Tegallalang Rice Terraces in Ubud is famous for its beautiful scenes of rice paddies involving the subak (traditional Balinese cooperative irrigation system), which according to history, was passed down by a revered holy man named Rsi Markandeya in the eighth century. Tegallalang forms the three most splendid terraced landscapes in Ubud’s shared region, with the others being in the villages of Pejeng and Campuhan. The Tegallalang rice terraces alone offers a scenic outlook that spreads down before you and away to the rice paddies on the slopes across the valley. The high roadside location is cool and breezy and it is a well-known spot for tourists to stop and take photos. Painters and nature lovers also enjoy visiting this spot, and there are numerous art kiosks and cafes near the ledge offering their ware.
Tegallalang Rice Terraces
Tegallalang rice terraces offer a perfect Bali photo opportunity with its dramatic views. The vista sprawls down and away to the rice terraces on the slopes across the valley. A local elder, a farmer who owns the land invites visitors to sample his green coconut drink, as well as to purchase woven hats that he makes from coconut leaves as well as posing with visitors for a small fee. This ancient valley has a timeless quality whether there are tourists there or not. The small village of Pakudui, a craftsman’s dominion located in Tegallalang, is a journey of witnessing the splendour of local talent at its best. Here you will find an extraordinary variety of ornamental woodwork and various carvings. The villagers here are avid Balinese craftsmen and have taken up different forms of sculptures, either handed down through generations or as a result of an ever-growing creative process using the most natural of all media – wood. But through your village tour in Pakudui you will notice the recurring presence of one particular mythical Balinese figure – the Garuda. Amongst the carved mythical lions, horses, human figures, dogs, dragons, vases, frogs, kangaroos, cats, ornate totems, panels, doors, windows, tables and the many brilliant forms of creativity – extending even to large-scale dinosaurs – the Garuda seems to be majestically ever present amongst the creations.
Good to Know about Tegallalang Rice Terraces
Some souvenir sellers and the old farmer will seem occasionally pushy, but there are no fixed prices, so have those bargaining skills at hand or best still, remind yourself that you are just there for the picture. A ‘modest fee’ for the posing farmer is at your own discretion. While the rice terraces serve as a highlight photo-op in the Tegallalang area, souvenir shopping options abound along the roadsides, and the trip to Pakudui village is worth its while. Pakudui is reachable after a right turn up from the famed rice paddy outlook. Find magnificent carvings and wooden art forms lined up along the small and winding village road.
Tegallalang Rice Terraces
Location: north of Ubud
How to get there: Tegallalang is half an hour’s drive north of Ubud. From the main Ubud art market, head east to the large statue intersection and head further up north.
