Hi! Just after some recommendations on 'must-dos/must-sees' if we were to do a half day drip to Ubud. I have done lots of research but really after some personal experiences. Recommended itinerary? Monkey forest? Taro elephant park? Ubud markets? Any suggestions appreciated!
First of all, a half day isn't really enough. Even if all you wanted to do was to walk around the shops of the three main streets in central Ubud and whizz through the markets, it would take you at least a few hours. If you're looking to book a driver for a half day, you're probably negotiating for 4 hours and it's going to take at least an hour each way to get there from the south.
The monkey forest is very central, but at the opposite end of Monkey Forest Road to the markets (which run along the main road through Ubud). The forest itself is small and pretty, as are the temples within it, but the monkeys can be intimidating. If you go, don't carry food.
If you're an early riser and you're interested in seeing the local market it could be worth booking the driver for a very early start (say 5am if you're coming from the south) and getting to the markets in time to see offerings and produce stalls before they pack up around 9/10am to make way for the souvenir stalls. That way you would miss the heavy traffic and the heat.
Taro Elephant Park is a 30 minute or so drive, north of Ubud central. If you were to book a mountain bike tour with Bali Adventure Tours on a separate day, you will finish in the elephant park (where you'll have lunch by the elephant pool and have time to feed them and interact with them before your car takes you back to your hotel).
Some other sites worth visiting near Ubud are Goa Gajah (the elephant cave), Gunung Kawi (burial complex with cliff carvings, reached via a long path through rice terraces), Gunung Kawi Sebatu (temple with many bathing pools for cleansing evil spirits), Tegallalang (rice terraces and lots of craft shops), Tegenungan waterfall.
Plus there is Bali Bird Park and Bali Zoo.
Contributor 
23,568 posts
179 reviews Karen's suggestions are really good, but to answer your question simply, it would not be worthwhile going on a half day trip to Ubud. The place will be packed with day trippers, some of whom come in huge coaches which clog up the little roads. Total waste of time in my opinion.
Agree half a day is not enough.
Give the elephant park a miss.
Get your driver to go to the rice terraces just outside Ubud.
Monkey Forest, markets, maybe Elephant Cave temple ( no elephants there! ).
Plan to do less not more.
Contributor
9,646 posts
60 reviews Agree, rather a waste of time to go to Ubud for half a day. After allowing for the trip, you might have 2 hours left. Try and stay there at least 4 days as the minimum to see and do a few of the things on offer.
Depends what you're after. If shopping, restaurant sampling, etc., 1/2 day isn't enough, travelkat is dead right about waste of time in the crowds. If you're after culture, art galleries and such, you may just be able to swing it (in a rush), though without the Bali dancers (at night, tourist spectacle, but not bad). For a very interesting gallery I warmly recommend Setia Darma house of masks and puppets, really worth a visit, away from the tourist drag in central Ubud. For the rice fields you'd do better going elsewhere, some area without traffic jams.
On a personal note, I visited Ubud last year, after 21 years, it was (mostly) a huge disappointment that put me off the place for good. It's worth noting though even then, so long ago, I heard the same whinge from the old timers pining for the earlier days.
Edited: 10:51 pm, March 19, 2016
Contributor
9,646 posts
60 reviews Time - when you were going for a half day trip, it would have added too long to your drive. If you want to go to Taro, they have packages which includes transport. But then you'd not get to Ubud. I guess you need to consider how long you're willing to sit in a car versus what you want to see or do.
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