One thing I look for in a Boutique hotel stay is immersion. With eco bamboo structures and open-air rooms, you get deep immersion with every detail.  Bambu Indah translates to “beautiful bamboo.” This hotel truly lives up to its namesake by celebrating nature and letting the landscape and architecture show off.

Where: A 15 minutes drive from Ubud, on the Sayan Ridge.

Best for: Design, eco-conscious millennials, and honeymooners who believe luxury is found in transformative experiences

When we first arrived at Bambu Indah, even getting to our hotel room was an adventure. After walking down stone paths, using a bamboo elevator and bridges, we arrived beside the river at our tree house room, the Moon House.  Bringing a new meaning to open concept living, with a completely exposed crescent dome style exterior. You can see the river, rice fields, and look down on your private plunge pool.  This enchanting room makes you feel at one with nature like never before inside a luxury hotel room.  While the bed has mosquito nets and the ability to fully enclose with air conditioning, we didn’t need it in the middle of July.  We let the incense burn to keep the mosquitos at bay and listened to the sound of the river all night.  If you need silence to sleep, this is not the room for you but the rush of the river was like beautiful white noise to me.

Bambu Indah was a passion project for Cynthia and John Hardy who build this eco resort in 2005 from with 17 houses for guests to enjoy.

Every room is unique but the Moon House provides a luxury escape for couples with a private oasis, outside tub, shower, living room, and a truly unique experience.

Some things cant be replicated

As if the hotel room wasn’t magical enough, the food was amazing and locally sourced mainly from the garden on property.

We ventured to the top of the property for dinner where Bambu Kitchen sits with cozy booths and candle lite dining. I have tried to replicate the sambal dish and I just cannot find anything like the house-made sambal from herbs grown on-site. It was incredible and the ambiance was so comfortable. I felt like I was home, not because my home is anything like this, but because the atmosphere was so relaxed and comfortable.

Breakfast was wonderful with acai bowls and pancakes, you can’t go wrong. The Bambu Indah Kitchen received the 2014 Snail of Approval by complying with Slow Food Bali’s guidelines of using at least 75% Indonesia-produced ingredients, sustainably managing waste and paying fair wages to staff. I love when supporting local is just the best all around.

After getting an idea of John Hardy’s vision and inspiration for his jewelry, you can visit the factory nearby where you will find generations of jewelry makers as each passes down the skill of the specific chain and design used by John Hardy to create a trade among the locals.  The workshop resembles the hotel in a lot of ways but my favorite part was seeing a long table on site where lunch is served daily.

If you find yourself in Bali, Indonesia, consider staying at this unique jungle experience.  The river pools are open for day passes, and rooms have a wide range of pricing, from $100-$700+ in peak season.

Want to hear more about my stay, or need assistance in planning your own?

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Love, Kate