Senior travel: Ubud
An easier pace for an older traveller: how many stops fit in a day, which places are step-free, and what the guide says about getting around, medicines and stairs.
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Pace for a day
About 2 stops a day. 5 h out − 45 min rest, divided by an average visit of 63 min (from this city’s guide) + 30 min to move.
Places, easiest access first
- Ubud Palace (Puri Saren Agung)Step-free: partial (check before you go) · about 20 minA few steps at each carved gate.
- Pura Taman SaraswatiStep-free: partial (check before you go) · about 30 minA few at the temple gate.
- Ubud Art Market (Pasar Seni)Step-free: partial (check before you go) · about 60 minSteps between the front and back sections.
- Campuhan Ridge WalkStep-free: partial (check before you go) · about 90 minStone steps at the bridge.
- Museum Puri LukisanStep-free: partial (check before you go) · about 90 minA few steps at some halls.
- Sacred Monkey Forest SanctuaryStep-free: partial (check before you go) · about 90 minMany stone steps.
- ARMA Museum (Agung Rai Museum of Art)Step-free: partial (check before you go) · about 100 minA few between halls.
- Pura Dalem Agung PadangtegalStep-free: no (check before you go) · about 20 minStone steps at several points.
Getting around in Ubud
Ubud is hard going on wheels: pavements are narrow, broken or missing, lanes have steps and open drains, and most temples have stone steps. Plan door-to-door car rides and pick a hotel with a ground-floor room or a lift.
- Pavements:
- Narrow, high kerbs and open drains; the main road has partial pavement.
- Getting around:
- Ride-hail cars and hired drivers are the step-free option; scooters and stairs are not.
- Hotels:
- Larger hotels have lifts and ground-floor rooms; villas often have steps between rooms and pool.
- Toilets:
- Accessible toilets are rare; hotels and larger cafés may help.
- Crossings:
- Few signalled crossings; cross at gaps and follow a local.
Stairs at the hotel areas
- Penestanan and Campuhan (rice-field villas): 1 flights up, 0 down, 200 m walk from the stop
Medicines and health on the ground
The Indonesia guide lists no medicine paperwork. Check the official customs page for your medicines.
- Dengue:
- Present year-round, more in the wet season: use repellent by day and dusk.
- Rabies:
- Present on Bali: do not touch monkeys or dogs; see a doctor the same day after any bite or scratch, and check whether pre-exposure vaccination suits your trip.
- Food and water:
- Sealed bottled water; hot, freshly cooked food from busy stalls; avoid unpeeled raw fruit and ice you cannot vouch for.
- Heat and sun:
- Use shade at midday, sunscreen and water; heat rash and dehydration are common.
- Methanol poisoning:
- Avoid home-made arak and unlabelled spirits.
- Travel clinic:
- Ask your own clinic about vaccines and antimalarial advice for Bali; malaria risk in Ubud is low but check current guidance.
More: how much medicine to pack, medicine times across time zones.
Ask your insurer
Age limits and prices differ by policy and the guides do not hold them, so put these to the insurer before you buy.
- What is the oldest age the policy covers, at purchase and on the last day of the trip?
- Does the price or the cover change after a certain age?
- Are existing conditions covered, and what must be declared?
- Does the cover include medical evacuation and trip interruption?
Not medical advice. This page does not know anyone’s health. Ask a doctor before the trip, and carry a list of medicines and conditions.