Do You Want To Know What’s The Best Vegan Gelato in Ubud?
Are you sweating in Ubud, desperate for a cooling delicious ice cream? You guys, gelato is a serious matter for Italians. For the sake of this blog post, I had to try every gelato in the heart of Bali (someone had to do it!). Considering I’m allergic to lactose, I’ve only sampled vegan ice cream and I can happily report that vegan gelato in the Ubud is delicious!!! Therefore in this blog post, I will tell you exactly where to go to get the absolute best vegan gelato in Ubud!
I hope you’re hungry!
Overview Over Gelato in Ubud
Only 4 years ago Ubud didn’t really have a wide range of ice cream. After a long day at work, I would meet my friends at Tukies and call it a day. Tukies is one of the most historical ice cream shops in Ubud. They offer coconut ice cream and you can ask to sprinkle different toppings on it. However, as tourism started picking up, especially after COVID-19, I’ve seen new gelato shops popping up all over the village.
Gelato Vs Ice Cream: What’s The Difference?
I mentioned before that gelato is a serious matter for us Italians. So before reading the best vegan gelato spots in Ubud, we need to get a few things straight. Gelato and Ice Cream are not the same thing! Gelato is a lot lighter than ice cream. This is because it doesn’t contain egg yolk and has a much lower-fat milk compared to ice cream. Regarding vegan ice cream in Ubud, they normally use full-fat coconut milk. So overall Gelato has less fat and it’s richer in flavour.
That being said, ice cream is delicious too, it’s just a heavier dessert! As much as I love it, I struggle to get through a small cup, especially if chocolaty!
In terms of prices, there is really no difference. Both gelato and ice cream have a similar price hovering at IDR 40,000 (around ยฃ3) for a small cup.
Does Ubud Have Gelato or Ice Cream shops?
Good question. I’m going to say that ice cream shops prevail in Ubud. I’ve only been able to find 2 amazing gelato shops and the rest are ice cream vendors. If you are staying in Ubud for at least a couple of days you should definitely try both gelato and ice cream!
Let’s get into it!
Best Vegan Gelato in Ubud
#1 Gaya Gelato
This is the best vegan gelato in Ubud. If you like the traditional Italian gelato, it literally doesn’t get better than this! There are also non-vegan options if you are going with someone who is not vegan/lactose intolerant. In terms of flavours, they have the classic Italian ones all the way to delicious adaptations to local fruits. I have to say the cone is delicious too, so between the cup and cone, I would recommend the cone!
๐ Location: There are 3 locations in Ubud. My favourite is in Singakerta which is where they make the gelato. This location has more variety of flavours and I love that the lab is at the back of the shop! Gaya Gelato can also be found in Uluwatu, Canggu and other locations. It also supplies gelato to amazing restaurants on the island (of which I would recommend Casa Curandera in Ubud).
๐ง Favourite flavours: My go-to here is dark chocolate and lychee. However, I also love matcha and passion fruit. So I would do dark chocolate and matcha or dark chocolate and passion fruit. Can you tell I’m obsessed with the dark chocolate here?
#2 Secret Gelato
This is another gelato spot. However, when I went to the shop they only had fruit flavours without milk. This is a bit disappointing as I love some vegan chocolate gelato to match with a fruit one. So keep that in mind if chocolate is a must for you! The fruit flavours are very well done. I hate when passion fruit tastes like shampoo, but here they nailed the taste completely! That’s the case for Gaya Gelato too.
๐ Location: There are quite a few locations in Ubud and they are all very central. There will always be a shop near you basically! The most convenient is probably the Gelato Secret by the Monkey Forest if you are visiting that area.
๐ง Favourite flavours: My go-to here is mango and passion fruit, but I really wish they had chocolate!
Best Vegan Ice Cream in Ubud
#1 Kind Koko
Moving to the ice cream shops, Kind Koko is my favourite for sure. There isn’t much variety of flavours but the ones available are great and hit the spot for sure. Peanut butter and cacao brownies are the most liked overall. You can either get a cup, cone or sandwich. Because it’s quite heavy, I normally only go for a small cup! It’s a great addition after dinner or to taste during a stroll around Ubud.
๐ Location: There are 2 locations in Ubud right now. This Kind Koko store is probably easier to reach after dinner. It’s near a lot of restaurants and Ubud Palace.
๐ง Favourite flavours: My go-to here is cacao brownie!
#2 Mad Pops
Mad Pops is another delicious ice cream with a base of coconut milk. The stores look quite cool and vibrant. They have really creative flavours however, as you can imagine, I only had chocolate and I managed to eat it all!
๐ Location: There are several locations in Ubud right now. I tried it here as that’s exactly when I was when I started getting desperate for a dessert!
๐ง Favourite flavours: Chocolate was delicious! I’ve also tried mango but it was super heavy, I feel like it’s better to only have one flavour at the time here!
#3 Tukies Coconut Shop
This is quite an historical ice cream place is Ubud. You’ve got to like coconut if you come here because that’s the only flavour available! If you are into it, I would reccomand Tukies because it’s really good!
๐ Location: There are 3 locations in Ubud right now. I normally go to this one as it’s always on my way, it’s also spacious and less crowded than the others in the evening!
๐ง Favourite flavours: That’s easy because there is only coconut! But you can always add some toppings.
Final Thoughts On The Best Vegan Gelato In Ubud
As mentioned before, there isn’t much gelato in Ubud, it’s mainly ice cream! Overall I have to say Gaya Gelato is the best vegan gelato in Ubud, but all the ones listed are amazing desserts and pick-me-ups from the Balinese heat! Buon Appetito ๐ง
Ciao for now,
Silvia x
More About Ubud
- Best 31 Things To Do In Ubud And What To Avoid
- Tips on food poisoning in Bali (or Bali belly)
- How to Get from Bali Airport to Ubud: A Solo Travellerโs Guide
- Where To Stay In Ubud For Solo Travellers
โ๏ธ Bali Travel Planning Guide ๐ด
Before you start your unforgettable journey to Bali here are the essential tips every female solo traveller should know:
๐ฑ Do I need an eSIM for Bali?
โ Yes. Having data from the moment you land makes your trip so much easier. I recommend Ubigi eSIM, which connects instantly without queuing at the airport for a SIM card and works better than other eSIMs I have tested. ๐ Get your Indonesia plan now
๐ Should I buy travel insurance for Bali?
โ 100% YES! โ My #1 safety tip for all travellers is to buy travel insurance for every trip in case anything happens during their visit (and yes, Bali belly is a thing!). I highly recommend HeyMondo – you get 24/7 support and it’s budget-friendly!
๐งCan you drink the water in Bali?
๐ฑ No โ Itโs recommended to drink filtered or bottled water in Bali (I even brush my teeth with filtered water).
๐ฉ Whatโs the best way to book my Bali accommodations?
My go-to for Bali hotels is Booking.com. For hostels, I normally go for Hostelworld (you can also filter by private rooms if you want!). If you love pets you should consider Trusted Housesitters, you would get free accommodation in exchange for looking after amazing pets โค๏ธ
๐ Whatโs the best way to book my Bali activities?
Get Your Guide and Viator are the best ones. You can go through the reviews to learn more about each activity and they have amazing customer support!
๐ Will I find tampons in Bali?
Yes! However, they are hard to find! Get the guide with the list of sellers and Google Map here!
๐ How can I book my taxi in advance from the airport to my accommodation?
I always recommend reserving your taxi in advance via Klook. This is because it will ask you for flight details and the driver will be able to track your flight in real time. I would book my taxi especially when I fly to new places or get there at night time! If you want to rent a car, Klook is still your best bet. They have cars available to pick up right at the airport! For scooter rental in Bali, go to BikAgo.
๐๐ฝ Where can I book surf camps or yoga retreats?
Booksurfcamps.com is the best for surf camps all over the world. Use Bookyogaretreats.com for the best yoga retreats in Bali and worldwide.
โ๏ธ What’s the best site to book my flight?
Skyscanner is definitely the best one out there! I love their “explore everywhere” function for when I need inspiration on where to go next! If you will embark on a long flight and you love showering in between flights or just using the lounges in airports all over the world, check out Lounge Passes on Klook, GetYourGuide or get a lounge membership on Priority Pass!
๐ซ Do I need a visa for Bali?
๐ Yes โ US, UK, and EU passport holders can get the Visa On Arrival (Tourist Visa) valid for 30 days in Bali. Read more here)
๐ฐ ๐๐๐ฟ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฐ๐: The currency here is the Indonesian Rupiah (IDR), and there are plenty of ATMs if you need cash. I always withdraw from ATMs to get the best rates (select โnoโ when it asks you if you accept the conversion rate). The best debit card to use when travelling to Bali is Wise!
๐ ๐ง๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ป๐๐ฝ๐ผ๐ฟ๐๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป: Getting around Bali is easy peasy! Rent your scooter on BikAgo. The alternative would be getting a scooter taxi using Grab or Gojek which are safe and cheap in major places like Ubud, Canggu and Uluwatu. You can also book your private driver!
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