There are two types of people who visit Ubud: those who believe that anytime is a great time to “heal” your inner self and those who just want to chill—but only a little. You see, these tourists are typically the kinds of people who have absolutely no chill because, unlike the self-help crowd, they’ve never been taught how to “tame their monkey minds.” These are the people who hit the meditation retreats and yoga studios of Ubud to work on their Idleness™ only to spend the whole time thinking about work. (FYI, in case you couldn’t tell, these are my people.)
But there’s a place where both crowds can come together for a good time, the Ubud Writers & Readers Festival. This annual festival is five days of communing with nature and getting to meet some of the most-interesting authors, filmmakers, and artists around. That’s the kind of Ubud I can get behind.
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But this year’s festival is HUGE. There’s more than 160 speakers from 30 countries covering everything from spiritualism to technology. It’s a lot to plan for and stress over—which is, of course, the last thing you’re supposed to be doing in the yoga capital of Southeast Asia.
So how do you figure out what to pack it all in while still feeling totally relaxed and at one with your inner peace? I called up Christabelle Adeline, managing editor at Traveloka, who is something of a Ubud Writers Fest. regular. She’s been to four of the last 14 festivals and she has figured out how to get the most out of Southeast Asia’s ultimate literary week.
1. ACTUALLY LOOK AT THE PROGRAM
I know what you’re thinking—”wait, this is your advice? Look at the schedule?”—but, seriously, you need to sit down and study this thing. Like I said, there are a lot of events and it’s so easy to get lost in the whole thing and end up accidentally missing that seminar on origin stories because you just had to hit up Alchemy for a late, but still totally raw, breakfast.
Everyone has their own favs., but, personally, I suggest checking out this session with poet Simon Armitage, this one on translations, and this special event on the lost art of letter writing. Oh, and be sure to wander over for the launch of Intan Paramaditha’s book on travel, adventure, and displacement.
Christabelle says: To be honest, I find the political sessions a bit repetitive—even when the speakers are different. So I always seek out poetry events. There’s really not enough of poetry events anywhere in the world, including in Jakarta. At the festival you can go to one session where they talk about how and why they write poetry, and at a different session you can see them perform their work. That’s what makes it special.
The highlight of the festival to me is the Poetry Slam. It’s a big deal. While at other sessions you get to see specific performers, at the Poetry Slam you get to see a range of different people. The MC will pull the judges from the audience, and they will score every performance. Sometimes the winner wins because they’re funny and engaging, sometimes because of the quality of their writing. If you’re lucky, it’s both!
2. BRING YOUR OWN BOOKS
What? Bring some books to a literary festival? Why would I do that? Because you’re going to want to get them signed by your favorite authors, stupid! Plus which one do you want signed, the new novel you just bought at the airport, or the heavily worn one spent a week reading in the back of taxis and in the bathroom? The bathroom book, of course!
This is also the place to meet other people into the same stuff you are, and there’s no better way to do that than to have one of your favorite books in your bag.
Christabelle says: You come to the festival with some books, and you definitely return home with some more. There will be booths selling books, but most of the time you can only purchase them with cash. So bring plenty of cash!
3. PUT ON THAT SARONG
Like you really needed to be told. You bought that sarong way back from some Bali beach hawker, and since then it’s just been sitting on the back of your couch like some kind of decorative blanket. Well pack it up, because Ubud is the only place you can wear that sarong with pride—and without looking like some middle-aged Javanese guy hanging out with his caged birds.
Also, they look great on Instagram.
Christabelle says: Wearing a sarong to UWRF is exactly like wearing a band T-shirt to a concert. If you don’t have a sarong, you might want to buy one (or borrow from your parents) for the occasion. UWRF is a cultural event, so I guess we just wanted to blend in and still look cultured. I saw a lot of people pair theirs with a linen top.
Pro Tip: Wear shorts under your sarong or risk some chafed thighs later.
Also: Sure sneakers are comfortable, but Ubud is all about the sandal—especially ones with plenty of leather or strings. You can never have enough string on your feet.
4. CHARGE YOUR PHONE
If you’re at the Ubud Writers Fest. but none of your followers know it, then are you really even there? Bring your phone, your charger, and your power bank. Take lots of photos. Post them on Instagram and just watch as the hearts come in.
Christabelle says: You can use your phone to record things—like the things being said by people on the panel. I do this because later in the day I want to write down what I heard, but my writing speed isn’t really what it used to be. So phone it is.
5. PRETTY BICYCLES < MOTORBIKES
Look, of course navigating the streets of Ubud on a bike is all #goals, but bikes are actually really… impractical. Especially in a sarong. So forget those Eat, Pray, Love fantasies and get real with it, on a damn motorbike.
Christabelle says: If you really want to rent a bicycle, just bear in mind that you’re going to ride it uphill—almost all the time. So if you know how to ride a motorbike, I would totally recommend that instead. Trust me on this.
Pro tip: It’s called GO-JEK.
Also: If you ignore me and actually do rent a bicycle, at least get someone to take a photo of you, because otherwise, what’s the point?
