In the room
The experience
Ubud has not commercialised the way Seminyak has. The Royal Palace, Puri Saren Agung, is still occupied by the royal family in the back rooms, and the front courtyard is where they have programmed evening performances since the late 1980s. Gamelan orchestra of 20 musicians, court-trained dancers in gold headdresses, you sit on a plastic chair ten feet from the gongs. The Monday and Friday Legong nights are the most musically rigorous. The Kecak nights are more theatrical but lighter on the music. Either way it is the most accessible serious Balinese music in Bali, and the rate is a fraction of what hotels charge for diluted versions.
Insider tip
Walk in knowing
The Monday and Friday Legong performances by the Bina Remaja troupe are the most musically rigorous. Most tourists default to the Kecak nights at Uluwatu.
Why it fits
Why it is in the atlas
Bali's sacred-music anchor. Pointedly not Djakarta Warehouse Project. The atlas resists the EDM-tourism default.
Plan the trip
When to go, hours, getting there
Best time to go
Nightly performances at 19:30, year-round. Monday and Friday Legong performances by the Bina Remaja troupe are the most musically rigorous. The dry season (April to October) is the listening window.
Hours
Daily evening performances at 19:30, 60 to 75 minutes. Daytime palace visits free during daylight hours. Each evening features a different troupe and programme; the schedule is posted at the palace gate.
Getting there
Ubud central, walk to the corner of Jalan Raya Ubud and Jalan Suweta. From Denpasar airport, 90 minutes by taxi (USD 25). The palace is the most-photographed building in Ubud, opposite Ubud Market.
FAQ
Questions people ask
Where is Ubud Royal Palace (Puri Saren Agung)?
Ubud Royal Palace (Puri Saren Agung) is in Ubud (Bali), Indonesia. Coordinates: -8.5069, 115.2625.
What kind of music is at Ubud Royal Palace (Puri Saren Agung)?
Ubud Royal Palace (Puri Saren Agung) programmes Gamelan, Legong, Kecak. Nightly gamelan-and-dance in the open courtyard of the still-occupied Ubud royal family palace. Full-village gamelan orchestra, court-trained dancers, plastic chairs ten feet from the gongs.
When is the best time to visit Ubud Royal Palace (Puri Saren Agung)?
Nightly performances at 19:30, year-round. Monday and Friday Legong performances by the Bina Remaja troupe are the most musically rigorous. The dry season (April to October) is the listening window.
How do I get to Ubud Royal Palace (Puri Saren Agung)?
Ubud central, walk to the corner of Jalan Raya Ubud and Jalan Suweta. From Denpasar airport, 90 minutes by taxi (USD 25). The palace is the most-photographed building in Ubud, opposite Ubud Market.
Why is Ubud Royal Palace (Puri Saren Agung) in the Sonic Paths atlas?
Bali's sacred-music anchor. Pointedly not Djakarta Warehouse Project. The atlas resists the EDM-tourism default.
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Stay
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