Best Glamping Spots Near Ubud for a Night Under the Stars

Sleeping Among Rice Terraces: Finding the Best Glamping Spots Near Ubud

I have spent the better part of three years sleeping in everything from bamboo treehouses to geodesic dome tents scattered across the hills and valleys surrounding Ubud, and I can tell you that the best glamping spots near Ubud are not just places to lay your head. They are full sensory experiences, the kind where you wake up to the sound of roosters and river water and realize you have not checked your phone in twelve hours. Ubud has long been the cultural heart of Bali, a town where Hindu temples sit beside yoga studios and where the Subak irrigation system, a UNESCO-recognized tradition dating back to the ninth century, still feeds the rice paddies that make this landscape so impossibly green. The glamping scene here grew out of that same reverence for nature and craft, and every property I am about to describe carries a piece of that story. Whether you are after a luxury camping Ubud experience with plunge pools and private chefs or a simpler treehouse stay Ubud travelers rave about on forums, this guide covers the real places, the real streets, and the real details that matter.

Bambu Indah, Banjar Baung, Sayan

Bambu Indah sits along the Ayung River in Banjar Baung, Sayan, about a fifteen-minute walk west of central Ubud's main road. The property was built by John and Cynthia Hardy, the same family behind the nearby Green Village, and it is constructed almost entirely from bamboo, including the jaw-dropping two-story Javanese joglo houses that were dismantled in Java and rebuilt here by hand. I stayed in one of the riverfront bamboo suites during the dry season in July, and the sound of the Ayung rushing past the open-air bathroom was the only alarm clock I needed. Each suite has a private terrace overlooking the river, and the beds are draped in mosquito netting that makes you feel like you are inside a cloud. The on-site restaurant serves a Balinese tasting menu that changes daily, and I would specifically recommend ordering the bebek betutu, the slow-cooked duck wrapped in banana leaves, which arrives at your table still steaming. Most tourists do not know that the property operates its own organic garden, and the staff will walk you through it if you ask at the front desk early in the morning before the heat sets in. The one thing I will say is that the open-air design means you will hear every frog, gecko, and dog within a half-kilometer radius at night, so bring earplugs if you are a light sleeper. A local tip: ask to be dropped at the Sayan end of the property rather than the main road entrance, because the walk down the stone path through the bamboo grove sets the entire mood for your stay.

Bali Eco Stay, Tabanan Regency (Karangsem Village)

Technically located in Tabanan Regency's Karangsem Village, about thirty-five minutes north of Ubud center, Bali Eco Stay is one of the earliest pioneers of the luxury camping Ubud scene, even though it sits just outside the Ubud boundary. The property runs on a sustainability model that is not just marketing, they have their own micro-hydroelectric system powered by a nearby waterfall, and the owners, a Balinese-Dutch couple, grow nearly all the food served on the premises. I visited in late September, which is tail end of the dry season, and the views from the open-air bungalows across the valley were the clearest I have ever seen from any elevated property in the region. The infinity pool, perched on the hillside, is filled with natural spring water and has no chemical treatment, which gives it a slightly mineral taste if you accidentally swallow any, but your skin feels incredible afterward. Order the nasi campur Bali from the kitchen, a mixed rice plate with sate lilit, lawar, and a sambal matah that has a real kick. What most visitors miss is the guided rice paddy walk that starts at dawn, where the owner himself explains the Subak water temple system and how it has shaped Balinese agriculture for over a thousand years. The downside is that the road leading up to the property is narrow and steep, and if you are arriving after dark, the lack of street lighting makes it genuinely nerve-wracking if you are not used to Balinese village roads. A local tip: book the bungalow closest to the waterfall if you can, because the sound of water is constant and far more soothing than the occasional motorbike on the access road.

Sandat Glamping Tent, Tegallalang

Tegallalang is the postcard rice terrace area that most tourists drive through on their way north from Ubud, and Sandat Glamping Tent sits right in the middle of it on Jalan Raya Tegallalang. This is a dome tent Ubud visitors often photograph from the road without realizing they can actually sleep inside one. The tents are permanent canvas structures on raised wooden platforms, each with a proper king-size bed, air conditioning, and a private bathroom with hot water, which is not a given at this price point in Bali. I stayed here during Nyepi week, the Balinese Day of Silence, and the entire valley went completely dark and quiet at night, which made the stargazing from the tent's front deck absolutely unreal. The property has a small swimming pool that faces the terraces, and the best time to use it is around 5 PM when the light turns golden and the temperature drops just enough to make the water feel perfect. Order the mie goreng from the small kitchen, it is simple but well-seasoned and arrives quickly, which matters when you are hungry after a long walk through the terraces. Most tourists do not realize that the Tegallalang terraces are best visited on weekday mornings before 9 AM, when the tour buses have not yet arrived and you can walk the paths in near solitude. The one complaint I have is that the road noise from Jalan Raya Tegallalang is noticeable during the day, so request a tent at the back of the property if you are sensitive to traffic sounds. A local tip: walk south along the terrace paths rather than north, because the southern route is less crowded and leads to a small warung where an elderly woman sells the best es kelapa muda, young coconut water, in the entire area.

Ubud Tree House, Nyuh Kuning

Nyuh Kuning is a quiet residential village just south of Ubud Palace, and it is one of my favorite neighborhoods in the entire region because it feels like old Bali, the kind where neighbors still leave offerings on your doorstep and the roosters operate on no fixed schedule. The Ubud Tree House, run by a local family, is a two-story bamboo and wood structure built around a living tree, and it is one of the most authentic treehouse stay Ubud options that does not feel like it was designed for Instagram. I spent two nights here in April, which is the start of the dry season, and the mornings were cool enough to sit on the upper terrace in a light sweater, which almost never happens in Bali. The room has a mosquito net, a fan, and a simple bathroom with a mandi-style shower, and the whole experience feels like staying at a friend's very stylish rural home rather than a hotel. There is no restaurant on site, but the family will arrange for a local woman to cook breakfast in the small kitchen, and the nasi goreng she makes with kecap manis and a fried egg on top is the best I have had in Ubud. What most tourists do not know is that Nyuh Kuning is home to several traditional Balinese woodcarving workshops, and if you walk down Jalan Nyuh Bojog in the late afternoon, you can watch artisans working on pieces that will end up in galleries in Seminyak and Canggu. The drawback is that the treehouse is accessed by a steep wooden staircase, and if you have mobility issues or are traveling with large suitcases, it is not ideal. A local tip: ask the family about the nearby Pura Dalem Ubud temple ceremonies, because if your stay coincides with one, you will hear the gamelan music drifting through the trees at night, and it is one of those experiences that stays with you.

Green Village, Banjar Sibang Gede, Abiansemal

Green Village is not a traditional glamping property, but it belongs on any list of the best glamping spots near Ubud because the experience of sleeping inside one of these bamboo structures, surrounded by jungle and overlooking the Ayung River valley, is unlike anything else in Bali. Located in Banjar Sibang Gede in Abiansemal, about twenty-five minutes south of Ubud center, the village was designed by the Ibuku architecture firm, the same team behind Bambu Indah, and every house is a sculptural masterpiece of curved bamboo that looks like it grew out of the hillside. I visited in August and stayed in one of the available guest houses, and the engineering is staggering, walls of woven bamboo that curve into domed ceilings, open-air living spaces that catch the river breeze, and bathrooms where the shower floor is made of river stone. There is no formal restaurant, but the staff can arrange meals from a nearby village kitchen, and I would recommend asking for the jamu, the traditional herbal tonic made with turmeric and tamarind, which is served warm and tastes like earth and sunshine. Most tourists do not know that Green Village offers architectural tours led by the Ibuku team, and if you are even remotely interested in design, this is worth half a day of your trip. The one issue is that the property is quite remote, and getting a Grab or Gojek car to pick you up can take a long time because drivers often cannot find the entrance. A local tip: arrange your transport through the property directly, because they have a relationship with local drivers who know the unmarked turnoff from the main road.

Royal Pitamaha Ubud, Jalan Suweta

Royal Pitamaha sits on Jalan Suweta, one of Ubud's most atmospheric streets, lined with traditional Balinese compounds and small art shops. While it is technically a boutique hotel rather than a glamping property, the resort's riverside suites and the way the buildings blend into the hillside above the Campuhan River give it a feel that overlaps significantly with the luxury camping Ubud aesthetic. I stayed here in October, and the thing that struck me most was the Campuhan Ridge Walk, which starts just a few minutes from the property's front gate and is one of the few genuinely free, uncrowded experiences left in central Ubud. The hotel's breakfast is included and features a Balinese buffet with jaje laklak, the green pancake made with pandan and coconut, which you should eat while sitting by the pool with a view of the valley. Order the arak martini from the bar in the evening, arak being the local palm liquor, mixed with lime and a touch of honey, and it is dangerously smooth. What most visitors miss is that Jalan Suweta transforms during temple ceremony days, when the entire street is lined with bamboo penjor decorations and the women of the compound wear their finest kebaya, and if you time your visit right, you will witness something that no resort experience can replicate. The downside is that the rooms closest to the river can feel humid during the wet season, and the air conditioning has to work overtime to keep up. A local tip: ask the concierge about the weekly canang sari making class held at a nearby compound, because learning to weave the small palm-leaf offerings gives you a deeper understanding of why Bali feels so spiritually alive.

Mason Elephant Lodge, Taro

Taro is a village about fifteen minutes north of Ubud center, and it is best known for the Mason Elephant Park, which has been a fixture of the area since the early 1990s. The lodge offers a dome tent Ubud area visitors often overlook because they associate the property primarily with the elephant experience, but the accommodation itself is genuinely impressive. The tents are large, furnished with teak furniture and batik textiles, and set along a tree-lined path that feels secluded despite being close to the main road. I visited in June and spent an evening at the lodge's restaurant, where the rijsttafel, the Dutch-Indonesian colonial-style banquet, is the standout order, a spread of fifteen small dishes that takes over an hour to work through and tells the story of Bali's complex colonial history through food. The best time to visit the elephant park itself is early morning, around 8 AM, when the animals are most active and the temperature is still comfortable. Most tourists do not know that Taro is also home to several traditional stone carving workshops, and if you walk through the village in the late morning, you can see artisans working on the same volcanic stone used in temples across Bali. The one honest complaint I have is that the elephant park experience is polarizing, some travelers love it and others find it ethically uncomfortable, so do your own research before booking. A local tip: if you are staying at the lodge, ask for a room at the far end of the path, because the ones near the main building occasionally pick up noise from events and functions.

Bidadari Luxury Villas and Spa, Jalan Raya Sanggingan

Sanggingan is the neighborhood just south of Ubud center that has quietly become one of the most interesting food and wellness corridors in the area, and Bidadari Luxury Villas sits on Jalan Raya Sanggingan, the main road that connects Ubud to the southern villages. The property's villas are not tents or treehouses, but the open-air bathrooms, the jungle-facing balconies, and the overall design philosophy place it firmly within the luxury camping Ubud conversation. I stayed here in May, which is one of the best months to visit Bali because the weather is dry and the tourist crowds have thinned after the April holiday rush. Each villa has a private pool, and the one I was in faced a small ravine filled with tropical plants and the constant sound of a stream below. The spa offers a Balinese massage that uses locally made coconut oil infused with frangipani, and at around 350,000 rupiah for ninety minutes, it is one of the better value spa treatments in the Ubud area. Order the gado-gado from the villa kitchen, the peanut sauce is made fresh and has a depth of flavor that the tourist-warung versions on Monkey Forest Road cannot match. What most tourists do not realize is that Sanggingan is home to several of Ubud's best restaurants, including Locavore and Room4Dessert, both within a ten-minute walk, so you can have a world-class dinner and be back in your villa within fifteen minutes. The drawback is that Jalan Raya Sanggingan is a busy road, and the traffic noise during morning and evening rush hours is noticeable from the pool area. A local tip: walk east along the road in the early morning and stop at the small warung on the corner of Jalan Raya Sanggingan and Jalan Ngetep, where a woman named Wayan makes the most incredible pisang goreng, fried banana, with a crispy batter that shatters when you bite into it.

When to Go and What to Know

The dry season, from April through October, is the best time for any glamping experience near Ubud because the rice terraces are at their greenest, the skies are clearer for stargazing, and the humidity drops to a level where sleeping under mosquito netting feels romantic rather than suffocating. July and August are peak months, so book at least two to three months in advance for the more popular properties. The wet season, November through March, has its own appeal, the landscape turns an almost fluorescent green and the rates drop significantly, but afternoon downpours can last for hours and some of the more remote properties become difficult to reach. Ubud sits at roughly 200 meters above sea level, which means evenings are noticeably cooler than in coastal Bali, and you will want a light layer after 9 PM. Most glamping properties include airport transfer as an option, but I recommend arranging your own transport through a local driver, you will pay about 350,000 to 500,000 rupiah for a one-way trip from Ngurah Rai International Airport to Ubud, and having a driver's WhatsApp number is invaluable for getting around during your stay. Cash is still king at many smaller properties and nearby warungs, so always carry at least 500,000 rupiah in small denominations.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the safest and most reliable way to get around Ubud as a solo traveler?

The most reliable option is hiring a private driver for the day, which costs between 500,000 and 700,000 rupiah for eight hours, and most glamping properties can arrange this for you. Ride-hailing apps like Grab and Gojek work in Ubud but are less consistent than in southern Bali because some local taxi operators block their drivers from entering certain zones. Walking is safe during daylight hours on main roads, but many glamping properties are located on unlit village paths, so a motorbike rental at around 70,000 to 80,000 rupiah per day is a practical alternative if you are comfortable riding.

How many days are needed to see the major tourist attractions in Ubud without feeling rushed?

Four full days is the minimum to cover the Tegallalang Rice Terraces, the Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary, the Campuhan Ridge Walk, at least two waterfalls (Tegenungan and Tibumana), and a traditional dance performance at Ubud Palace without rushing. If you want to include a day trip to the Tirta Empul temple, the Kanto Lampo waterfall, or a sunrise trek up Mount Batur, add two more days. Most glamping properties recommend a minimum two-night stay to fully experience the property itself.

What are the best free or low-cost tourist places in Ubud that are genuinely worth the visit?

The Campuhan Ridge Walk is completely free and takes about forty minutes one way along a narrow ridge with valley views on both sides. The Ubud Art Market, located opposite Ubud Palace on Jalan Raya Ubud, costs nothing to browse and is best visited before 9 AM to avoid crowds. The Tegalalang Rice Terraces charge a small entrance fee of around 20,000 rupiah per person, and the walk through the terraces themselves is the main attraction. Pura Taman Saraswati, the water temple on Jalan Kajang, has no entrance fee and is one of the most photographed spots in Ubud.

Is it possible to walk between the main sightseeing spots in Ubud, or is local transport is necessary?

The central Ubud area, defined roughly as the zone between Ubud Palace, the Monkey Forest, and the Campuhan Ridge, is walkable, with most points within one to two kilometers of each other. However, Tegallalang Rice Terraces are about 17 kilometers north, Tegenungan Waterfall is about 12 kilometers south, and most glamping properties are located in villages outside the central area. For anything beyond the town center, local transport is necessary, either a rented motorbike, a hired driver, or a combination of walking and ride-hailing.

Do the most popular attractions in Ubud require advance ticket booking, especially during peak season?

The Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary sells tickets at the door for 80,000 rupiah per adult and rarely requires advance booking, though queues can exceed thirty minutes between 10 AM and 2 PM in July and August. Mount Batur sunrise treks, which many Ubud visitors add to their itinerary, should be booked at least one to two days in advance through a licensed operator, as groups are capped for safety reasons. Most glamping properties handle their own booking directly and do not use third-party platforms, so reserving by email or WhatsApp at least three to four weeks ahead during peak season is strongly recommended.