Imagine a street lined with frangipani and hibiscus trees, flowers floating to the ground in the breeze. Locals in traditional dress undertaking daily offerings outside their houses, businesses and local temples. Monkeys scampering around and lizards to entertain you while you wait for your amazing food at a local Warung.
That is Nyuh Kuning Village Ubud, and it is wonderful!
Where is Nyuh Kuning Village?
Nyuh Kuning Village is south of the Sacred Monkey Forest and centres around JL. Nyuh Bojog road.
Why is it so quiet?
The village is very quiet and starkly different to the main town of Ubud which has the constant hum of vehicles. One of the taxi drivers told us that the village was not satisfied with the government roads so they all pulled together and the village rebuilt the roads and now imposes a small fee for non-locals. This greatly reduces the amount of traffic on the main road through the village.
Additionally, the JL. Nyuh Bojog road is a no-through road for anything except scooters and motorbikes which can continue past the Monkey Forest on a narrow roadway.
Getting into main Ubud
Walking – cut through the Monkey Forest if you have an entrance ticket, otherwise walk along the narrow roadway (no vehicles can fit!) which hugs the Sacred Monkey Forest.
Taxi – Budget around 60,000 – 80,000IDR (AUD$6-8) for a taxi into Ubud. The cost seems high, but because of the no-through road the taxis have to drive a longer way to get to town centre. Once in the main town the cost jumps to 100,000IDR so you will need to barter.
Food and Drink
There are options to suit every taste in Nyuh Kuning Village, some of our favourites were (in no particular order):
- Chili Ubud Cottage –
- Bali Bohemia – great range of food with views into Monkey Forest
- Laka Leke – gorgeous views over rice field
- Trattoria – Pizza and Italian inspired foods
- Warung Pojok – traditional Indonesian
- Swasti Eco Village – largely plant based menu with serene surrounds
Accommodation
We stayed at Chili Ubud Cottages and thoroughly enjoyed our stay. Swasti Eco Village is another gorgeous location and is tucked away quietly from the main road. Have a look on Agoda for other options – there are plenty of options!
Money
A big thing to note is there are NO money facilities in the area. No banks or ATMs so make sure you have money with you, or make the trip into the main town. We saw lots of businesses swapping money with each other since there are no banking facilities in the area.
Also note that ATMS will only give around AUD$100-$150 per transaction which can really add up in fees! Look into this before you head to Bali.
Things to Do
Walk
Nyuh Kuning is lovely area to just wander and watch. Go down the side streets to find cute warungs and yoga studios, enjoy the small temples with no other tourists around and be amazed at the size of offering women carry on their heads!
There is a lovely loop walk you can do from the back of the monkey forest which goes through rice fields and comes out on JL. Nyuh Bojog road. Head down the side street next to Bali Bohemia, but instead of turning left to take the scooter track into Ubud, turn right and walk past the rice fields. The track is mostly marked with stone arrangements in a flower shape. Just follow the roads and you will eventually pop-out on the main road again.
Sacred Monkey Forest
The Sacred Monkey Forest sits between Nyuh Kuning Village and the main town area of Ubud. If you are travelling on a budget and don’t want to pay to visit the monkeys then just walk along the scooter track, or grab a drink at Bali Bohemia and watch the chaos unfold.
Read more about the Sacred Monkey Forest in the blog post here.
Shopping
Shops in the village range from souvenir-based stores to ethical products and quality clothing (Above the Clouds Natural Wear). What is even more wonderful, is that the village is so safe that many shops are left unattended with a sign asking shoppers to just knock on the door of the house behind the store for service. How lovely is that!
There are multiple small supermarkets in the area for basic supplies.
Cultural Dances
Laka Leke has a range of cultural dances which can be combined with a set menu dinner. The children’s dance was fantastic to take our son too as it was only 30min in length. The times are all advertised out the front of the venue. Performance are 75,000 IDR, or 170,000IDR for the performance and dinner.
Yoga and Spa
If you enjoy yoga then you will be happy in this village! Head to Swasti Eco Village for daily yoga, meditation and takes the kiddies to the acrobatic classes. Swasti Eco Village also holds other classes such as Mala bead making and Aerial Silk workshops. There are other yoga and meditation classes in the village, you will see signage but also check out the notice boards.
Of course, there are plenty choices for massages and spa treatment – it wouldn’t be Bali otherwise! Chili Ubud Spa and Swasti Eco Villages are good choices, but just wander around and take your pick.
Night Life
The village is really quiet at night-time which we loved!
Since we travelled with a child (and we just aren’t really interested!), we didn’t experience the night-life but Bali Bohemia has lots of live music to enjoy. Head to their Facebook page to see what’s on.
Tips
- Bring a torch if you will be out after dark, there is no street lighting coming past the Monkey Forest and limited lighting in the village
- Monkey Forest entry tickets last all day so you can use these to cut through the forest into town (Gates 3 and 2)
