On my birthday, other than yoga, the only thing I wanted to do was to HIKE, and by chance I came across the existence of Campuhan Ridge Walk in Ubud, Bali, via TripAdvisor, saw some photos on Instagram, and decided this shall be my activity on my birthday morning!
Where / What is Campuhan Ridge Walk?
Within walking distance from the city centre in Ubud, Bali, this is a paved trail through Campuhan Ridge. It’s an easy hike. I’m not very active by nature but this hike was more than alright for me! It’s really quite a walk through nature.
On that morning, at about 7.10am, we took our hotel’s (SenS Hotel, briefly reviewed in this blogpost) complimentary shuttle ride. The driver dropped us in front of the sign at Warwick Ibah. This will be your most prominent starting point that leads to Campuhan Ridge Walk. Take the left path sloping downwards. For clearer directions, I found an illustrated map via this website.
A 2km hike one-way, it was a beautiful morning and I was really happy to be surrounded by all the lush greeneries! On our way through the trail, there were already hikers coming from the opposite direction. They had finished the hike and were making their way out, while we were just starting. As with hiking culture, hikers will greet each other a good morning while walking past. It’s something I really like about hiking.
A village and rice fields
The hike turned out to be shorter than I’d expected and it ended rather abruptly. We arrived at a village and decided to keep walking on. There were houses around and people riding past on motorbikes, and plenty of rice terraces around! I imagined living there, being so close to nature, and thought it must be quite lovely (as long as I don’t think of the bugs).
In case you didn’t realize, rice fields are wetlands soaked in water, so don’t go stomping down the fields as if they are dry fields. I took these photos from a safe zone, standing on concrete road, teehee.
Walking further on, we saw these cute huts ahead and decided we’ll stop here (Karsa Cafe) for drinks and breakfast.
Karsa Cafe
We got one of these ‘floating huts’ to ourselves, with a lotus pond surrounding us. Although the sun was blazing outside, there was a breeze blowing through, #BLISS. After ordering breakfast, we rotted sat at our little pavillion for more than 2 hours, in a state of complete relaxation, until eventually, the waitress brought us the bill (ok we got the hint).
Breakfast! There was also another plate of [very salty] mee goreng which I didn’t take a photo of.
This was the bill for our breakfast for two pax: 200,000 IDR which converts to S$21 / USD$15.
Karsa Cafe faces more lotus ponds and rice terraces. There is also a spa (Karsa Spa) if you wanna indulge in further therapy!
The Walk Back
We walked back the same way we came – through the village and Campuhan Ridge Walk. This time, I noticed the art shops around!
Back at the ridge, my happy spot. I took a long time to walk through because it was gorgeous!
After leaving the ridge
After you leave Campuhan Ridge Walk, you can choose to walk along the main road, towards Ubud Art Market’s direction. Not too far ahead, there’s a Lotus Cafe and Lotus Temple (Saraswati Temple). You can easily find it right behind Starbucks, on the left side of the road. I didn’t enter the temple, but took this photo from Lotus Cafe. It’s a very photogenic spot!
Good to know before you go hike at Campuhan Ridge Walk!
- Campuhan Ridge Walk is a nature trail – there ARE insects, flying bugs, what-nots. It’ll be good to put on insect repellent before going.
- Start early, to avoid the merciless hot sun of Bali. I started the hike by about 715am and it was already getting hot. By the time I left the ridge at about 11am, I had to whip my umbrella out hahaha, because the sun was burning my skin!
- Put on sunscreen before going!
- Bring a small bottle of water to rehydrate if you don’t intend to stop for drinks.
- The hike is unsheltered the whole way, so you’re subject to the weather’s elements be it sun or rain.
- The main walk is mostly paved road, so I don’t see any problem if kids were to hike too.
- This place is open to public – there’s no entrance fees or anything.
- Campuhan Ridge Walk is located in Ubud, Bali. It’s walking distance from Ubud Art Market.
Have you hiked at Campuhan Ridge Walk before? Did you have a great time too?
| Check Bali accommodation rates via Agoda, or Booking.com for Ubud / Seminyak / Canggu / Kuta / Sanur |
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Visited: Sep 2017
More posts on Bali:
• How to DIY a yoga retreat in Bali
• Yoga studio review: Radiantly Alive
• Why I’ll never hike Mt Batur again
Hiking inspiration:
• Hiking the famous Instagram cliff: Pulpit Rock, Norway
• Hiking Mt Takao in Tokyo
• How we underestimated Bergen’s highest mountain, in Norway
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26 comments
This place looks so beautiful! I haven’t been to Bali but it looks amazing. Definitely somewhere to think about for my next Asia trip!
Thanks Sonja! It helped that the morning sun was beautiful that day too =D Bali is well-loved by many travellers, if you’re visiting Asia, indeed include Bali! =)
Ahhh so beautiful! Had planned to do this hike but ran out of time. Definitely going there when I return next time!
Thanks Darius! Glad I specially made my morning program to be just about this hike! I hope you enjoy it the next time you visit Bali =)
This looks absolutely stunning! I haven’t yet made it to Bali but I love hiking and am pleased to find it isn’t all just beaches! Saving this for a future trip.
Thanks Abbi! It was a wonderful activity to do. Bali is full of interesting programs and lush nature in many places, you’ll probably be spoiled for choice when you finally make it there 😉
It’s been a long time since I was in Bali but it is just how I remember it – so green! This sounds like a perfect walk to get out and enjoy that nature for a little while. Thank you for sharing.
Thank you Josie! Indeed it was a very rejuvenating experience to have on a sunny morning!
Looks like a lovely serene place! I didn’t have enough time in Ubud so had to give it a miss 🙁
Campuhan Ridge Walk was indeed lovely and serene, I felt so peaceful there! Well there’s always a next time 😉
What a beautiful spot and those greens <3 How long did it take? Happy birthday by the way!
Thank you Sarah! It’s a really short hike – from the beginning to the end, past a village and to Karsa Cafe, it was just 2km. I took maybe an hour? That long because I was stopping constantly to snap photos as well as wait for photo opportunities :ppp
I haven’t made it to Bali yet but it’s definitely on my list, and I love those relaxed little hikes where you find hidden away little villages and cafes and art shops 🙂
Hi Kiara! It’s hard to not get fascinated by Bali’s charm once you get there 😉 This place is a total gem, you described it perfectly! I totally missed finding out there’s a spa next to Karsa Cafe or I might have just made an appointment =D
Yes I’ve been there recently!! I didn’t walk as far as you did though! That cafe looks great! Thanks for sharing this gem, it’s gorgeous!
Oh that’s awesome! I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did! The cafe was a nice little refuge from the sun =) Thank you for swinging by my blog!
Looks like the perfect way to spend your birthday! The view on that ridge is gorgeous. Definitely adding this to my list of places to visit when I go to Bali. xx Morgan
Thank you Morgan! Was so glad the weather worked out fine as it was pretty much gloomy weather in Bali during that period. I took a long time to finish walking the ridge because I had to snap so many photos as keepsake! :p
I lived in Bali for seven months, but never did the Campuhan Ridge Walk. It looks really nice! How long did it take?
That’s awesome Daphne, I’d pondered over staying in Bali for an extended period beyond the usual few days, I’m sure you’ll have many stories to share! Hmm the beginning of this hike to finishing it, to walking all the way to Karsa Cafe was merely 2km, so it’s a really short hike. I took maybe an hour? But only because I was stopping constantly to snap photos as well as wait for photo opportunities :ppp
This looks gorgeous! I’m thinking about going to Bali in a couple of months, and this hike looks like something I’d like to do. Thanks for the details about how to get there and the link with a map!
Thanks Laia! Cool that you’ll be visiting Bali! Feel free to include this for a morning or evening hike in Ubud if you have time to spare!
Love the pics! Ubud is a magical place in Bali. I want to visit again soon for some yoga time. Did you go to yoga barn in Ubud?
Hi Alaine! I too feel Ubud is very charming! For this trip, I didn’t go Yoga Barn, mainly stuck to Radiantly Alive. Have you been to Yoga Barn? I heard the class can be like 50-60 people in each one!
Hi Kristine,
we walked the campuhan ridge walk too… its a really nice walk, but the entrance was little bit difficult to find 😀
Cheers
Jan
Hi Jan!
Agree! The ‘entrance’ can be a little tricky to find! I had searched blogposts to have a rough idea in my head before heading down =)