We decided to stay in Ubud for nearly 5 weeks as we knew it was a very family friendly place following the time we spent here in 2019. From our researched it also seemed to offer a lot in terms of activities and with many tourists and expats being here we thought it would be good for some socialising and meet ups for the kids. We wanted to take our time and try new things, explore the area thoroughly and learn more about Ubud. From our time here, we’ve selected our favourite activities to do as a family, or for the kids! Happy kids = happy parents!
UBUD MONKEY FOREST
Since our last visit here in 2019, the Monkey Forest has become much more touristy and expensive. Entrance for 2 adults and 2 children is 280k (£15) and whereas we previously walked in via a small gatehouse, there is now a huge car park and entrance hall with a cafe and fish pond. Within the park there are also now stalls selling the usual balinese gifts which again is a new tourist-trap addition.
However, if you get past that the fact remains that you are wandering through a forest in the centre of Ubud with wild monkeys roaming around. They do get a bit frisky, and have been known to jump on you – we saw several water bottles get snatched out of hands, and witnessed a few people trying not to panic as a monkey jumped on their head or shoulder! The forest is also large – it will take you over an hour to slowly meander around the paths which are surrounded by stone, moss-covered carvings, vines hanging from trees and of course plenty of monkeys to spot. There are temples and shrines within, and even a monkey cemetry. Don’t take in food and just wander slowly – it is their home after all.
U Fun Field
Our visit to U Fun Field was one of the best days of our trip so far. This is a new (5 months old) venue for rice paddy tours, Bali swings, zip-wiring and sky bikes. It is also a lot cheaper and A LOT quieter than the other sites that do this sort of thing, so no queueing, and a much more personal experience. The basic package is the tour which various photo spots and costs 99k per person (£5). We opted for this + the zip wire which was 250k per person and gave you 2 flights (there and back, twice) each. The kids were strapped to an adult each with a kids harness and various clips, and it all felt very safe with the flight going over the rice paddy field to a platform and then back again. The kids absolutely loved it and the views were stunning. It’s not a huge flight in terms time / distance, but for us it was perfect for an 8 and 5 year old. Alicia could have flown on her own if she wanted but we decided not to this time.
After the zip wire we had lunch in the onsite cafe which were delicious wraps and fries, and a much needed coke for around 300k for us all (£15). we’re glad we had lunch before embarking on our cultural tour as there would have been some major h-anger otherwise.
The cultural tour is a walk through the rice paddy with a very knowledgable local guide. We had Muhammed who was so good with kids, and his (self taught) English was impeccable. He explained how rice grew, when it was ready, pointed our various plants and herbs, which could be eaten – even how much protein was in each leaf! There was a chance to walk through water, a few bridges, a waterfall to glance at, see wild chickens roaming the land and he even cut up some sugar cane for us to try. The big surprise was the pineapple growing randomly in the paddy! There are a lot of creatures to see (eels, small fish, amazing dragonflies and butterflies) and he even managed to catch a grasshopper which made Nyle’s day! It took us around 90 minutes and there are a few photo stops as you see on the various instagram tours offered around Ubud. Would totally recommend going to this place around 45 minutes drive from Ubud.
Bali family hangout
As well as being a good place to eat (more recommendations are on the specific ‘places to eat blog’, Bali Family Hangout offers classes and activities for kids. Entrance to the play area, which includes use of a small pool (and they are on the brink of opening a water slide), is 150k (£7.50) or free after 6pm. The play area is perfect for under 11s with a sandpit, cargo nets, slides, swings, bridges, a small bike track with balance bikes and scooters to use and a trampoline.
On their class schedule which is posted on the socials they offer Balinese dance (Alicia was the only student and she loved it) for 35k (£1.75), swimming lessons (200k), movie nights, themed days, lego meet ups (free with play admission), painting and crafting. There is also a Jungle School for 2-7 year olds if you did want an education setting for your younger children which runs 9-3. Friday night is Boardgame night with later opening until 10pm (usually closes around 8pm).
VISIT A SPA
There are so many spas in Ubud and many of them are very family friendly. Even Nyle got in on the act! From manicures and pedicures, to various full body massages, there are so many treatments to choose from. Most treatments are generally around £10/200k RP, with the offer of several combo packages around £25/500k RP. The chairs are comfy, the staff amazing and they all found Nyle having his toe nails painted very cute. He even sat still for it. Don’t think spas are just for the grown ups, the kids want in on the act too and Bali is one of the places that is very open to that. Our favourite spa was The Samaria Spa, Ubud.
ATV / QUAD BIKING TOUR
This is a much advertised activity around Ubud and the cost starts from £25 for a quad bike which gives you around 1 hour tour of the countryside outside Ubud. It’s a bit extra if you want your child to ride on the bike with you (of course this is needed) and here comes my warning….this was definitely more intense and risky than I perhaps expected. The company we opted for was ATV Ubud as they have their own completely off road track which felt a bit safer. On arrival you get given carrier bags to wear on your feet and then wellies for over the top – note you will get wet – and thankfully also a helmet! We had a (very) quick briefing on how to work the quad and then we were off in a group of around 6 other quads, Nyle sat in front of me between my arms (felt safer than behind me). Some of the track was very steep, of course it was very rocky, we drove through a river, and then stopped at a cave, before being allowed to go as fast as we wanted around a muddy track. It was good fun and I am really pleased we did it, but as with many places in S.E.Asia, health and safety does go out the window a bit and the bikes definitely could do with a bit of TLC! There were even points that Nyle said he had had enough!
Monk Climbing centre
This is a new climbing centre for Ubud and whilst we are not avid climbers, we took the kids here for a trial one afternoon where they got private tuition for an hour for 200k each (£10). The instructor was great, speaking good English, and taught them how to fall, warm up, and then guided and helped them on the easier walls. This isn’t a huge place but there is air con and there were only 2 other climbers in there doing their own thing during our visit. We were amazed how good they were and both were very proud reaching the top of the 4m wall on their own. I think Nyle was more excited with the chalk by the end though! The cost includes chalk and shoes (although they only have sizes from around UK size 12 childrens). After the induction they can now go on a day pass for 100k (£5) each.
POTTERY CLASS
Just up the road from our little rice paddy house is a ceramics studio that offers pottery workshops. The artist is excellent in his teaching and support of children, although I probably wouldn’t sign yourself up as well as there are other students and he isn’t able to offer 1:2:1 help and the kids do need it. For both kids to join the workshop was 700k (£35) and they have left their crafted and painted cup and bowl to be put in the kiln and collected in a couple of weeks – keep this in mind if you are only here for a few days. The workshop even has small aprons for children so very family friendly and a good few hours were spent there. Over the road is a restaurant which offers Indonesian cuisine if hangry-ness is setting in once you have finished. There is also the Bee Cafe further up the road (read more on the restaurants blog here.)
Melting Pot Saloon
We found this place by accident when looking for evening activities (so we can be out the way for a couple of hours whilst Stef does her art course) and so pleased we did. Randomly in the centre of Ubud, there is a cowboy style saloon bar full of pool tables, axe throwing, fussball and shuffleboard. Now shuffleboard has been a new addition to our date nights of late in the UK, but the kids have never played. We went along around 5pm and it was calm inside, but imagine as the evening goes on it does get rowdier. Shuffleboard is 90k/£4.50 for an hour and I enjoyed a quiet beer as the kids were completely mesmerised with it for the entire hour. It was also a pretty even game which can be hard to find with a 3 year age gap. I’m eyeing up axe throwing for a date night when the cavalry arrives in a few weeks! 😉
Campuhan Ridge Walk
If you are feeling slightly energetic head to the Campuhan Ridge walk, the starting point is located near Ibah hotel at the west end of the main Ubud street. The walk starts by crossing a bridge over a river and then rises (marginally steeply) to the top of the hill. Once at the top it is flat and you have stunning views to the left and right. It’s about 1-2km walk until you reach a temple-style gate and there are a few cafes for a drink / pit stop. The trail does go on, or grab a drink and just head back if legs are little or weary. The ridge is quite exposed so make sure you have sun protection, hats and water.
FairY Cafe Ubud
I must warn you – this place is not the cheapest and it feels a bit surreal and other worldy…..but it provided 2 hours of good solid entertainment for the kids! So a good place for a rainy few hours, or if you are in Ubud with time to kill, or you need a bit of downtime whilst the kids are entertained! This place will deliver.
Located in the centre of Ubud, there is a bright pink shop front that greets you as you arrive at Fairy Cafe Ubud. You get a glimpse of the inside though the windows, but try and captured your kids faces as you enter as it really is special. This entire cafe has been hand built and designed by a UK lady who has lived in Ubud for 25 years, and it offers various activities. Children and adults can make mermaids, dragons, monsters, fairies and even habitats for them. There are hundreds of fairy’ things to buy from clothes to houses and furniture to crafting bits to make your own! In the centre of the cafe is a table covered in handmade fairy houses, trees, flowers and fairy lights, with train and car tracks running throughout – the cars are all battery operated. Nyle was in his element, even more so when the owner kindly brought out a track for him to build and play with. Prices to make and play are the same which I didn’t realise – you pay for the amount of time you are inside, regardless of whether you make something or not. The staff are on hand to support the modelling and Alicia was delighted with her mermaid that she left with.
The menu for the cafe is extensive and there are sandwiches, soups, and even afternoon tea which Alicia and I shared (240k/£10) and we got 6 sandwiches, 2 scones and 4 cupcakes – and of course a proper pot of tea, and good tea it was! We ended up spending around £35 for everything – the 2 hours play and the high tea – so not the cheapest but the kids really enjoyed it and I got 5 minutes peace!
VISIT A TEMPLE
Bali is a predominantly Hindu island and has over 1 million temples. When travelling with kids, visiting temples may not be top of your list of things to do, but we have a selection of temples that will keep both adults and kids entertained – Visit our temples with kids article.
Visit a waterfaLL
There are so many waterfalls around Ubud that we thought this deserved a post all on it’s own, so we wrote up our experience and route of 3 waterfalls in a day – all family friendly and all are swimmable! To get the full lowdown, visit our Waterfalls near Ubud page.
Pool passes
Ubud has a lot of places you can visit for a day via a pool pass. There was so much to write about we have created a blog just for that which you can access here. read all about the best pools to visit with kids in Ubud for the day.
