Ubud Palace

The outer courtyards are open to visitors during the day and cost nothing, and they are what the carving and the gateways are in. The inner compound is the residence of the family that still holds the title and is not open. Twenty unhurried minutes covers what can be seen, which is why most itineraries pair it with the market opposite.

Performances run in the outer courtyard on most evenings, and tickets are sold at the gate rather than in advance. Times and troupes vary, and a temple ceremony can displace a performance at short notice, so it is worth asking on the day rather than relying on a printed schedule. Arrive early: seating is unreserved and fills from the front.

Different troupes perform on different nights and the forms are not interchangeable. Legong is refined and precise, Barong is narrative and comic in places, and kecak is a chanted male chorus with no gamelan at all. If you are only going once, ask what is on before choosing the night rather than choosing the night and taking what comes.

Different rather than better, but the setting does real work. The courtyard is the space the form developed in, the gamelan is a few metres away rather than amplified, and the audience is mixed rather than a single tour group. Hotel performances are more comfortable and more predictable. Most travellers who see both prefer the palace.