Perhaps the most ultra-luxurious resort? Ubud Hanging Gardens is a haven of peace set among the smoky volcanoes and emerald rice terraces at the heart of Bali. This Orient-Express hotel in the cultural centre of Ubud perches on a gorge with an exquisite temple on the opposite cliff. Its luxury pool villas are built in traditional style, as if in a Balinese village.
The villas were designed by Anglo/French architect Gordon Shaw and all have king sized four poster beds, handmade batik cotton fabrics, an interior bathroom with hand moulded bath, terraces with open air showers and dramatic Java stone plunge pools with adjoining Bales (a traditional Balinese relaxation area). Shaw used precious woods throughout the property, including Merbau flooring for the interiors, Benkirai for the exteriors and wooden furniture with sculpted doors in the Balinese tradition.
Recline in a private plunge pool and you are totally enveloped by nature: jungle-covered mountains and exotic flowers. Stay here and you truly feel a part of the surrounding destination. The hotel is only 20 minutes from the centre of Ubud, accessed by a complimentary scheduled shuttle bus service. The airport and Ubud Hanging Garden’s sister hotel and recently refurbished Jimbaran Puri Bali are 90 minutes away by car.
