It’s almost the weekend and that means it’s time to get outside and explore the great unknown! Or in our case, the less developed, unpopulated side of Bali. Come along and follow the Bali Reporter as she goes where no Bali Reporter has gone before…
This weekend, we’re wandering to Ubud’s Campuhan Ridge trek (which in reality is a scenic walk, but doesn’t trek just sound much more adventurous?). After reading average reviews about the experience on TripAdvisor but hearing great things from local friends, we decided it was time to give the trek a go for ourselves. And we must say, it did not disappoint. The combination of easy access and feeling of remoteness has earned the Campuhan Ridge a high rank among our favorite activities in Ubud, besides going to Naughty Nuri’s for ribs and martinis of course.
How to get there:
Starting from the palace at Ubud’s town centre, walk 12-15 minutes or drive 2-5 minutes north towards the main bridge and restaurants including 
Bridges and Murni’s Warung. Before you reach the bridge there will be a hotel on your right called Warwick IBAH Luxury Villas & Spa, intentional emphasis on the IBAH (it will be what catches your eye off the road). Turn into the driveway of the hotel and veer immediately to the left, where the road will decline down and you can park in a small, gravel parking area on the lefthand side. Small cars and motorbikes will fit fine, but if you’re planning on arriving in a larger vehicle it might be best to park at the top of the road before entering the IBAH Hotel.
Once you’ve parked, continue walking down the descending driveway until you find a flight of stone stairs and a sign marking “This way trekking Campuhan Ridge ‘Karsa Kafe’ 2 kilometers” with an arrow pointing to the right.
By the time we reached this first sign it was around 10am, which is a bit too late in the day by Bali standards – we were sweating profusely 10 minutes into the hike. Learn from our wrong doing and try to go either earlier in the morning or later in the afternoon for a cooler, less “help me, I’m melting” type of adventure.
Expect to spend at least an hour and a half walking the ridge, probably more if you sit down to have a cold drink and snack at the Karsa Kafe like we did. As the most common endpoint for the trek, 4 kilometers there and back, all of the signs you see along the walk mark the distance to this point.
Why is this particular cafe the final destination you ask? Check out our slideshow of photos and find out why!
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Looking for some unique activities in Bali? Check out Chocolate in Bali: The Complete Guide for a Chocolate Holiday
