Nestled by the Ayung River near Ubud, Bambu Indah blends antique Javanese teak homes with bamboo wonders, organic dining, and natural pools for a soulful eco-retreat.
Jl. Baung, Sayan, Kecamatan Ubud, Kabupaten Gianyar, Bali 80571, Indonesia Get directions
"In 2005, jewelry makers John and Cynthia Hardy brought 11 antique Javanese bridal homes to Bali, lovingly restoring them and opening them as guest rooms to friends and family before opening them to all as this truly extraordinary eco-escape. Celebrating sustainability and nature in all its glory, Bambu Indah, a bamboo wonderland in Bali’s leafy center, lets the landscape do the showing off; nearly every room has breathtaking views over Sayan Ridge. Rounding out the experience are rickety walkways, dramatic soaring black bamboo, and the constant sound of the powerful Ayung River whooshing below." - Chris Schalkx, Juliet Kinsman
"The antique residences on Sayan Ridge are surrounded by cutting-edge bamboo houses and tree houses designed by two of the couple’s daughters, including Elora Hardy, as well as organic dining and lounging structures, a permaculture garden, Edenic swimming holes, and green rice paddies." - Kathryn Romeyn
"Translated as “beautiful bamboo,” Bambu Indah is the passion project of jewelry designers John and Cynthia Hardy. The couple—Canadian and American expats living in Bali for more than 30 years—bought 11 teakwood bridal houses in 2005, then moved them 15 minutes west of Ubud Village before restoring and individually decorating them for visiting guests. Today, the Sayan Ridge residences are surrounded by cutting-edge bamboo dining and lounging structures, an organic permaculture garden, swimming holes inhabited by fish and frogs, and flat green rice paddies. Daughter Elora Hardy is responsible for some of the bamboo architecture and furnishings, while son Orin tends to the edible gardens; spiritual ceremonies, tours, and artisan-led courses involve local friends. Though the decor is heavy on traditional textiles and beautiful objects from around the world, they combine with whimsical surprises, like a boat-shaped treehouse 30 feet in the sky to a rope swing that drops guests into the natural rock pool."
"Built 14 years ago, this whimsical jungle compound remains a benchmark for sustainable construction, transforming light-on-the-land living—a wastewater garden, a vegetation-filtered pool—into an effortless communion with nature."
"Experiencing a deep meditation at this boutique hotel while listening to the sounds of the jungle around me, and overlooking natural ponds and rice fields, tapped into my soul in a way I've never felt."
