If you’ve been following along, you’ll know Wapa di Ume Sidemen is one of our all-time favourite stays on the island. So when we found out the original Wapa di Ume — the one that started it all in Ubud, 31 years ago — was where we’d be spending four nights on our latest Bali itinerary, I couldn’t wait.
Even after 30+ trips to Bali and being half-Indonesian myself, there’s something about a hotel that’s been quietly doing it right for three decades that gets my attention. A lot of Ubud’s newer resorts are chasing the next big infinity pool or the next viral Instagram corner. Wapa di Ume Ubud isn’t trying to be trendy. It’s just been genuinely, consistently good since 1995 — and after our stay, I completely understand why it’s still one of the best places to stay in Ubud, especially if you’re travelling with kids.
We stayed in the One-Bedroom Pool Villa for four nights in May with our two little ones, Kylo and Zadie, and this is my honest, warts-and-all review — the good, the “we’d do this differently next time,” and everything in between.
Our Verdict: Is Wapa di Ume Ubud Worth It?
Most reviews save this for the end, but I know you’re here to find out if it’s worth booking, so let’s get straight into it.
Yes, we would absolutely stay again — and that’s not something I say about every hotel we review. We love the Wapa di Ume brand’s hospitality, and this property has that same warmth we fell for at Wapa di Ume Sidemen. What makes the Ubud property special is its location — it’s tucked away amongst rice paddies just far enough out of town to feel peaceful, but still close enough that you can dip in and out to see the main Ubud attractions without a long drive.
It’s also a short trip to Spring Spa’s newest Ubud location, which sits right amongst the rice fields too (more on that later).
It’s for you if you want a genuinely quiet, rice-paddy-view stay with excellent service, you’re travelling with kids and want a resort that actually goes out of its way for them, and you’d rather be a short drive from central Ubud than right in the middle of the traffic and crowds.
It’s probably not for you if you want to walk to Ubud’s cafes and shops in five minutes, or you’re after a flashy, ultra-modern resort — Wapa di Ume is boutique, heritage and understated rather than glossy.’
Where Is Wapa di Ume Ubud Located?
Wapa di Ume Ubud sits on Jalan Suweta in Banjar Bentuyung, a few minutes north of central Ubud, surrounded by working rice terraces. It’s genuinely one of the things I loved most — you step out of your villa and you’re looking at rice paddies, not rooftops, but you’re still only around a 10–15 minute drive (traffic dependent, and this is Ubud, so always factor in traffic) from the Ubud Palace, the markets, and the main strip of Ubud restaurants.
If you’re building out your wider Ubud itinerary, this location is honestly one of the best of both worlds in the best areas in Bali — close enough to everything, but far enough to actually switch off.’
Why We Chose Wapa di Ume Ubud
A few things sold me on this stay before we’d even arrived. First, it’s one of the oldest hotels in Ubud — it opened back in 1995, which makes it 31 years old this year, and in a town where boutique resorts pop up and disappear every season, that kind of longevity told me something about the standard of hospitality we could expect.
Second, we’d already fallen for the Wapa di Ume brand at their Sidemen property, and I wanted to see how the original compared. Third, as a family with two young kids, I wanted somewhere with a genuinely good on-site restaurant and activities, because with a baby and a toddler, some days you simply don’t want to leave the resort — and this was exactly that kind of place.
Arrival & Welcome
Our driver dropped us at reception after a stop at Sanua for lunch on the way, and we arrived a little later than planned — around 5:30pm — so by that point the kids were pretty over it. But the warm welcome we received made up for it instantly.
We were brought welcome drinks at reception — watermelon juice for us and a plate of fresh fruit (watermelon, papaya and pineapple), which was perfect timing because my two are obsessed with watermelon and were desperate for a snack. Cool, refreshing towels were handed out too, which after a hot car ride felt amazing.
Tip: if you’ve got young kids, try to arrive before late afternoon if you can. Ours were pretty done in by the time we checked in, which meant our first night was a low-key one — room service and bed rather than exploring.
The Villa: One-Bedroom Pool Villa Review
We stayed in the One-Bedroom Pool Villa, a standalone 144sqm villa with a king bed, private pool and a terrace that looks straight out over the rice paddies. It’s a single-storey villa, which I always appreciate travelling with little ones — no stairs to worry about with a toddler underfoot.
The villa itself was beautiful. There’s a sunken bath inside as well as an outdoor shower, and on arrival the bed had been set up with a floral arrangement and frangipani scattered through the bath, such a lovely touch. The team set up a daybed for Kylo so he had his own proper bed rather than a fold-out cot situation, which made a big difference for our sleep that trip. Zadie was in a cot in the same room.
[INSERT PRICE PER NIGHT] — I’ll update this with our exact rate once I’ve confirmed it, but as a guide, expect the One-Bedroom Pool Villa to sit in the mid-range for Ubud’s boutique resorts. If you’re mapping out your Bali trip cost, I’d factor this villa category in as a splurge-but-worth-it stay rather than a budget option.
Because it was so late by the time we arrived, we ordered room service from the on-site restaurant, Mr. Wayan. I got a nasi goreng that came with a fried egg, a fried prawn and a chicken leg with sambal and satay — I love when nasi goreng arrives with a whole spread like that rather than just the noodles or rice on their own. I also got a soto ayam, and we ordered chicken wings and rice for Kylo.
Everything was genuinely delicious, and honestly a great sign for what was to come from the kitchen over the next four days.
We woke up the next morning to the villa’s real party trick — the view. Rice paddies stretching out from our terrace, and it’s one of those views that genuinely stops you in your tracks with your morning coffee.
Dining at Mr. Wayan Restaurant
We ate the vast majority of our meals at Mr. Wayan, the on-site restaurant, and loved it every time. Breakfast included omelettes, congee, a fruit and granola bowl, and honestly a bit of everything — we mixed it up most mornings. There’s also a gamelan set up in the restaurant that Kylo absolutely loved having a go on, which kept him entertained while we finished our coffee.
For dinner one night we got a beef rendang and a butter chicken, and the kids had pizza — a good sign that this is genuinely a place that caters properly for Indonesian food lovers and picky toddlers in equal measure. If you’re after ubud restaurants that do proper Indonesian flavours well, this one doesn’t need you to leave the resort.
The Private Family Cooking Class
This was, without a doubt, one of the highlights of our stay, and something I’d recommend to any family visiting. Kylo and I did a private cooking class with Chef Ayu from Mr. Wayan, alongside Las Mini, one of the restaurant staff we’d already gotten to know (and love) over breakfast.
We were given a choice of two menus and picked seafood soup, chicken curry, and pandan pancakes with coconut and palm sugar. We started with fresh aromatics — shallots, garlic, lemongrass, lime leaves and chillies — plus a full display of whole spices, which was genuinely such a cool thing for Kylo to see and smell in their raw form rather than the ground versions we’re used to at home. We ground everything ourselves with a mortar and pestle, and Kylo chopped the shallots while I did the turmeric, galangal, ginger and garlic.
He’s a pretty picky eater at the moment, and while he didn’t eat much of the soup or curry he helped cook, he was so proud of having made it himself, which for me is really the whole point of doing something like this with young kids.
The pancake batter was the highlight for him — he loved whisking it, and Las Mini had picked up on the fact my kids love strawberries, so she surprised him with fresh strawberries and banana to add into his pancakes on top of the coconut and palm sugar. That’s the small stuff that tells you a hotel actually pays attention, not just goes through the motions.
Personal tip: if you’re travelling with a baby or a napping toddler, this is a great activity to split between parents — my husband took Zadie for a wander around the grounds while Kylo and I did the class, and she popped in for a quick visit partway through.
Ume Spa & the Floral Bath
While Kylo and I were in the cooking class, Matt took the kids, and afterwards I had a massage booked at Ume Spa, which is genuinely one of the prettiest spa spaces I’ve been to in Ubud. I followed it with a floral bath — petals floating in warm water, ginger tea and biscuits brought to me at the end. It’s the kind of quiet, indulgent hour that as a mum of two under five, I don’t get nearly enough of on a regular Bali trip, so I made the most of it.
We tried to recreate a bath photo with the kids at the end (we’d done a similar one at Wapa di Ume Sidemen the year before), but Zadie has recently developed a fear of flower petals in water, so that plan was scrapped pretty quickly. Kylo followed her lead and refused too. Can’t win them all — the photos are just of me this time, but it’s a funny little reminder that travelling with kids means holding your plans loosely.
Cultural Barbecue Dinner & Balinese Dance Performance
One evening we booked into the hotel’s cultural barbecue dinner, which included a full traditional Balinese dance performance. We watched the Payembrahma Dance, the Jauk Dance, the Legong Dance, the Cendrawasih Dance and finally the Barong Dance, performed live right there at the resort. Kylo was completely mesmerised watching the dancers, though he was a little unsure of the Jauk performer with the long fingernails and mask — Zadie stayed firmly in her dad’s arms for that one.
There was an audience participation moment too, and despite my best efforts to avoid eye contact, I got pulled up to copy the dance moves, much to Kylo’s delight. The barbecue spread itself was excellent — chicken satay, a whole fish dish, grilled corn, potato wedges, beef rendang, pork ribs and soup, all done properly Indonesian style, which is exactly how we like it.
We didn’t manage to stay for the full performance as the kids were fading, but the team packaged up dessert (Biscoff cake, fresh fruit and sticky rice pudding) and delivered it straight to our room, which was such a thoughtful touch.
Exploring Ubud With a Local Driver
For our full day out exploring Ubud, we organised a local driver named Wayan through the hotel — our usual driver with a proper car seat doesn’t cover the Ubud area, so having someone local who knew the region well was worth it. He’s a registered Ubud tour guide, and he was fantastic with the kids the entire day.
He took us to the Tegalalang rice terraces, which we viewed from a couple of different vantage points before stopping for coffee at Tiss Tiss Cafe overlooking the paddies — the kids had a smoothie. There’s a walking track down into the terraces, but with a toddler and a baby we opted to admire the view from above rather than navigate the muddy, slippery path down. If you’re travelling with little ones, I’d genuinely recommend doing the same.
From there we drove to Ulun Petanu Waterfall, which Wayan specifically recommended because it’s one of the more kid-friendly waterfalls in the area — only around 90 steps down, compared to some of the bigger Ubud waterfalls that involve a much steeper, less stable hike. On the way down there are ponds full of koi and ducklings, which the kids loved. The waterfall itself isn’t the biggest we’ve seen in Bali, but it’s genuinely pretty, and there’s a small kiosk selling drinks if you need a top-up.
If you want to go further, there’s a second waterfall and a cave accessible from the same spot (entry was 75,000 IDR per adult for the waterfall and an extra 10,000 IDR per adult for the cave, kids free). We did venture through the cave with Kylo, who was keen, even though it was pushing into Zadie’s nap time. It’s a little dark and narrow in parts with pockets of natural light coming through, and it was genuinely a fun mini-adventure.
e viewed the second waterfall from above rather than crossing the rickety bridge down to it — we were well past our “venturing quota” for the day with a tired toddler in tow by that point.
Afterwards we stopped for a late lunch at Hujan Locale, a beautiful cafe I’d found on Instagram that also overlooks the rice paddies. Zadie fell asleep in the car on the way, so she napped on the bench seat while we ate. We ordered nasi goreng (a trip staple for us), a karaage bowl for Kylo, and a chicken katsu bowl for Matt, along with the obligatory iced latte. Genuinely one of the best best cafes in Ubud we tried on this trip, and worth the detour.
Day Trip Idea: Jatiluwih Rice Terraces
If you have an extra day up your sleeve and want to see rice terraces on an even grander scale than Tegalalang, it’s well worth adding Jatiluwih to your Ubud itinerary. It’s a UNESCO World Heritage-listed site further north of Ubud, and while it’s a longer drive, the terraces are some of the most dramatic in Bali with far fewer crowds than Tegalalang.
We didn’t manage to fit it in on this particular trip with two little ones and a packed few days, but it’s on our list for next time and worth building into your itinerary if you’re chasing that classic rice paddy view without the crowds.
What We’d Skip Next Time
In the interest of an honest review, not everything went to plan. We had a floating breakfast booked for our final morning, but it was raining, so we made the call to skip it rather than wait it out — the kids were too hungry to hold off, and it likely would have cleared by 10 or 11am, but with two little ones you learn quickly that flexibility beats the perfect photo.
If you’re booking a floating breakfast here, I’d suggest scheduling it earlier in your stay rather than your last morning, so you’ve got a buffer day if the weather doesn’t play along — this is Bali, after all, and a bit of rain is part of the deal even in the dry season.
We’d also suggest skipping the second waterfall and bridge crossing beyond Ulun Petanu if you’re travelling with young kids or a napping baby — the first waterfall and the cave were plenty of adventure for one day.
Where to Stay in Ubud: How Wapa di Ume Compares
If you’re weighing up where to stay in Ubud more broadly, Wapa di Ume sits in a really nice middle ground. It’s not a central, walk-everywhere stay, but it’s also not so far out that you lose easy access to town. For families specifically, I’d put it up there with the best family resorts in Bali we’ve tried, largely thanks to the genuinely warm, patient staff and the range of on-site activities that mean you don’t have to leave the resort every single day to keep young kids entertained.
If you want something more central and closer to the main Ubud strip, there are plenty of good boutique options right in town, but you’ll trade the rice paddy views and quiet for convenience. For us, with two little ones who nap and need downtime, having that peaceful, green buffer around the villa made all the difference.
Nearby: Spring Spa Ubud
One more thing worth flagging if you’re staying at Wapa di Ume — Spring Spa recently opened a new Ubud location close by, tucked amongst the rice paddies as well. We love the Spring Spa brand and have used their other locations before, so it was great to see they’d opened here too. If you’ve already used up your on-site spa credits or just want to try somewhere new during your stay, it’s an easy add-on for your trip.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Wapa di Ume Ubud good for families? Yes — genuinely one of the better family stays we’ve had in Ubud. The staff were wonderful with our kids, the on-site restaurant caters well for little ones, and activities like the private cooking class are a brilliant way to keep young kids engaged without leaving the resort.
How far is Wapa di Ume Ubud from central Ubud? It’s around a 10–15 minute drive from the main Ubud strip, depending on traffic, which in Ubud can vary quite a bit throughout the day.
How old is Wapa di Ume Ubud? It opened in 1995, making it 31 years old and one of the original boutique hotels in Ubud — well before the town’s more recent wave of resort development.
Is the One-Bedroom Pool Villa good for a family with young kids? Yes, we found it worked really well. It’s single-storey with no stairs, plenty of space at 144sqm, and the team happily set up an extra daybed for our toddler.
Final Thoughts
Wapa di Ume Ubud earned its reputation over 31 years, and after four nights there with our kids, I understand exactly why it’s still considered one of the best places to stay in Ubud. It’s not the flashiest resort in town, but the hospitality, the food, and the little thoughtful touches — from strawberries in pancake batter to desserts delivered to our room — are what stuck with us most. We’d stay again in a heartbeat, and if you’re planning your own Bali itinerary and trying to decide where to stay in Ubud, this one has our full recommendation.
You can check current rates and availability for Wapa di Ume Ubud here.
Let us know if you stay — and feel free to drop questions in the comments or message us for personalised recs.
