Tips for Ubud on a budget

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It is really easy to overpay for everything in Ubud so here are some of the tips that I learned from my week there.

1. DO NOT book any tours or boats to the islands from the booths on the streets. They like to bargain and trick tourists!

Instead go to Bali Om, a tourist information office right in the middle of Ubud.

Everybody here is super nice, helpful, and honest about prices.

They advised me not to take a tour with them because they would charge me 700,000Rp and I would spend 6 hours in the car; instead he said to stay in Kuta on my way back from Gili before heading to the airport and could do the tour for less than half that amount.

Got my Gili return ticket for Rp450,000… the best deal around Ubud during high season!

http://www.baliomtours.com

2. DO NOT BOOK ACCOMODATION!

Ok, book one night so you are safe and you know where to go when you get to town. There are hundreds of home stays all around Ubud so it is fun to go inside different courtyards and ask them to take a look at the rooms.

Balinese love to bargain, you can get rooms for cheaper than their asking price.

3. TOURS

Find people to take a day tour with and share the cost.

Bali is cheap, a full day tour for up to 5 people is about Rp700,000 (~$53).

Be nice and invite the driver for lunch and give him a tip. Once again, book through Bali Om!

4. EXCHANGING MONEY

My ATM card did not work in Bali so I had to rely on Money Exchange places.

In Ubud there are hundreds of them but be careful… some will trick you, take money from you, get a commission or confuse you with the bills!

Make sure to go to an authorized and one that says “No Commission.” These are usually air conditioned and look nice. They will give you a receipt and do the math with you in the calculator.

The Rupiah is a very tricky currency due to all the zeros so double triple check that you got the right amount. My first time I counted it at least 3 times and then saw a counting machine and asked the guy to put the my bills in it just to make sure it was the right amount.

ATM- I tried to use them but I was warned that there are a lot of fake ones so just be extra cautious and play around with it to make sure its legit.

5. GET A SIM CARD

It is super cheap. I got Simpati for Rp25,000 (~$2) and then less than $5 of data that lasted for 2 weeks.

6. DOWNLOAD Go-jek OR RENT A SCOOTER

Go-Jek is the Uber of motorbikes! They will come and pick you up, give you a helmet and a mask (if you want it) and take you pretty much anywhere for a dollar or two!

In order to get a Go-Jek you will need data and a phone number.

Also, Go-Jek is perfect for a lazy day when you just can’t get out of bed! They have a food delivery service and from the app you chose a restaurant, the food and then it’s delivered to your hotel room door! Awesome!

Rent a Scooter… I didn’t but everybody does! It only costs Rp50,000/ a day (~$4) but you need an international license and know how to ride a scooter!

7. BARTER

Balinese love to barter so you better start practicing before you get here! They will ask you more than 3X the prices most of the time so don’t be afraid to go super low and then work your way to the middle.

For bartering don’t be cheap, be fair!

About Post Author

Andrea

Hi! It's me... Andrea! In 2016 I decided to drop everything and take a year to enrich my life and travel around the world. It turns out the world is just too big for 12 months! Still on the road and sharing my experience as a solo female traveler around the globe!