Hotel Overview: Hanging Gardens of Bali, Bali in Indonesia

Words by Ruchika Patel

There are resorts that promise escape and resorts that really ship it. Perched above the Ayung River Gorge and tucked away into the depths of the Ubud jungle, the Hanging Gardens of Bali simply falls within the latter camp. It’s the sort of place that makes the thought of checking your cellphone really feel faintly absurd, and inside an hour of arriving the skin world slowly disappears. The surrounding nature has a manner of constructing positive that company can really disconnect and be transported to a realm of final rest.

Hotel

Opening its doorways in 2005, the Hanging Gardens of Bali has earned its popularity as one of many island’s most distinctive luxurious resorts, although not by means of grandeur, however by means of restraint. Easily recognisable for its award-winning, cascading infinity swimming pools, the resort’s design enhances its pure environment, rigorously tracing the pure contours of the hillside slightly than imposing on them. This connection to position is carried by means of within the particulars, with thatched roofs, rough-hewn stone and aged timber sitting comfortably within the panorama as if they’ve all the time been there. It’s a deliberate aesthetic, and it really works.

With this considerate curation, it’s no shock that the core precept of the Hanging Gardens of Bali is to envelop nature into the guts of each visitor’s expertise. Whether surrendering to a therapeutic massage with the distant sounds of wildlife drifting by means of, or setting off on a guided stroll by means of the encompassing jungle, every expertise is rooted in its atmosphere. There’s a calmness right here that’s onerous to duplicate, making every keep on the resort distinctive and memorable.

The result’s easy. A resort that feels splendidly faraway from the skin world, the place the tempo of life slows to match the rhythm of its environment.

Room

The villas are the guts of the expertise. Each is carved into the hillside and purposefully positioned to seize gentle, sound, and motion of the encompassing cover, feeling much less like resort rooms and extra like non-public sanctuaries. Paths, terraces, and personal swimming pools movement organically into the encompassing greenery, providing a stage of privateness that feels genuinely uncommon.

Inside, the villas are crafted to offer a way of residence. Earthy tones, heat timber and funky stone surfaces mingle collectively with out tipping into austerity. Floor-to-ceiling home windows body views of gently swaying treetops, enjoying with one’s senses of being immersed right into a residing portray, and the interaction of sunshine and shadow throughout the room shifts all through the day in a manner that’s surprisingly straightforward to take a seat and watch.

Bathrooms are equally thought of, with deep soaking tubs and open rainfall showers framed by greenery, the sort of rest room you discover causes to return to. And one of many highlights is the non-public infinity pool on the edge of every villa, which is, merely put, sensational. Whether you’re taking a dip at daybreak with the mist nonetheless sitting low over the jungle, or watching the golden hues paint the sky from the poolside cabana, it gives a front-row seat to a setting that hardly ever disappoints.

Movement between villas is easy, but distinctive, with a quiet funicular simply transporting you thru the resort. It’s a small, charming element that takes the trouble out of navigating the hillside and slots neatly into the each day rhythm of the keep.

Food and drink

Dining on the Hanging Gardens of Bali is intimate by design. Breakfast and dinner are each served on the resort’s restaurant, Three Elements. Mornings are unhurried and purposefully gradual, beginning with recent tropical fruits, heat pastries and wealthy Indonesian espresso, taken towards the backdrop of the cascading infinity pool. This is adopted by a number of à la carte choices, starting from conventional Balinese dishes to extra acquainted continental affairs. And if nothing fairly suits, the kitchen is more than pleased to adapt and accommodate to seek out the proper pairing.

Dinner leans extra into the island’s favourites, rooted in native flavour. Even with this focus, you’ll discover the menu to be balanced with native dishes alongside a number of worldwide favourites. Each dish is a tribute to the island’s larder: recent produce, aromatic herbs and assured spicing. The spotlight: the baked king river prawn. Cooked to perfection, with its delicate seasoning lifted by citrus notes that saved the dish gentle but stuffed with flavour.

The bar, with the jungle urgent in on all sides, is the pure place to finish the night. It options an array of cocktails, wines, and spirits to offer plentiful choices at any time of day.

One sensible observe: with a single restaurant and the resort’s distant jungle setting, eating choices are naturally self-contained. For a two to a few night time keep that is no hardship, Three Elements greater than holds its personal. Those planning an extended keep could discover themselves wishing for a bit of extra selection, although the trade-off for such real seclusion is, on steadiness, a worthwhile one.

To do

While it’s tempting to spend your total keep tucked away in your villa there may be one factor that may persuade you to enterprise down the funicular: the spa. Designed to really feel like an extension of the encompassing atmosphere, its open-air therapy pavilions sit simply above the Ayung River Gorge. Each therapy is accompanied by the pure soundtrack of the rustling leaves, distant water, and the occasional birdsong. There’s one thing quietly grounding about it that sends you right into a deeper state of rest, and leaves you feeling noticeably lighter.

Beyond the spa, there are many experiences to select from. Guided walks by means of the encompassing jungle give a better have a look at the panorama. Yoga periods present a quieter, and extra aware strategy to reconnect with your self. And one of many highlights, while easy in nature, is taking a dip within the cascading infinity swimming pools, extensively thought of among the many most placing on the planet. If you’re seeking to enterprise additional, Ubud is inside straightforward attain, providing a change of tempo with its distinction of markets, temples, and waterfalls, earlier than returning to the stillness of the resort.

Days right here aren’t about ticking off actions, however about selecting how, and the way slowly, you wish to spend your time.

In a nutshell

The Hanging Gardens of Bali delivers on its central promise: real escape. The villas are distinctive, the spa is among the many most interesting I’ve skilled, and the cascading infinity swimming pools are as stunning because the extensively recognised images on social media. It is a spot that asks little or no of you, aside from to decelerate and let the environment do their work. And they do.

Two to a few nights is the pure rhythm of a keep right here. Long sufficient to correctly decompress, quick sufficient that the restricted eating stays a minor footnote slightly than a frustration.

For honeymooners, these in want of a real reset, or anybody looking for a understated luxurious retreat that prioritises stillness over spectacle, the Hanging Gardens of Bali belongs on the high of the record. It is near faultless inside its candy spot of a brief keep, and that candy spot is a really positive place to be.

Factbox

Rooms could be booked from £750.

Address: Buahan, Payangan, Gianyar Regency, Bali 80571, Indonesia
Phone: +62 811-3800-988
Email: [email protected]
Website: hanginggardensofbali.com

Images courtesy of Hanging Gardens of Bali

Ruchika Patel is a contract journey author with a ardour for exploring the world in fashion. Having visited over 70 nations, she specialises in curating and sharing unforgettable luxurious journey experiences. When she’s not discovering the best accommodations and embarking on world adventures, she works as a renewable vitality lawyer at one of many main renewable vitality infrastructure firms. Follow her journeys on Instagram @wandering_ruchika.