Wet market
The Ubud market when it is raining
How a traditional morning market near Ubud works in the wet season: go earlier, watch your feet, buy what you need, and leave before the lanes flood.
By Chef Wayan Suryana, Warung Tumang BaliLast updated
This day ends at Warung Tumang Bali in Petulu, about 10 minutes from central Ubud, depending on traffic. Check datesHow the class runs
The short answer
The morning market still runs in the rain. Go just after dawn, wear closed shoes, carry a bag that can get wet, and leave before late morning when the lanes hold water. This is the stalls, not the rice-field walk.
Rain does not cancel the stalls
A wet-season morning still has chili, shallots, grated coconut, and banana leaf. Tarps come out. The concrete gets slick. The useful hour moves earlier: be there just after dawn, and be gone before late morning, when the lanes hold water and the piles have been picked over.
This is not the rice-field walk in the rain. That walk is a different page. This is the market: shopping, tasting a little, then leaving. The cooking later is under a roof.
What to wear and what to carry
Closed shoes with a tread. An umbrella is awkward between stalls. A light jacket you can take off is enough. Carry a bag that can get wet. Chili heaps do not wait for dry weather.
Flower offerings on the wet stone bruise and stick. Step around them. They are not cleared because visitors are coming.
If you are on a class morning
The 8:30am session still starts at the market. Say so if the lane at your hotel is flooding; the ride is still about 10 minutes from central Ubud, depending on traffic, and rain is part of that traffic. You are not moved to a different market because the sky opened.
If you would rather skip wet stalls, book the afternoon session. That day has no market. The morning market note is the dry-weather version of these same aisles.
Questions before the day
- Does the Ubud morning market close in the rain?
- No. Tarps come out and the concrete gets slick, but chili, shallot, coconut, and banana leaf are still sold.
- What should I wear to the market in the wet season?
- Closed shoes with a tread and a light jacket. An umbrella is awkward between stalls.
- Does the morning class still visit a wet market?
- Yes. The 8:30am session still starts at the stalls. Book the afternoon if you want to skip them.
Plan the rest of the day
- The Ubud morning market, before the heatWhen to visit a traditional morning market near Ubud, what is sold at dawn (chili, roots, coconut, banana leaf), and how to walk it without getting in the way.
- A food day when the fields are wetA food day near Ubud in the wet season: the Petulu kitchen is covered, rice bunds get slick, morning is usually drier, and closed shoes beat wet sandals.
- Morning session or afternoon sessionChoose the 8:30am Petulu morning (market, rice walk, cooking, lunch) or the 2:30pm afternoon (rice walk, cooking, dinner). Same kitchen, pickup, and group size.