Situated at around 20-25 minutes drive from the central Ubud district, Tegallalang Rice terraces is famous for its scenic and photogenic views. The area has become one of the most sought after tourist destinations around Ubud and many tourists who are visiting Kintamani stop to witness the beauty and serenity of the verdant terraced rice fields.

 

If you are planning a trip to Bali, read the following blog

 

img_1303
The beautiful rice terraces – The view from the entrance.

While planning my Bali itinerary, I had kept half a day to explore the beautiful rice terraces. While reading up on the travel portals about the places to visit, most of them highlighted how a trip to Bali would be incomplete without venturing into these rice terraces. We did have our reservations about visiting this place with a toddler, but went ahead.

Note: If you are visiting this place with a toddler it would be tough to explore the entire area. We had to stop beyond a point as the slopes were very steep and extremely challenging and risky to be negotiated with a kid. We made a mistake by not taking our baby carrier, though I feel even with that it is risky. 

 

Drive from Ubud to Tegallalang rice terraces

The Tegallalang rice terraces is a 30 minutes drive from Ubud. You can either hire a self drive car or a Taxi or rent one of the bikes to reach this place. Since we had booked our vehicle through the resort, we had a guide to help us explore the entire Island. We started at around 9 Am after having our breakfast from Nusa Dua and it took us a good 2 hours to reach the rice terrraces at Tegallalang.

 

Read the following blog about the resort that we were staying – Westin Nusa Dua

 

img_1298
The greenery all around is so pleasing on the eyes. We had a perfect day with clear blue skies to visit the rice terraces.

Parking is a major problem at this place as the roads are pretty narrow and one can hardly find any parking spot. Our driver dropped us at the entrance of the rice terraces and had to park his vehicle almost a kilometer down the road.

Tips:

  • Try to reach the place early in the morning to avoid the harsh mid day sun. We reached at 11 AM which was pretty late and the sun was beating down the slopes. Add to this the humidity and you have a perfect recipe for dehydration. Try to reach the rice terraces, max by 9AM
  • Parking is a major problem here if you are driving your own car. Be prepared for a decent walk from the parking lot to the entrance if you are driving your car. If you are on a bike, you can manage to park pretty close to the entrance. 
  • Carry a hat, sunscreen and a bottle of water. You will need them. 
  • Needless to say, wear comfortable walking shoes. Since the terrain is not that friendly on the knees and legs, you should wear sports shoes or floaters with good grip. Some of the slopes are very steep and a fall can cause serious injuries
  • If you have any medical conditions or a toddler, do not venture too deep into the farms. The slopes get steeper and paths muddy as you venture deeper into the slopes

 

After reaching the Rice Terraces

The area/ road where the entrance of the rice terrace is located is pretty commercialized. Locals have understood that they can make good business as there are many hungry and thirsty tourists coming back from the trek  🙂

dscn7649
The hike just started – notice the wooden bridge in the backdrop, that one has to cross to explore the fields.

 

Photo3
Took the photo just before crossing the wooden bridge. Notice the steep slopes that we had to walk down before crossing the bridge.

 

Photo4
Me crossing the wooden bridge with the kiddo – really missed the baby carrier.. had to be extremely slow to ensure that we do not end up in a mess!!!

 

Photo1
The small refreshment stall that you can find during the hike.

You will find rows and rows of eating joints where you can grab something to eat and drink. Even while trekking inside the rice terraces, there are small outlets setup by the locals where you can grab refreshments and quick bites. There are no entry fee for the rice terraces and it is up to you to “tip” locals. As you enter the rice terraces, keep following the signs which direct you through the hiking trail. The slopes are pretty challenging to negotiate and do not have railings. It is best advised to walk through slowly and cautiously as help is not that easy to get in case of any misadventure. There is a wooden bridge inside the farm which is maintained by the locals and it is good practice to give a small donation – to keep the bridge functional.

 

dscn7660
Finally the rice terraces started to appear.. up close among the rice terrace slopes.

 

img_1301
The climb gets steeper as you go deeper into the farms…

 

Photo8
The steps do not have any railing and as you can see can become challenging while coming down… ensure that you do not miss your footing while coming down these steep slopes.

You can pay whatever you wish, but our guide mentioned that it is usually 5,000 IDR per person. Do carry good amount of change before you venture into the farms, as you cannot expect change for higher denominations. You can also get photos taken with the villagers and try out their hats and equipment’s – again you need to be generous with your tips !!

 

Photo7
The view of from the other side – notice all the pubs that have come up at the entrance.. perfect spot to grab a cool refreshment and gaze at the rice slopes.

 

Photo6
Another shot of the trails that take you deep into the fields.

 

Photo5
Reached the vantage point and beyond this the slopes were very steep and tough with navigate with the little come.. We decided to call it a day and get back.

 

img_1305
The way back was tiring as we had to come down the steep slopes. Was a bit concerned about the little one whom I was carrying.. It was a slow walk back to the entrance. Took this photo after an hour of hiking back to the entrance.

 

The visit to the rice terraces in Bali was a very unique experience as I have never seen anything of this in the past. You will need around half a day to explore the entire terrace in detail. I will definitely recommend this place to everyone who is travelling to Bali.

 

 

Like my Facebook page for regular updates on travel experiences  

For any other queries, contact me at planettrekkerblog@outlook.com

 

Advertisement