Ubud Culture & Spiritual Private Day Tour with Guide

5.00

(36 reviews)

What’s the experience like?

The first thing I noticed was the smell of woodsmoke — not the kind you get from a campfire, but something softer, mixed with earth and a hint of coconut. Our driver Wayan picked us up right at our villa in Seminyak (he was early, actually), and by the time we reached the Bali Aga village, the morning haze had already started to lift. The houses here are nothing like what I’m used to: walls made from packed dirt, roofs thatched with grass. There were chickens wandering inside one doorway, and an old woman waved at us while stirring something over a wood fire. Wayan told us this is how he grew up too — “No fridge, no TV,” he laughed. It felt honest, somehow.

I’d heard about the Monkey Forest in Ubud before but didn’t expect it to feel so alive — monkeys everywhere, darting between mossy statues and temple gates. One of them tried to grab my water bottle (I lost). The guide explained Tri Hita Karana — this idea about harmony between people, nature, and spirits. I’m not sure I totally got it, but there was something peaceful about the way sunlight filtered through those giant banyan trees. Afterward we wandered through Pakudui rice terraces; it’s quieter than Tegalalang and you can actually hear the river below if you stop talking for a second.

Lunch was at d’Alas Warung — open-air tables looking out over green fields. The nasi campur tasted smoky and fresh; apparently most of the veggies come from their own garden. I tried to say thank you in Balinese (Li laughed at my accent). Then came coffee at Kumulilir plantation — thick, earthy stuff that left grit on my tongue but somehow made sense after all that walking. There’s a swing here for photos but honestly I just wanted to sit for a bit.

The Sebatu Holy Water Spring felt different from anywhere else — cool stone under bare feet, incense drifting around us as locals filled bottles from the spring. We didn’t rush; nobody seemed to mind if we just stood quietly for a while. Tegenungan Waterfall was our last stop: loud water crashing down into a pool where kids were splashing each other and someone played music on their phone nearby. It wasn’t empty or secret or anything like that — just real life happening around us. On the drive back I kept thinking about that first village house and how simple it all looked compared to home.