes and panel talks. It’s a gorgeous place to get lunch or even get some work done. The food was very refined and beautifully presented.