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Puri Saren Palace
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Puri Saren Palace

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Puri Saren Palace
3.5
992
#22 of 97 things to do in Ubud
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Puri Saren Agung is the place where Ubud's long tradition of home stays all began, more than 80 years ago, when Bali first started to attract bohemian artists from around the world. Renting one of five traditional stone bungalows in the sumptuous royal courtyard is still quite an experience, and every night the palace comes alive with the sound of Gamelan music as Balinese dances are performed just across the wall from Puri Saren Agung.
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168 within 6 miles
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
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3.5
992 reviews
Excellent
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Poor
56
Terrible
11
Samantha F
Ballarat, Australia1,189 contributions
Was expecting more
When you hear "Ubud Palce", you're expecting something magical and grand. Don't expect this to be like Buckingham Palace. I had read up about the history of the palace before I came, this was lucky because unless you have a tour guide, there isn't much facts about the past.
It is free entry. And there is only a few courtyards and that's it. You can't go into some sacred areas. It can be a quick walk around.

If you're looking at getting some good photos, i suggest visiting first thing in the morning, as there is always crowds.
Written March 8, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Abana87
Leeds, UK80 contributions
More of the same, if you’re into it
As part of our tour through Ubud, we found ourselves deep in the commercial end of town (by the Monkey Forest) which is where the Puri Saren Royal Palace lies. If you didn’t know this was where the royal family spent some of their time, you wouldn’t be the only one; the palace itself seems fairly innocuous when compared to the likes of the temples and traditional family houses you see casually around Bali.
Whilst this may seem to make the royal family that bit more relatable to the average local, in all honesty it was just more of the same that we had come to expect from the temples of Ubud. That was not to say the palace wasn’t an aesthetic marvel, more that the style of Balinese architecture that we had seen throughout our travels in Ubud is itself incredible and this was, at the risk of repeating myself, just more of that.
Not an essential stop by any means, but if you want more of that Balinese architectural goodness then you can easily fit it into your schedule.
Written September 7, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Yokeys
93 contributions
Evening Dance Show
Family
Puri Saren Palace is slap bang in the middle of Ubud and has an excellent traditional Balinese Dance Show every evening at 7.30pm.

The show is performed in one of the palaces open courtyards front of 2 large golden doors. Seats are placed all around the courtyard but the show is very busy and if you are late you may need to sit on the floor. We actually moved to the floor area 1/2 way through the show as it was more comfortable.

The show goes on for 2 hours and the toilet facilities in the courtyard are a bit grim so try and go beforehand.
Refreshments, including cold beer are on offer by local vendors around the courtyard at quite reasonable prices.

If you have children with you, try and pick a seat with a good escape route as 2 hours of traditional Balinese music will try the resolve of even the most patient kid. We took our iPad with headphones for our 11 year old who happily spent the 2nd half of the show watching Scooby Doo.

The show itself is a visual treat and very professionally performed. Although a tourist attraction by design the performers take their art very seriously.

Make sure you take your camera. I would advise setting it to a sports mode if available as we got some brilliant results with this after much trial and error.

In Summary....
This has to be done when visiting Ubud.

Try and arrange to visit the rest of the palace in late afternoon/early evening then have an early dinner at one of the many fabulous restaurants around the palace complex before finishing off the evening with the dance show. You wont be disappointed..
Written October 3, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Raymondale
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia841 contributions
revisited
when border reopened,i came to Bali again,from end of May till mid of June,one day,when i waited for my driver to pick me up,i waited here.it is a landmark,so your driver wont miss you.cuz still earlier,i entered the palace again,took lots of pics,that time less crowded.but the palace still nothing special,cuz you cant go inside the prohibited areas.when i finished photos taking, i waited opposite the palace.there is a Bale. and a woman and a girl came to me, selling some souvenirs,i bought two bracelets from the woman, and a small fan from that girl. finally my driver came, then i left. there is a dance performance held in the palace almost every night, but this time i didnt watch any of them. maybe next time. if you come to ubud, dont forget to visit puri saren palace, it is one of a must-visit attractions in ubud.
Written July 3, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Julian
Singapore, Singapore1,051 contributions
Many of the photos posted here are not Puri Saren Agung!
Couples
It seems that many people don't seem to be able to tell the difference between Puri Saren Agung and Pura Taman Saraswati (which are located close to each other in Ubud, on Jalan Ubud Raya). I counted at least 20 photos posted here that are actually of Pura Taman Saraswati (including the "title photograph for this tripadvisor page!!), not of Puri Saren Agung.

So if you see ponds with water lilies in front of a temple in a photo, that is Pura Taman Saraswati, Ubud. And not Puri Saren Agung, Ubud. And any reviews mentioning ponds, water gardens, water lilies and the like are similarly posted to the wrong location!

Puri Saren Agung is also known as Ubud Palace (note: pura means temple, whilst puri means palace). It is the residence of the "royal family" of Ubud. You can access the courtyards, but not the inner palace. Traditional balinese dance shows are held in the courtyard nightly (an entrance fee applies) but you can wonder around the courtyards for free at other times. There is some interesting traditional architecture, but it is not that old (rebuilt after 1917).

I also note that some people refer to Pura Taman Saraswati as "Ubud Water Palace", but it is not a palace (puri) it is a temple (pura)!
Written November 30, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
bratsche1980
Melbourne, Australia283 contributions
7:30 pm dance performances are excellent
Couples
This is THE venue for nightly dance performances with gamelan orchestra in Ubud. The palace provides a great backdrop with it's beautiful entrance as an integral part of the performance. Tickets are around Rp 80000 from street vendors, who start selling tickets in the early afternoon. You may be able to get cheaper at the door if you arrive early. The show lasts just over an hour and features a variety of dances. The costumes are inspired and the dancers and musicians are wonderful, demonstrating incredible precision and memory. It's worth getting there early -- absolutely no later than 7 pm -- to get a good seat. The night we were there it was standing room only. Thoroughly recommended as a cultural experience in Ubud.
Written September 8, 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Sheetal S
Mumbai, India192 contributions
can visit if in ubud centre
Couples
You can take a quick walk in around 15 mins here if you are in Ubud Centre . It is a small beautiful palace with no tickets required.There is cultural Bali dance activity in the evenings on Mon , Tue and Wed ...No sarong required
Written April 24, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
LobnaHamada
Leeds, UK94 contributions
Not to be missed
It's a small nice palace, that is worth the visit, however my suggestion would be to see it close to sunset because by 7:30 there's a traditional Balinese dancing show which was great, the costumes and the music were intriguing.
Written January 17, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Olivier_Reiz
Marly-le-Roi, France60 contributions
Most amazing dance shows in Bali
Couples
The venue is very nice and should be visited if you are in Ubud, but the ultimate Ubud experience is to go there for a 7.30pm dance show. They are the top-end of what you can see in Bali. The best dancers are selected, the shows are breath taking. Turn up 30 minutes early to get a good seat, or to get a seat at all!
Written May 17, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
JD1316
Singapore, Singapore84 contributions
Beautiful
This was the drop off and pick up place for our hotel shuttle so we got to explore it daily while in Ubud. It's s beautiful palace where I believe they also hold traditional dance shows (we didn't attend 1 but they sell tickets at the gate). Most of it is cordoned off (living quarters mainly) but you can see a bit of the inner compounds through the gates and they're equally beautiful. We saw many tourists venture in despite the keep out signs. The main shopping area is across the road from the palace and you can buy souvenirs and eat out. It's good for a few pretty photo ops and a quick exploration of traditional architecture though I'm not sure of its history.
Written February 14, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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Puri Saren Palace (Ubud) - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go

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