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Discovering central Bali in one day

Discovering central Bali in one day

 

Bali is famous for its rich culture, picturesque landscapes, and rice fields. This one day tour allows you to sample the highlight of Bedugul, Jatiluwih and Mengwi. Read on for the itinerary and practical tips

Starting from Ubud

Our excursion began in Ubud. Ubud is a great place to stay while in Bali. It is centrally located on the island so you can do multiple day tours. Check my recommended tour for East and West Bali in one day. It also has great accommodation and great food, so after a day on the road, you can relax in comfort. Check out my review of Samastiti villa and my top 10 restaurants in Ubud. You need to book those in advance as they are often fully booked, so plan ahead. On this tour to central Bali,   it took us 40 minutes to drive to the Mengwi Royal Family temple. The road goes through rice fields surrounded by magnificent mountain peaks and is very scenic.

 

Mengwi Royal family temple

Our first stop was in a town called Mengwi. The town has a long history and association with the Balinese Royal Family. The town is famous for its sacred temple complex, Taman Ayun.

Taman Ayun is the royal family temple. It was built in 1634 and is very impressive. Amongst its 3 courtyards and surrounded by water, the most impressive is the central courtyard. Tourists are not allowed inside, but you can walk around get a great view from a raised platform towards the end of it. There are gorgeous flowers along the path and a peaceful forest behind. It was surprisingly empty when we visited it.

Mengwi royal palace bali

Discovering central Bali in one day

It is one of the most beautiful and visited attractions of Mengwi. The temple is still in use by the local community for many purposes. They sometimes held ceremonies in the temple.

There is an art exhibition and a movie theatre. So even if you don’t have a guide, you can sit comfortably in a cool room and learn more about the temple and life in Bali.

It costs 30000 Rp. to enter and is worth the visit. It is only 40 minutes drive from Ubud and a lot less crowded than the main temples around Ubud.

Bali tour Mengwi royal palace

Bali tour Mengwi royal palace

 

Bedugul Market

After witnessing the glorious temple, we headed to the Bedugul Regency. It took us about 40 minutes to drive from Mengwi to Bedugul.

Bedugul village is high in the mountains. The road to get there is utterly beautiful and famous for its natural scenery.

TIP: Bing a small sweater as the temperature here is often cooler than Ubud or the South of Bali

We first went to the fruit market. Producers have been bringing their fruits and vegetable here for centuries. Candi Kuning is a very colorful market. The market is full of a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables.

Bali is also famous for its exotic spices all over the world. There are many beautiful flower shops as well. The market displays the perfect blend of color as well as scent.

Bedugul has many fruit producers because the altitude makes the weather cooler, so it is better to grow fruits and vegetables. It has, however, now become quite touristic and many people will try and sell you things. It is a great market to visit if you are not familiar with markets.

TIP:  Don’t forget to bargain in the market

 

Bedugul temple Ulun Danu.

We got the chance to experience the awe-inspiring lakes in this district. First, we visited Lake Beratan, also known as Lake Bedugul. The lake is covered with a diversity of flowers and beautiful Cyprus trees. We visited the famous Ulun Danu Temple, which is located on the edge of Lake Beratan. The temple is famous for its unique architecture.

Bedugul lake palace

Bedugul lake palace

Ulun Danu is actually composed of four temples, but the most scenic one is by the water. It is the perfect selfies spot!

One interesting feature about the temple is that when the level of water in the lake increases, it gives a glimpse of the temple as it is floating on the lake water. It gives a very magical look to the lake as well as the temple. The local Balinese people visit the temple regularly.

The entrance fee to the Bedugul temple is 50000 Rp. Per person

Discovering central Bali in one day

 

The Bedugul Botanical garden

Our next stop was the Bedugul Botanical garden. It is only a few minutes’ drives from the temples and well worth a visit if you like plants. You can enter with your car (but motorbikes are not allowed). It is a very large park so having a car is useful. There are many huge and scenic trees on the way. There is also a cactus house and an orchid garden.

Bedugul botanical garden

Bedugul botanical garden

Bedugul botanical garden

There is a museum of flowers used in ceremonies, but it was closed when we went.

Bedugul botanical garden

TIP: The entrance of the park is very busy with local families and schools, but if you drive a bit, you can find much quieter areas towards the back.

If you are traveling with kids, there is a zipping and tree adventure park called treetop adventure. We didn’t do it, but it looks super fun

TIP: Don’t lose your entrance ticket as it will be asked at the exit

The price for a car and 2 persons was 45,000 Rp.

 

Jatiluwih Rice fields.

The road from Bedugul to Jatiluwih is scenic, with lots of little villages and steep rice fields. It takes about 40 minutes of small curvy road.

The rice terraces of Bali are a pure depiction of art. You can enjoy the fascinating sunset from the rice terraces. These unbeatable in natural beauty, rice terraces are even recognized by the UNESCO. You can walk around as much as you want before returning to your hotel.

Don’t however think you will be alone; it was very busy when we went with even traffic jams on the road!

We had lunch there. Food was very average and overpriced, but the view of the ricefield was worth it. There are about 10 restaurants with huge terrace, and they all sell very similar food.

There is a 40,000 Rp. Fee Per person to enter the road that goes through Jatiluwih.

Jatiluwih ricefields

After Jatiluwih, it was already time to return to Ubud. It took us a bit more than oe hour to drive back

 

Conclusion

This is a great day tour that allows you to sample some of the best features in Bali. Beautiful temples, nature, and scenic rice field.

 

For more day tours suggestions, read my article on West Bali and East Bali. There are so many amazing things to do in Bali!

If you need a place to stay, check out Samastiti Villa in Ubud. They can also help you find a reliable driver for the trip.

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