What's the vibe?
Every time I visit Ubud, I fantasise about what the town would have been like before the depredations of mass tourism transformed it into a busy, smoky small city: its quiet streets vacant of motorbikes, its monkey forests undisturbed by souvenir stalls.
These days, when I return to the Balinese cultural capital, I tend to navigate northwards, where farmers go about their business tending emerald rice paddies and locals invite you to visit their organic markets over a piping mug of fragrant Jatiluwih white tea. Tucked away amid all of this lush greenery and pastoral tranquillity is Hoshinoya Ubud.
The entryway to Hoshinoya Bali
Set high above the sacred Pakerisan River Valley – an ancient waterway revered in Balinese Hinduism, flowing down from the holy springs of Tirta Empul – the hotel integrates seamlessly with the Unesco-designated landscape.
Chances are, if you’ve leafed through a travel magazine recently, including ours, you’ve already caught a glimpse of its architecture. Cafe gazebos resembling birdcages are cantilevered out over the verdant river gorge, inviting contemplation alongside fresh-brewed Balinese coffee, while the layered chorus of jungle life resonates below.
Equally photogenic are the hotel’s three sinuous, canal-like pools, cleverly designed so you can swim from your villa to the communal sun loungers, bypassing footpaths altogether.
The canal-like swimming pools
Hoshinoya is a Japanese hospitality company founded in Nagano in 1914, and that shines through in the immaculate suites. The villas, resembling pagodas and evoking a medieval East Asian village, line the canal-like thoroughfares. Inside, futons, shōji sliding doors and minimalist Japanese design elements fuse harmoniously with local batik lamps and intricate wood carvings. The cumulative effect is profoundly soothing.
If you’re looking for a calming place to get away from it all, particularly with your family, you’d be hard-pressed to find something that fits the bill more in Ubud. Don’t expect late, boozy nights here. The serene supersedes the scene.
What to eat and drink?
Just as every teakwood carving at Hoshinoya is crafted with obsessive attention, so too is the resort’s culinary offering prepared with delicate artistry. This precision was evident in a jewel-like bento box. Each morsel, from glistening ikura roe to perfectly layered omelette, is crafted with lapidary precision.
An air gazebo
Choose from fruit plucked live and direct from the tree and local Balinese dishes like bubur injin, a black rice pudding that sets you up well for the day. Make sure to sign up for the Bali Harmony eight-course menu, which aims to capture the essence of Balinese life through Tri Hita Karana, a local philosophy that draws links between nature, humanity and the divine. Prepare to be transported.
What to do?
While you can easily shuttle into central Ubud, this seems antithetical to the true rhythm of a stay here. Instead, lean into the gentle pace and inherent tranquillity of the hotel’s surroundings. Start your mornings exploring the rice paddies on guided walks, catching glimpses of rare avian species, or soothe your spirit in yoga sessions with the soft rush of river water as your soundtrack.
Balance Stretching Program
Culturally curious visitors can dive into classes of traditional Balinese dance or experiment with the delicate art of batik-making. Here, the slower, deliberate rhythms of life invite you to connect to the place; Ubud as it might once have been, and apparently, still can be.
Rooms from £490 per night; Jl. Pengembungan, Pejeng Kangin, Kec. Tampaksiring, Kabupaten Gianyar, Bali 80552, Indonesia
Find out more at hoshinoya.com/bali
