Mandapa, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve

"If Mandapa feels more like a community than a hotel, that’s because it is. The resort occupies 24 lush acres on property previously owned by a group of neighboring families who retain access to the land and its resident temple; as a result, it maintains three acres of rice paddies and a traditional rice barn on stilts, and the villagers bring daily offerings to the temple, giving Mandapa a strong connection to local culture.The hotel’s open-air lobby sits 300 feet above the Ayung River valley, overlooking 35 hillside suites with views of the jungle and rice paddies and 25 villas along the flowing river. The suites are furnished with traditional Balinese pieces and artwork as well as stand-alone soaking tubs, while the high-ceilinged villas, decorated with ornate and vividly colored botanical panels, have large pools and separate master suites. Everywhere, local materials and design elements feature prominently, from the thatched roofs to the fringed umbrellas that shade the lounge chairs by the pools.Golf carts driven by staff members carry guests along the steep paths between the lobby, the villas, and the riverside Mandapa Spa. Yet, as dreamy as the hotel seems, it’s only a 10-minute drive from Ubud,Bali’s cultural center."