Ubud Travel 03: Best Even in the Rain, a Coconut-Bowl Office and a Rice-Field Villa

Ubud was the best, even in the rain.

The umbrella came out at the very first stop. There were rice paddies carved in tiers under rain clouds, and raindrops falling on a temple pond. I reached my villa at night; in the morning, rice fields I hadn't been able to see appeared right outside the balcony.

In Part 2, I wrapped up the Jakarta business trip with a string of offices that never opened. Then I landed in Bali on a dawn flight. From here on it's remote work in Bali. It sounds like a vacation, but the work didn't change.

This part is two days in Ubud. Day one went straight up from the airport to Tegallalang Rice Terrace and Saraswati Temple. Day two was a workday that started with yoga and ended with nasi goreng. In between sits a villa in north Ubud.

The route in this post

Date	Where	In a line
Dec 18	Ngurah Rai Airport → Tegallalang → Tis Cafe → Saraswati Temple	A rainy first day in Ubud
Dec 18, night	Pinggala Villa Ubud (north Ubud)	Arrived at night; the rice fields appeared in the morning
Dec 19	Yoga studio → café → central Ubud	A day of remote work

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Day 1: Tegallalang Rice Terrace and Tis Cafe in the rain

Right after landing I spotted a taxi running a promotion and jumped in. I don't remember the fare, but it was cheaper than the app average, and above all it was a brand-new electric car. A Chinese-made EV, which made me a little curious; the quality turned out to be excellent. We skipped town and headed straight up toward Ubud.

First stop: Tegallalang Rice Terrace. Under rain clouds, paddies are carved in tiers down the slope, laid out to follow subak, Bali's traditional irrigation system. On a rainy day the paddies had far more atmosphere than I expected.

I settled in at Tis Cafe, overlooking the paddies. With a beer came a plate of fried duck with rice, condiments and vegetables. My first meal in Bali. It was really good.

After lunch I wandered around the café a little. An infinity pool stretching toward the paddies, and a giant swing too. If the rain would just stop, you could spend the whole day here.

Saraswati Temple in Ubud: the pond path and the carved brick

In the afternoon I went to Saraswati Temple (Pura Taman Saraswati) in central Ubud. First comes the pond path leading up to the entrance, lined on both sides with statues and pavilions. Temple roofs layer over the rain-dappled water.

The temple is dedicated to Saraswati, the Hindu goddess of learning and the arts. It was built in 1951–1952 to a design by I Gusti Nyoman Lempad, a Balinese sculptor and architect.

At the entrance I put on a headband and a cloth wrap, and held up my umbrella.

What I loved most about this temple was how unfamiliar it felt. It was nothing like the temples I'd seen in Vietnam or Thailand.

Looking at carvings packed densely into the brick, you really feel that this is a Hindu cultural world, and that it's different. It was more exotic, and this is exactly where it sank in: "Ah, I'm in Bali."

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Where to stay in Ubud: Pinggala Villa Ubud, a rice-field villa up north

If I could pick only one place to stay again from this whole trip, it would be this one. Pinggala Villa Ubud. For me, it was a genuine ten-out-of-ten.

It's north of central Ubud. I arrived at night, so the garden was dark except for the lights. Unlike town, it was quiet.

Step into the room and the painting over the bed, the wooden ceiling and the carved furniture set the mood. Even the washbasin is done in wood and stone.

And what I liked most was the bathtub. It sits in front of a big window, so you can soak while looking out at the green garden.

Come morning, the paddies you couldn't see at night spread right out past the balcony. The end of the pool runs into the fields and forest.

Breakfast is eaten in front of this view too. A smoothie bowl topped with fruit; on another day, scrambled eggs and toast. Beyond the table, wide rice fields. I opened my laptop right here and started work.

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Day 2: remote work in Bali, a workday in Ubud

Here is December 19, a workday in Ubud, hour by hour.

Morning: yoga first

When I wake up at the villa, the laptop is the first thing I grab. I'm a PM working with overseas developers, so the work doesn't stop wherever I am.

Still, stopping by a yoga studio early to loosen up first was perfect for a long day at a desk. After yoga, you step out and look down over the railing into the jungle.

Late morning: meetings over a coconut bowl

That day's breakfast, and office, was a coconut bowl: a whole coconut split open and filled with fruit, seeds and nuts. I started work with overseas developers while eating it.

Midday: Korea's lunch hour = my travel time

The time difference is what makes this possible. Bali is one hour behind Korea. While Korea goes quiet at lunch and the messages slow down, I move to the next neighborhood. When there was a short gap, I also looked around a nearby park and the streets.

Afternoon: more meetings at a café

Sit down in a café in the new neighborhood and it's back to work. Meetings with overseas developers, requirements coming in from Korean clients on Slack, and, as the PM, organizing them and passing them on. In between, local snacks and drinks.

Evening: clocking out with nasi goreng

In the evening I head into central Ubud for a plate of nasi goreng. On the way back, I passed Ubud Palace with its lights on.

Night: and that bathtub

Back at the villa, once I'd wrapped up the day's work, I put the mangosteens and bananas I'd bought on a plate next to the tub. A drama on the tablet, and a bubble bath while peeling mangosteens. As after-work routines go, it was the best.

I didn't work any less in Ubud. What changed was where I worked.

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Visiting info: the Ubud stops and the villa at a glance

My visit was in December 2024. The details below were looked up again in November 2026, and entry fees and opening hours differ from source to source. Where I'm not sure, I've marked it "check official info".

Place	Where	Entry / rates	When I went
Tegallalang Rice Terrace	About 8 km north of Ubud	Varies by source; check official info	Dec 18, midday, rain
Saraswati Temple	Central Ubud	Listed as free and as paid; check official info	Dec 18, afternoon, rain
Pinggala Villa Ubud	Sebatu village, Tegallalang	Varies by season and site; check official info	Two nights from Dec 18
Ubud Palace	Central Ubud	Check official info	Dec 19, evening

Route: Tegallalang and Pinggala Villa Ubud are north of Ubud; Saraswati Temple and Ubud Palace are in town. I went from the airport up to Tegallalang first, came down into town for the temple, and went back north to the villa at night.

📍 Tegallalang Rice Terrace & Tis Cafe · Tegallalang, Gianyar, Bali

• 🌾 Background: terraced paddies laid out to follow subak, Bali's traditional irrigation system. Indonesia's official tourism site puts them about 8 km from Ubud, a 15–20 minute drive.
• 🎟️ Entry: the amount differs across 2025–2026 guides, and some describe it as a donation. Many warn about people collecting money away from the official booth. Check official info before visiting.
• 🍽️ Tis Cafe: a café-restaurant overlooking the paddies, with an infinity pool and a swing. For pool and swing conditions, check official info before visiting.
• 🗺️ Map: Tegallalang Rice Terrace, Tis Cafe

📍 Saraswati Temple (Pura Taman Saraswati) · Ubud, Gianyar, Bali

• 🎟️ Entry and hours: some guides list it as free and others as paid, and the hours differ too. Some say only worshippers may enter the inner temple. Many say the evening dance performances need a separate ticket. Check official info before visiting.
• 👘 Dress: I put on a headband and a cloth wrap at the entrance. Many guides say a sarong and sash are the norm at Balinese temples.
• 🗺️ Map: Open in Google Maps

📍 Pinggala Villa Ubud · Tegallalang, Gianyar, Bali (north of central Ubud)

• 📍 Location: booking sites place it in Sebatu village, in the Tegallalang area.
• 🛁 What I liked: a rice-field-view balcony, a tub in front of a big window, a pool that runs into the fields, breakfast facing the paddies
• 🚗 Downside: it's away from the town center. Plan your transport along with it.
• 🧳 Good for: anyone who wants to work somewhere quieter than town, looking out at rice fields.
• 💳 Rates and rooms: rates and room setups vary a lot between booking sites. Check official info before booking.
• 🗺️ Map: Open in Google Maps

📍 Ubud Palace · Open in Google Maps

Tips if you want to try working from Ubud

• 🕛 Use your home office's lunch hour as travel time. (For me, that was Korea's lunch hour; Bali is one hour behind Korea.) Switch neighborhoods while messages slow down, and neither the work nor the trip gets interrupted.
• 🧘 Do yoga in the morning, before work. The longer your day at the desk, the more it helps.
• 📶 Check the Wi-Fi at your villa and cafés in advance. It's the precondition for remote work.
• 🌅 At a rice-field-view villa, keep your mornings free. The fields only show in daylight.
• ☔ It rains often in Ubud in December. Pack an umbrella or raincoat and keep the schedule loose.
• 🚕 At the airport, compare promo taxis too. Mine was cheaper than the app average.

Jayden's verdict

Even in the rain, Ubud was the best. If I could pick one place to stay again, Pinggala Villa Ubud.

• Highlight: Tegallalang and Saraswati Temple. Atmospheric even in the rain, and the temple feels wonderfully foreign.
• Where to stay: Pinggala Villa Ubud. The rice-field view and the tub alone made two nights feel short.
• Remote work in Ubud: morning yoga, a coconut bowl and evening nasi goreng, and I'd do it again.
• Tip: don't forget an umbrella or a raincoat.

Next up is Bali's last three days: sunrise over Mount Batur in Kintamani, reached by jeep before dawn, snorkeling at Blue Lagoon in pouring rain, and sunset beers at Batu Bolong Beach in Canggu.

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Indonesia in 9 Days series

1. Jakarta's first two days: Istiqlal Mosque and Kota Tua
2. Jakarta business trip: empty offices, pepper crab, two Airbnbs and local food
3. Ubud, Bali: rice terraces, remote work and a rice-field villa (you are here)
4. Bali's last three days: Kintamani sunrise, Blue Lagoon and Canggu sunset