"Bali has no shortage of glamping spots or back-to-basic bamboo bungalows, but none will bring you closer to nature than Banyan Tree's first Escape outpost. Trundling down the jungled Buahan Valley 30 minutes north of Ubud, the hotel's 16 villas mimic Balinese balé pavilions, with creaky floors and heavy pillars from reclaimed ironwood. Like the real deal, they have no walls. At night, only a gauzy curtain keeps the insects out and lets the sounds of the valley in—the white noise of a waterfall, or a chorus of crickets. That doesn't mean you're roughing it, though: A smart air-conditioning system keeps the bed cool, each balé comes with a private plunge pool, and their hand-hammered copper bathtubs are a great spot to soak up the valley views after a day of foraging for local herbs and honey with Buahan-born head chef Eka Sunarya." - Chris Schalkx, Juliet Kinsman
