After a two-year break, the Ubud festival is back stronger than ever. I had the chance to attend the 2022 edition and here is my review of the festival and some practical tips on how to travel to Ubud, what ticket to buy, where to stay, and how to get the most out of the Ubud Writer’s festival.
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How to get to Ubud, Bali
The main airport is Denpasar, which is connected to many Asian cities and a few European cities. From Denpasar airport, it is 60 or 90 minutes to Ubud, depending on traffic. The easiest way is to ask your accommodation to send a driver to pick you up from the airport. If you have not pre-booked it, there is a counter at the airport with fixed-price airport taxis. A ride to Ubud will cost between 300,000 et 400,000 Indonesian Rps.
Who should attend the Ubud writer’s festival?
You do not need to be a writer to attend the festival. The festival is called the writers and readers festival. Many of the attendants are writers, but it also attracts many non-writers. You just need to be keen to discover and learn. The panelists come from various disciplines and geographies. It is a great place to learn more about current topics, like the war in Ukraine, diversity, sustainability, or Indonesian politics. The festival aims to create a safe space to discuss current issues.
The festival lasts for four days, and events take place from 8.30 am until 11 pm. It is, however, much more diverse than book launches and book readings. Most art forms are represented, from art exhibitions to poetry slams, movies, theatre, and music. I was positively surprised by the range of art and topics offered.
The theme of the 2022 festival is uniting humanity, which is fitting, as storytelling can often be seen as soft diplomacy, a way to better understand others.
They even have a program for children with a few activities every day. However, if you want to attend the panels and discussions, I don’t recommend bringing your kids to the “adult” program. Some kids found it hard to stay quiet during all the lectures and were disruptive.
Learning about Indonesian culture
If you like learning about the country you are staying in when you travel, you should definitely attend the Ubud readers and writers’ festival.
Indonesian writers and artists were very well represented and were happy to share their knowledge with participants.
I attended a talk with Papuan writer Aprila Waya and musician Raka Sekar. One of the panels, Voice From the East, tackled the issue of limited access to literature in East Indonesia.
In the panel on the Alternative History of Indonesia, the key question was whether different perspectives change how history is perceived. Peter Carey, Eko Darmoko, and Max Lane were at the festival to explain how the lack of analysis of the New Order’s era is an issue and how literature played a big role in overthrowing the New Order era.
My favorite panel was Bali, 50 Years of Change. Jean Couteau and Eric Buvelo hosted a space where they helped us understand how Bali’s communal society has evolved throughout the years. The talk was fascinating, with many stories but also an analysis of how Bali was likely to evolve.
In the discussion about Jokowi and the new Indonesia, Jokowi’s rise as the President in 2019 was a surprise in some respects, considering how he achieved the position despite his humble background. In this event, Darmawan Prasodjo and Tim Hannigan talked about Jokowi and the impact he’s had on Indonesia.
The movie before you eat was also striking. It tells the story of Indonesian migrant workers being abused on international fishing boats. It was a heart-wrenching story.
How long should you spend at the writer’s festival?
The program is intense, with over 150 speakers over four days, and many people attend as many events as possible.
If you are in Bali on Holiday, it is also possible to attend just one or two sessions a day based on your interests.
Many sessions are free of charge. Day tickets are available, and workshops are ticketed separately.
Should you attend the main program or the side events?
Over the course of four days, there were over 150 events, so you won’t be able to do everything.
The core of the festival is what they call the “main program” You can buy a one-day or four-day ticket for it, which gives you access to the two rooms where the panel discussions with the most famous authors take place.
If seating in a big room and listening to panel discussions is not your thing, there is also a series of paid workshops with more diverse formats like lunches, dinners, and activities. Many workshops are a great way to discover Bali differently. Visitors with different interests could sharpen their knowledge and abilities through the workshops provided during the festival. That included lunch discussions at the Four Seasons, bird-watching walks, writing workshops, and so many other cool things to do in various places around Ubud.
In the Mind, Body, and Soul workshop, Fitri Setyaningsih helped the attendees to seek the elements of nature through body movements. On the other side, YouTuber Andovi Da Lopez was there with his workshop to teach the attendees how to improve our content and create strategies for better engagement.
And, of course, what is a festival in Bali without the integration of Bali culture? Those who wanted to have a deeper insight into Bali’s culture attended the Balinese script workshop. In this workshop, the attendees got to learn how to write a Balinese script.
Besides those paid events, there are also many book launches or sponsored events taking place all over Ubud, which are free of charge.
The evening program was also free of charge. They had some famous Indonesian musicians like Robi Navicula or Kai Mata. Dancers did impromptu performances amongst the audience. Many Indonesian movies were premiering at the festival and were followed by a panel discussion with producers and actors. We even met Miss Indonesia attending the festival!
There was a comedy night, too, but as it was in Indonesian, we didn’t get much out of that… The poetry slam at Betelnut was fantasic
Where to stay while at the festival?
If you want to spend most of your time at the festival, get a hotel next door as it will allow you to alternate between your pool and the events. Traffic in Ubud can be horrible, so getting a hotel near the festival will save you time. On the first day, it took me 70 minutes to drive the 3 kilometers between my villa and the festival! The following days, I hired a motorbike taxi, which saved me 40 minutes each way.
Visitors don’t need to worry about lodging, as there are many incredible hotels in Ubud. The Pita Maha Resort is the most convenient as it is within walking distance. It has a beautiful view and an infinity swimming pool with forest scenery.
Other hotels, such as Como Uma and the Four Seasons Ubud, are just a short driving distance away from the festival. Como Uma and the Four Seasons are well-known for their high-class and luxurious service. In addition, the Four Seasons is one of the main sponsors of the festival, so you might even bump into some of the writers while relaxing by the pool.
Another popular hotel is the Capella hotel. Its tents are inviting but it is a bit further away from the festival. You don’t have to drive through Ubud centre to get there so it should take about 30 minutes to get there. It is a member of the IHG group for those with travel points.
Where to eat while at the festival?
The festival grounds host many stalls by some of the best restaurants and cafes in Bali, so finding good food there is not an issue. Cheese toasts, Indian, Japanese, or Indonesian food is on offer. Cuca, the famous restaurant from Jimbaran, presented a delicious dessert.
One of the best restaurants in Bali is Room 4 Dessert, located a 5-minute walk from the festival. It is worth the experience, but make sure you book well ahead, as they are always full.
Another gastronomic option, a few minutes’ drive from the festival, is Blanco by Mandriff.
Also worth mentioning Indus restaurant which is just below one of the main festival event rooms. They have a gorgeous terrace and good food
For more info, read my article about the best restaurant in Ubud
In conclusion of my review of the Ubud readers and writer’s festival.
The Ubud writer’s festival is a great excuse to visit Bali and Ubud. Whether you want to sample a few events or make it the core of your holiday, you will come out of it knowing more about the Indonesian culture and many other current topics. I highly recommend attending the festival and look forward to attending the 2023 edition.
Photos by Lex Film (@lexfilminc)