Waking up early in the morning during a trip has undoubted advantages, among which being able to see more things during the day.
In Bali it has a twofold advantage, avoiding mass tourism and avoiding the myriad of street vendors looking for your attention.
We therefore recommend, if possible, dedicating the first part of the morning to the most popular places, including the Tirta Empul sanctuary.

Tirta Empul 

This temple was dedicated to Vishnu, God of water, and was built as far back as 926 AD, during the Warmadewa dynasty.
Legend has it that the god Bhatara Indra, to revive his army poisoned by the evil king Mayadenawa, created a magical spring by piercing the earth with his stick.
The visit to the "Temple of water that flows from the earth" was one of the most spiritual ones during our stay in Bali. Overall, harmoniously made up of temples, altars, statues and basins, devoted people and visitors flock every day to repeat the Melukat, an ancient ritual of purification of the body and spirit.

It takes place in this order:
The faithful, after having prayed to the gods at one of the altars and presented his offering, proceeds with his head bowed and hands joined inside the Jaba Tengah (the central courtyard), where he will immerse himself in the pool, after which he will pause for a few moments , from west to east, under 11 fountains from which holy water flows (the twelfth and thirteenth are dedicated to funerary rites).
Going there early means experiencing the sacredness of this place in absolute tranquility, when the smell of burning incense fills the air while the faithful gather in prayer.
To conclude the visit, we passed by the inner courtyard, where there was a swimming pool filled with many colorful koi carp.

Gunung Kawi

About 20 minutes by motorbike from Ubud there is the funerary complex of Gunung Kawi which, immersed in a splendid natural setting, was built around the 11th century, and includes ten statues about 7 meters high, carved into as many niches carved into the rock.

To reach the site, which is in a sort of canyon surrounded by beautiful terraces planted with rice, you have to face an ups and downs that winds up hundreds of steps, waterfalls and bridges over the water, and which for the whole visit gave us the impression of being catapulted into one of the sets of Tomb Raider.

Batur volcano area

The road leading to the town of Kintamani is full of observation points that allow you to admire the majestic Batur volcano, which is still active today, from a certain altitude.
Nearby we stopped at the Pura Ulun Danu Batur temple, a more recent construction: if you manage to overcome the repeated, almost insistent sales attempts by the improvised vendors who will be waiting outside, you will enjoy the tranquility of the place.

Before coming back to Ubud, in the afternoon we went to the perched Pura Puncak Penulisan, the highest Hindu temple in Bali, from which, once at the top, you can see ancient statues and, clouds permitting, you can enjoy an excellent view of the coastline to the north and the surrounding landscape.