6 Best Sights in Ubud, Indonesia

In recent years Bali Zoo has significantly improved its game, removing old-school cages in favor of more animal-friendly open enclosures like a river otter habitat where you're treated to underwater views. It has maintained an intimate feel, so there's still a petting zoo and lots of opportunities for up-close views of fearsome bearcats and cute lion cubs. Located between Ubud and Sanur, the zoo offers elephant rides, a treetop trail, and other kid-pleasing amenities. Packages including transportation from major tourist areas.

Bali's lake country highlands present breathtaking vistas at elevations above 1,000 meters (3,280 feet), two to three hours north of southern resort areas. Bedugul overlooks Danau (Lake) Bratan. Lakeside temple Pura Ulun Danau Bratan (Rp10,000) is rightly among Bali's most photographed spots. Vast Bali Botanical Garden (Kebun Raya Eka Karya Bali; Rp7,000), mobbed on Sundays, grows palms to pines to pink roses, thanks to the elevation. Bedugul's market and countless hawkers sell famed local strawberries. The winding 16-km (10-mile) road to Munduk skirts Danau Buyan and Danau Tamblingan, with views of forested mountainsides that reach the sea. Munduk features hiking trails, waterfalls, Dutch colonial buildings, and coffee plantations. Weather ranges from sweltering sun to misty downpour to mountain chill, often changing dramatically within a couple of hours.

There are more theories about the origins of Goa Gajah and its name than there ever were native elephants on Bali. What's indisputable is this Hindu holy place dates back at least 1,000 years. The T-shaped cave interior has elaborate stone carvings and a statue of the Hindu elephant god Ganesha, which is a tribute to Goa Gajah name but not the reason for it. The courtyard outside the cave has sculptured female figures filling a pair of bathing pools. Consider visiting Goa Gajah, about 4 miles (6 kilometers) southeast of central Ubud, by bicycle and walking or pedaling through scenic rice fields to nearby Yeh Pulu (Rp20,000) for its panoramic 14th century rock carvings depicting village life.

Ubud is Bali's arts center, and Neka Museum traces the island's painting history. Arranged like a family compound in separate pavilions in a garden, the museum illustrates the evolution of painting in Bali, including the influence of prominent foreign and Indonesian artists who have lived here. One wing showcases Java's Abdul Aziz, who evocatively depicted everyday Balinese. Upstairs, there's a veritable greatest hits gallery dedicated to Bali's resident international masters, including Antonio Blanco and Rudolf Bonnet.

A haven for shutterbugs and children, Ubud's Monkey Forest is home to dozens of Balinese macaques. These long-tailed grayish primates mug it up and dive spectacularly into their pool when not taking refuge in the tall trees. But there's more to the forest than monkeyshines. Guides posted along the paths gladly expound on the site's history and temples, including Pura Perana, dating to the 14th century. Monkeys here are better behaved than their counterparts in Uluwatu, but still can get nasty. Remove anything they can grab (like hats, glasses and earrings) and all food from your person. Obey the many "Do Not Feed" signs rather than the sales pitches of banana and peanut hawkers.

Puppetry is serious stuff across Southeast Asia, an important part of traditional and religious ceremonies. Setia Darma House of Masks and Puppets celebrates the tradition. More than 1,000 items, predominantly from Bali and Java, are shown in four joglo, Javanese wooden houses. Intricate wayang kulit, leather characters for shadow puppetry, headline the collection that also features wayang golek (wooden puppets), masks for topeng dances, and pieces from Africa and Europe. There are first-rate captions in English. Located in a small village surrounded by rice fields, the museum's grounds include lotus ponds, brooding banyan trees, and performance areas. If you take a taxi from Ubud, the museum staff can arrange transportation back.