Last Updated on May 10, 2026

A Unique Stay in Bali

If you’re visiting Bali, I would highly recommend taking time to head up into the hills and visit the Ubud area. I was staying at Anantara Ubud, carved into the rock’s edge, with fantastic views of Mount Agung and the jungle stretching as far as the eye can see. Anantara resorts have a knack for creating something that feels luxurious, unique, and deeply connected to their surroundings, wherever you are in the world.

I’ve stayed at several of their properties on my travels, and each time I’ve come away impressed. Once again, they delivered; this stay was no exception. We travelled in February, which is the rainy season in Bali, so there was a fair amount of rain during our stay, but nothing could dampen our spirits in this wonderful 5-star resort.

Anantara is in Payangan, north of Ubud, a 30-minute drive from the city, and 25 miles from Ngurah Rai Airport. The resort is set into the rock face and surrounded by lush rainforests and paddy fields. It opened in October 2024, with the intention of championing the local culture and the environment. Its sustainability programme supports the surrounding ecosystem, and it is committed to employing local people, with over 30% of its staff living in nearby villages.

You can’t help but feel the wow factor when you first arrive at Anantara. It has an expansive, open-plan foyer with a central “gameltron” at its centre for those who have never seen one before, like me; it’s a robotic, Indonesian iron percussion instrument that plays gong music automatically.

Red lanterns hung from the ceiling in celebration of the Chinese New Year, whilst stone floors led through to the elegant lounge bar and terrace, which overlooks the forest beyond. We were met with a warm welcome, cool juices, and a small good-luck ritual of tying a coloured cord around our wrists, which I’m still proudly wearing back in London.

Accomodation at Anantara Ubud
Anantara is no ordinary resort – the route to our suite was via an open-air cable car that runs day and night up and down the steep rock face. Friendly staff help you in and out and direct you swiftly to your floor.

There are 85 suites and pool villas, many with private infinity pools, balconies, and glass walls facing the rainforest. Our Pool Suite was everything we could wish for: an exposed timber gable roof, a beautifully appointed living area with chalky white walls, wooden floors, and dark wood furnishings, softened with rugs, and a mix of contemporary and Balinese art adorning the walls.

Complete with a well-equipped kitchenette, table and chairs, desk, and a perfectly positioned sofa to take in the view.

The bedroom is equally gorgeous, with a king-sized bed and luxurious bed linen, leading to a fabulous bathroom with a freestanding bath set against a glass wall framed with greenery, plus a shower and double copper sinks, complete with lush products to slather on. Fresh fruit, a mini bar, and a selection of treats awaited us.

But the infinity pool is extraordinary: it runs the full length of the suite, long enough for a proper swim, with an uninterrupted jungle view.

Dining at Anantara Ubud
Kirana, the resort’s all-day dining restaurant, with an open kitchen, feels airy and spacious, with polished wood floors and soaring ceilings, and a sweep of windows and full-length glass doors leading onto the terrace, which overlooks the pool below and is framed by tropical jungle views.

Dining at Kirana restaurant at Anantara Ubud

The atmosphere is warm and welcoming, with attentive staff in traditional dress always on hand. Breakfast is a generous, beautifully presented buffet – you’ll want for nothing! While lunch and dinner take you on a flavourful journey across the Indonesian archipelago, from Sumatra to Java and Bali.

Dining at Kirana restaurant Anantara Ubud

With classic rice and noodle staples, as well as global dishes including Thai green curries, Pham Thai burgers, pizza, and fresh, well-crafted salads. Expect rendang daging – a rich, slow-braised beef curry, alongside nasi goreng and mie goreng.

Kirana restaurant outdoor terrace Anantara Ubud

Amerta offers more of a fine-dining experience, with an open-fire kitchen and a low-lit dining room with polished wood tables and rattan chairs. The cuisine is Mediterranean, with contemporary dishes that fuse Indonesian and European flavours. We dined on a 5-course Chef’s Choice menu, prepared by Chef Mogan, who previously worked at the Waldorf Maldives. He uses organic, locally grown produce and sources seafood from Jimbaran fishermen. Each course was as delicious as the next, and the beef steak was possibly the best I’d eaten in a long while, served alongside an excellent Balinese wine.

The al fresco Sulung Bar is an effortlessly seductive space with an adult-only infinity pool. Once again, it provides spectacular views that make it the perfect place to lounge day or night.

Facilities and activities at Anatara Ubud
You’ll want to take time to enjoy their exceptional spa – this is relaxation at its best. I couldn’t have felt more indulged than with the Anantara signature full body massage.

There are two pools at the resort, both equally lovely, but if you prefer to swim without children around you, you can make your way to the Sulung Bar and relax at their poolside.

Alas Taro Exploration
If you stay at Anantara, you won’t want to miss the opportunity to visit Alas (meaning jungle) Taro Exploration. We started our trip in a cool open-air jeep arranged by the resort (which was great fun!), with our own guide.

Our jeep took us to a highland village called Taro, which offers a real insight into traditional Balinese cultural life. The associated Bali Aga heritage means its traditions are considered older than later Javanese-Hindu influences.

Noted for its cool air, rice terraces, and bamboo groves, this Balinese village has a deep spiritual relationship with trees, forests, and ancestral traditions. It’s known as one of Bali’s older villages, and off the beaten track enough for it to remain less crowded than many tourist spots. The village is also home to important temples, such as Pura Gunung Raung, which is linked to the legend of the priest Rsi Markandya.

We were met by the villager Krishna, who showed us around, talked about the cultural customs and way of life, and welcomed us into his family compound with such warmth. He explained it’s home to around 500 families, about 2,000 people, and as you can imagine, in such a small village, everyone knows each other, so we received a friendly greeting everywhere we went.

The Hindu religious calendar guides life in Taro; offerings to the gods are placed at every corner, and stalls sell baskets, flowers, and bamboo leaves to make them. Multi-generational families live together in compounds; each is entered through a gate called an angkul-angkul, believed to keep negative energy at bay.

Villagers on their way to the temple Taro village Bali

Beyond it lies a collection of small houses arranged around the courtyard, with bedrooms, a rice store, an open-air kitchen, and a human ceremony building used for celebrations of birth and marriage, as well as for death.

In the village’s main square stands a large cockfighting arena, a pastime popular among the men. The ritual also holds spiritual significance; the blood of the cock is believed to purify negative energy and is placed on top of an offering before being taken to the temple. It’s certainly not something I’d personally choose to watch, but regardless, life in Aros feels simple and relaxed, yet full of spirit and kindness.

Anantara works closely with the village to support its sustainability programmes. In the jungle, Krishna’s father has started a project called Bring Back the Light, where they breed fireflies, a species now at risk of extinction.

Krishna led us through the lush jungle and semi-aquatic paddy fields, where we met, in the depths of the jungle, a local pig farmer and his four pigs, before being taken to a small laboratory.

Bring Back the lIght lab Taro village Bali

Here, environmental scientists are working tirelessly to breed fireflies, an extraordinary project that quite literally brings light back into nature, helping to protect a species on the brink of disappearing.

We finished our tour with some delicious small rice pancakes, called laklak, which were infused with pandan leaf and topped with grated coconut and palm sugar, served alongside strong local coffee. What a treat.

After a truly fascinating day out, we returned to the luxury and calm of Anantara, where relaxation and a deep connection with nature sit at its heart.

On one of the rainy days, with an urge to do a little shopping, we took advantage of the hotel’s complimentary transport service to Ubud. It’s a wonderfully laid-back town and well worth exploring, full of temples, cafés, jewellery stores, artisan shops and boutiques, as well as the Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary, where it’s quite joyous to watch the cheeky monkeys at play.