Ubud: Private Waterfalls, Rice Terrace Swing & Tirta Empul Day Trip

4.92

(158 reviews)

What’s the experience like?

I’ll never forget the way our driver Wayan grinned when I asked if people really swim at Kanto Lampo Waterfall. “Of course,” he said, “but you have to feel the water first.” He was right—it was cold enough to wake me up after lunch, but honestly, it felt good. We started early from Ubud, and by the time we reached Tegalalang Rice Terrace, the sun was already warming up the green steps. There’s something about seeing those terraces in real life—photos just don’t show how the light moves across them. I tried the famous swing (my palms were sweaty), and Wayan took photos that made me look braver than I felt.

After that, we drove through narrow village roads to Ulu Petanu Waterfall. It’s quieter than other spots—just a couple of locals chatting on rocks and birds making weird noises overhead. The path down is easy enough; still, I managed to get my shoes muddy (should’ve worn sandals). The water was clear and cold, and for a few minutes it was just us and the sound of falling water. I didn’t expect to feel so calm there. Lunch came next—a local place overlooking rice fields where I ordered nasi campur but ended up stealing bites from everyone else’s plates too.

The Tirta Empul Temple part of this day trip from Ubud really surprised me. Wayan handed us sarongs and explained how people come here for purification rituals—he even showed us how to do a respectful gesture before entering. The smell of incense mixed with wet stone and flowers stuck with me all afternoon. Later at the coffee plantation, we tried maybe ten different teas and coffees (I lost count). The ginger tea burned my throat in a good way. Our guide joked about kopi luwak being “cat-poo coffee”—I’m still not sure if he was serious or just messing with us.

Kanto Lampo Waterfall was our last stop before heading back to Ubud. It’s louder than you’d think—water hitting rocks in layers—and there were families taking turns under the spray, laughing like they’d done it a hundred times before. My shirt got soaked but I didn’t care much by then; everything felt lighter after that swim. Even now I keep thinking about that cool water on my skin and how Wayan laughed when he saw my face afterward—like he knew exactly what kind of day we’d had together.