What to do in Ubud?
Ubud is an ideal destination for those seeking personal growth and spiritual events. But how can you find out what’s happening in town in the coming days? Whether you’re a traveler or someone who has chosen to stay in Bali for an extended period, you’ll likely want to know the best way to spend your days or evenings.
I must confess that on my first days in Ubud, I felt a bit disappointed. Somehow I knew there were lots of things happening, but I had no idea how to find them! Participation in events that would support my growth and help me connect with the local community was my wish. Sometimes, newly-met friends would invite me to one or another, but I felt dependent on them. After a few weeks here, a friend asked me, “Are you not in the WhatsApp groups about Ubud events?” Since then, WhatsApp groups have become my first source of local information.
There are many groups with different objectives. Some are more widespread, while others are exclusive or require an invitation to join. Here is a list of the most popular:
WhatsApp Groups about Ubud and around
🍃 ShambAllah Daily & Weekly Event Schedules (⭐️ personal recommendation):
https://chat.whatsapp.com/HVMO2Jj6mpCGBrJzinNJCd
🍃 Ubud Community Conscious Chat:
https://chat.whatsapp.com/CJUHehwAarPCp3e8ambOzw
🍃 Conscious Bali Event’s Group:
https://chat.whatsapp.com/Fu1CwSAw0FTKx4HScVvPTt
🍃 Thrive in Ubud(Events & chat)
https://chat.whatsapp.com/LBKkQJK2lZv4Veap1QWcjR
🍃 Canggu & around:
https://chat.whatsapp.com/J23ym6Qe28FFy5b13lj1NG
🍃 Uluwatu/Bukit:
https://chat.whatsapp.com/GWqONOwBlufIOB7L3OeJTx
🍃 Second hand Bali:
https://chat.whatsapp.com/GI6KIGvilmrHkBRZguUjzn
🍃 Ubud Fire Sales:
https://chat.whatsapp.com/KrbfptZVpiw7qrhatFkixJ
🍃 Bali Kirtan Group:
https://chat.whatsapp.com/BTBFGXwGE60Lr64M37MCF7
🍃 Bali Travel Buddies:
https://chat.whatsapp.com/KoX3TIflvsW7FsGqQIYoVB
How to avoid overwhelming WhatsApp clutter? (⭐️Personal Tip)
When you stay in Bali for longer, you’ll likely join multiple groups. I just counted mine and I have around 15 groups posting daily, which can create sensory overload. How can you manage it?
The first thing you can do is mute the groups, but this wasn’t enough for me. I wanted to be notified only about messages from my friends and have access to groups when I needed them.
My advice is to have one WhatsApp account for your friends, and a second one for spam important information from the groups 😉. How can you do this?
Some of you may still have an active phone number from your country, as well as an Indonesian number for internet data packages. This is the perfect setup for that.
- If you already have WhatsApp installed on your phone, you can keep using it with your original country phone number to connect with your friends.
- For the groups, install the “WhatsApp Business” app from: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.whatsapp.w4b for Android or https://apps.apple.com/us/app/whatsapp-business/id1386412985 for iOS. And connect it to your Indonesian number for internet access.
- Turn off notifications from the WA Business. And done!
Keep your main WA account clear for friends and check group messages only when necessary.
Conclusion
If you’re unsure what to do in Ubud, joining WhatsApp groups is a great way to stay informed about local news and events. You can also make new friends and find second-hand items if needed. If you’re just starting out, I recommend joining the “ShambAllah community” group. It’s free of clutter and the admin only posts selected events every day.
See you in the group!
