Bali’s 50 Shades Of Green: My Ubud Retreat

It's called “Island of the Gods” for a reason. Bali, Indonesia, has become THE vacation spot for many people around the world dreaming of lush jungle greens and beautiful scenic sea shores. As of March 2023, over 1 million tourists already visited Bali that year and having August a peak month in the dry season meant I would luckily spend my Bali nights there with some of those millions. The town of Ubud, in the uplands of Bali, Indonesia, is known mainly for its rainforest and terraced rice paddies, included with beautiful Hindu temples. Some people also venture out to buy the many local arts and crafts that are unique to this region. These are among Bali’s most famous landscapes. For my stay in Ubud I made the perfect choice with Padma resorts and their Ubud stay was nothing less than breathtaking. As soon as you enter the resort you are seated at the beautiful outdoor check in area with your welcome drink and you almost wish you could stay there the entire stay. You soon discover the resort is filled with hidden corners in the surrounding jungle that are just as mindful if not more. It really took my breath away. I was lucky to have also chosen a room which includes access to the club lounge. Why is this important you ask? The club lounge has the best view of the house and it offers a very generous evening canopy which for me meant I basically did not need to go out for dinner on any of my three nights stay and enjoyed pretty much a free flow of evening cocktails. But its a matter of how hungry you really are and the hotel does offer great food options. So here are my top tips for this stay in Ubud:

General stay tip: Stay at least 3 nights so that you can spend one full day in the resort itself beyond venturing out around Ubud. The hotel offers free in-door activities (I personally loved my archery class) and the amazing infinity pools are reason enough to spend some quiet time in the resort. In addition there are beautiful walking trails including a mindful bamboo bridge at the lowest part of the walking path and you can even take a guided tour through the resort’s Agroforestry Garden. For kids (even bigger ones like me) there is also a super cute animal feeding area.

Room Tip: As mentioned I chose the Premier club room which turned out to not only good from a budget perspective (as it covered my multiple cocktails and evening canopy) but its also the best view of the house. I found it also quite and nice as a working area as I sat with my laptop sorting out pictures of my trip.

Excursion tip: There is more than enough to do around Ubud whether you are a mindful traveller like myself or a more active one. I decided to take a driver for the day and stop at some recommended spots by the locals. One must do is a purification ceremony in one of the local water temples. According to some Hindu beliefs you can cleanse away negativity and renew yourself with spiritual energy by bathing under the springs in the water temples around Ubud. Another must is a visit to the Tegalalang rice fields. If you are brave you can try a famous Bali swing to add to your Instagram posts!