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Bali’s Best (Affordable) Boutique Hotels
introBeaches, jungles, culture, food – Bali has it all. What’s more, this Indonesian island offers a staggering variety of lodgings for all budgets and tastes, in rural, town and beach settings, with more amenities for the price than many other places. Prepare to be amazed. [Photo: Bambu Indah]
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Bali’s Best (Affordable) Boutique Hotels.
Bambu IndahBambu Indah – Sustainability melds with tradition and modern design at this magical retreat in the jungle outside Ubud, where lodgings are in century-old teak Javanese houses with steeply pitched roofs, or six new bamboo structures, including two treehouse tents on platforms. All feature art from across the world (but no TV). There’s a river-fed pool, a cushion-filled bamboo relaxation pod suspended over the Ayung River, free yoga classes and a shuttle to Ubud. Intricately carved Chinese daybeds serve as dining booths in the restaurant, whose food is grown on-site or locally.
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Bali’s Best (Affordable) Boutique Hotels.
Floating LeafFloating Leaf Eco-Luxury Retreat – This wellness retreat is located in Sukawati, a craft village south of Ubud known for its shadow puppet artisans; it’s a short walk to Pantai Purnama beach, where religious processions to its shrine often pass the resort. Choose among 12 rooms: six modern rooms with pool views, four traditional rooms furnished in carved wood and traditional local textiles in a lush garden, and two rooms in a bungalow, the owners’ former home. The open-air yoga studio features views of rice fields and the ocean, and two spas offer Indonesian steam therapy with aromatic herbs.
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Bali’s Best (Affordable) Boutique Hotels.
Munduk ModingMunduk Moding Plantation – Hailed as the best luxury eco-resort in Indonesia in the 2016 World Luxury Travel Awards, this serene retreat is located on a working coffee estate in Bali’s central mountains. Nine modern-style villas feature garden showers and views of rice fields, jungle and the sunset over the Java Sea through glass-panelled doors. There’s a spa, an infinity pool and a restaurant serving organic tasting menus, but the best part is the full programme of daily morning and afternoon activities included in the room rate, from coffee processing to tasting demos, kite-making, attending local Hindu ceremonies and guided nature walks.
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Bali’s Best (Affordable) Boutique Hotels.
Alam SariAlam Sari Resort, Keliki – In the hills 10km from Ubud, this resort features nine rooms and two villas, all with lush coconut palm or garden views. There’s a natural-stone outdoor pool, a spa and an open-sided restaurant serving Balinese and international food, plus a strong cultural focus: think classes in painting miniatures, Balinese cooking, dance, gamelan music, batik, temple ceremonies and mask-making in nearby Keliki village (often in local homes). A children’s programme includes learning about Balinese produce, and planting seeds in the organic garden.
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Bali’s Best (Affordable) Boutique Hotels.
Desa SeniDesa Seni – Yoga devotees and lovers of a traditional aesthetic will find their own paradise in this “village” of 13 wooden houses, transported from all over Indonesia and delightfully furnished in vivid art and textiles. Yoga classes are held in open-air pavilions, and the spa offers Balinese treatments from chakra therapy to banana-leaf body wraps. There’s a gallery showcasing Indonesian artists, a saltwater pool and a thatch-roof restaurant serving healthy gourmet food, most of it sourced from the organic garden. It’s located in Canggu, about an hour southwest of Ubud and a 10-minute walk from the beach.
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Bali’s Best (Affordable) Boutique Hotels.
Honeymoon Guest HouseHoneymoon Guesthouse – The owner of Casa Luna Cooking School, which offers a different class in Balinese cooking each day, also owns this traditional-style inn in Ubud – so guests get a 10% discount on classes. Behind a carved-stone entrance, amid lush gardens and lily ponds, 40 rooms feature carved wooden doors and shutters, marbled floors, Javanese teak sofas and verandas. The spa offers massages and treatments with local ingredients, and yoga classes are available.
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Bali’s Best (Affordable) Boutique Hotels.
Puri LumbungPuri Lumbung – For lovers of nature and culture, this resort of 43 wooden cottages, villas and rooms surrounded by clove plantations, jungle, rice fields and waterfalls in Munduk is ideal. Some cottages are rustic, converted from 80-year-old rice barns, while others are new wood-and-stone structures with ornately carved doors. There are classes in weaving, crafts, herbal medicine, bamboo instrument-making and cooking, plus guided trekking and mountain bike rentals. The restaurant cooks up the region’s biggest selection of Balinese and Western food, and the aptly named Sunset Bar offers awe-inspiring views.
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Bali’s Best (Affordable) Boutique Hotels.
Tegal SariTegal Sari – Set amid rice fields in Ubud, this budget resort offers superb value for money – and tranquillity, despite being located right off the main road. Choose between modern, simply furnished rooms or charming wooden-walled rooms with verandas and rice paddy views. There’s a rooftop pool, yoga barn, spa, fitness centre, cooking and painting classes, and a free shuttle to central Ubud. Staff can arrange classes in crafts like batik-making and wood-carving and tours.
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Bali’s Best (Affordable) Boutique Hotels.
ARMAARMA Resort – Located on-site at the Agung Rai Museum of Art in Ubud, the 50 rooms and villas at this resort are housed in traditional-style buildings amid lush gardens (and museum admission is free). Accommodations in a new wing are spacious and modern, with Balinese textile accents, while ornate Bali-style rooms with antique carved day beds and pool villas cost a bit more. The hotel holds Balinese dance performances outdoors, and offers workshops in batik, gamelan music and painting. There are two pools and three restaurants, one of which is a café with rice field views.
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Bali’s Best (Affordable) Boutique Hotels.
The SlowThe Slow – A vision in minimalist Tropical Modernism, with polished concrete floors, perforated wood partitions, floor-to-ceiling windows and neutral colours in Canggu, The Slow is an antidote to Bali’s often extreme ornateness. A hip vibe, contemporary photo-heavy art and in-room music mark this hotel owned by Australian fashion designer George Gorrow. There are twelve spacious suites (including four with pools) and a restaurant with an international menu, as well as a bar that shakes up creative cocktails with Indonesian spices and plants.
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Bali’s Best (Affordable) Boutique Hotels.
The Temple LodgeThe Temple Lodge – Breathtaking views of surfing beaches like Bingin and Dreamland from a cliff-top location in southernmost Bali – near the stunning Pura Luhur Uluwatu temple – make this rustic-chic resort ideal for nature lovers, even if they don’t surf. Seven distinct bungalows built entirely from natural materials feature colourful Balinese textiles and driftwood; the pricier ones closer to the cliff boast awe-inspiring ocean panoramas. An infinity pool lies at the cliff edge, magenta and orange bougainvillea abound, and a restaurant serves cuisine at communal tables. Descend down a 200-step stairway, and you’ll find a white-sand beach.
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Bali’s Best (Affordable) Boutique Hotels.
Villa KarisaVilla Karisa – Hidden away on a quiet street in Seminyak, yet close to the town’s restaurants, shops and beach, this hotel blends minimalist and traditional Indonesian styles in its vibrant textiles and handicrafts. The 12 rooms include eight in a house with a big veranda that surround an outdoor pool, two antique Javanese wooden houses and two modern pool villas, as well as 16 budget-priced pods. A golden retriever adds to the home-like feel.
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Bali’s Best (Affordable) Boutique Hotels.
Tandjung SariTandjung Sari – Ideal for beach-lovers and culture buffs, this beachfront resort of 29 traditional-style bungalows in Sanur is praised for its charm. Each bungalow features antique floor tiles, colourful furnishings and its own pavilion for relaxing, and some have sea views. The resort’s foundation supports the performing arts, so you can watch local children learn Balinese dance and hear gamelan music during a twice-monthly Indonesian buffet. On summer weekends, the hotel’s beachfront becomes a night market with street food vendors. An oasis of peace, yet a short walk from shops and cafés, the hotel is linked by a beachside path to Sanur, about an hour southeast of Ubud. One of Bali’s first boutique hotels, it’s drawn devoted repeat guests since it opened in 1962.
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Bali’s Best (Affordable) Boutique Hotels.
Taman SariTaman Sari – This beachside resort in sparsely populated northwest Bali, boasting of superb dive sites, mountains and Bali Barat (the island’s only national park), is located in the low-key fishing village of Pemuteran. Rooms range from big suites, each decorated with Balinese art and antiques, to six modern pool villas and cottages; all have garden views, some have sea views. Tours include temple visits, bird-watching, trekking and biking in Bali Barat. Bonus: a pearl farm and Bali’s major winery are nearby.
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Bali’s Best (Affordable) Boutique Hotels.
Wapa di UmaWapa di Ume – Surrounded by rice fields and views of Mount Agung, with a river running through the grounds, this gorgeous new resort in East Bali has just 21 modern-style rooms, suites and pool villas. All offer terraces and picture windows framing forested mountain views. Free activities include daily rice field walks, drives through the countryside, classes in Balinese cooking and offering-making, afternoon tea with snacks and a yoga session.
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