Open-air villas with private pools & jungle views, local food

















Buahan Kaja, Payangan, Gianyar Regency, Bali 80572, Indonesia Get directions

"In the three years since Buahan, the hotelier’s first property billed as a Banyan Tree Escape, opened, it has proved itself a true original: cicada alarm calls, baths illuminated by fireflies, volcanic views from bed. The location in Taro village, an area where 100-feet-tall coconut palms, mango, tamarind, and papaya trees, oversized cashew and cacao nuts, streaming vanilla vines, and honey-dripping beehives intermingle, is thought by locals to be the literal center of the universe. Stone stairs lead to a four-room spa for Balinese massages, a sacred waterfall for energy-cleansing blessings, and 16 open-air pool villas (bales) built without walls or doors." - CNT Editors

"In the three years since Buahan, the hotelier’s first property billed as a Banyan Tree Escape, opened , it has proved itself a true original: cicada alarm calls, baths illuminated by fireflies, volcanic views from bed. The location in Taro village, an area where 100-feet-tall coconut palms, mango, tamarind, and papaya trees, oversized cashew and cacao nuts, streaming vanilla vines, and honey-dripping beehives intermingle, is thought by locals to be the literal center of the universe. Stone stairs lead to a four-room spa for Balinese massages, a sacred waterfall for energy-cleansing blessings, and 16 open-air pool villas (bales) built without walls or doors. From $728. —Lee Cobaj" - CNT Editors

"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." - Chris Schalkx, Kathryn Romeyn


"Perched above an Edenic rainforest and rice terrace in Bali’s less-trodden highlands, this no-walls, no-doors escape surrounds you with around-the-clock nature therapy across 16 well-spaced villas and thick jungle foliage that still provides surprising privacy. I fell asleep to the sound of crickets, woke to birdsong and the pitter-patter of a tiny squirrel, and often lingered in a hand-forged copper tub watching clouds and palms drift by. The golden morning glow became my favorite alarm clock, and the net-protected bed—with cool sheets and a mini air cooler tucked inside—made the tropical nights effortless. From cool sheets to pristine jungle air, it was the sleep retreat I didn’t know I needed." - Stephanie Vermillion

"A minimal 'no walls, no doors' resort set over the Buahan Valley where only gauzy curtains separate beds from the jungle, Buahan’s 16 villas and central pavilion offer sweeping valley and rice-field views, local-sourced Open Kitchen ingredients, and a high degree of cultural immersion resulting from a five-year impact study prior to opening." - CNT Editors