My sloppy week in Ubud, Bali – budget student style

i just peeked at the app and it’s 19‑odd degrees, feels a tad sticky, but the sun’s still teasing you with a few rays. i’m not lying when i say my hair’s a soggy mess and my phone’s dying in the humidity. there’s this vibe here that feels like a low‑budget circus, with street vendors shouting at each other in a blend of Bahasa and broken English. i stayed at the hostel on Jalan Raya Dewi Sri, 3‑bed room with a mattress that looked like it survived a war. the price? about $12 a night, which is half of what i paid in Hanoi last month. the hostel owner, a grumpy middle‑aged guy named Pak Bu, swore at me in Bahasa when i asked for extra pillows, but i still managed to get the Wi‑Fi password by whispering ‘mana wifi?’ to a nervous‑looking backpacker. the Wi‑Fi kept cutting out every time the humidity spiked, so i went down the hallway to the coworking spot - The Hub Bali - and charged my laptop off the communal power strip. i heard that the Hub Bali has a free espresso machine, but that’s probably just a rumor, like most things i hear in this city. someone told me that if you skip the touristy Jatiluwih rice terraces and take the back road to the hidden waterfalls, you’ll get less crowds and cheaper entry fees, but i didn’t test it because my bank balance was already protesting. i also saw a neon sign that said ‘Massage? 15 minutes!’ flashing above a street stall that smelled like fried bananas and mystery meat. a drunk reviewer on Yelp claimed the pork satay at Warung Babi Guling is ‘so juicy it’s crying’, which is exactly why i haven’t tried it yet. i picked up a cheap street‑food stall that swears the best gado‑gado comes from a secret recipe the owner inherited from his grandma, but i’m not sure if that’s true or just another drunk tip. i tried a local coconut water sold on a cart, and the vendor claimed it’s from a tree that’s been fermenting for years - i guess that’s why it tastes like vinegar. if you feel the urge to wander off, a short drive whisks you to the beaches of Seminyak or the cliffs of Amed, which are a breeze away and give you a taste of the sea with a side of sunshine. i read a TripAdvisor review of the Ayana Resort Spa that said the pool feels like it’s straight out of a dream, but i haven’t booked it because i’m still hunting for free Wi‑Fi spots. i also saw a TripAdvisor recommendation for a hidden temple down a narrow alley - you’ll need a flashlight and a willingness to get lost - that sounded like a cool budget challenge. i went to a local board thread titled ‘Free nights: anyone wants to stay at my Airbnb?’ and found a couch‑surfing offer, but i’m skeptical because i’ve heard horror stories about broken AC. here’s a map of my wandering (use the placeholder):

and a couple of snapshots to give you a feel of the vibe:

Ayana Resort & Spa Review on TripAdvisor Warung Babi Guling on Yelp Ubud Community Board - Cheap Accommodation