New Bali jungle resort is beyond the tourist crowds and traffic of Ubud
I'm having a ginger tea and a toes-up on the expansive deck of the new Anantara Ubud Bali Resort. With an enormous angular water feature designed to look like a swimming pool, and a dozen or so couch and table-settings shaded by decorative sun umbrellas, you might say it's a tad OTT for what is essentially a patio.
That is, until the clouds part and you clock the view.
In the big blue yonder, sacred Mount Agung, Bali's highest mountain, juts into the sky like an arrowhead. The supporting peaks of Mount Batur and Mount Abang point to the Balinese heavens next to it.
Such views aren't usual for resorts with Ubud in their name. Accommodation in Bali's spiritual heartland – known for its yoga retreats, holistic therapies and holidays to reset mind and body – is more often 'immersed in bamboo jungle', or 'overlooking rice paddies', or 'hidden among traditional village houses and temples'.
But those familiar with the terrain will know Anantara Ubud is a good 40-minute drive (about 20 kilometres) from Ubud, closer by way of address to the traditional hillside village of Banjar Puhu in Payangan.
Not long ago, my preference for an overnighter (or a staycation, given I've lived here for nearly four years) would have been as close to Ubud's heart centre as possible, somewhere within a leisurely walk to the galleries and artisan shops along Jalan Raya Sanggingan perhaps, and a quick Gojek ride to the Campuhan Ridge walk.
But like Bali's busy southern beach communities, Ubud has had its share of overtourism, failing infrastructure and standstill traffic. Resort stays well beyond the city centre are increasingly looking like a great idea.
Part of Minor Hotels hospitality group, Anantara Ubud opened in October last year. It has an admirable hilltop-down design with a sprawling lobby level and main public areas taking full advantage of that, and the 85 suites and pool villas tiered down the hillside.
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Sydney Morning Herald
3 days ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
New Bali jungle resort is beyond the tourist crowds and traffic of Ubud
I'm having a ginger tea and a toes-up on the expansive deck of the new Anantara Ubud Bali Resort. With an enormous angular water feature designed to look like a swimming pool, and a dozen or so couch and table-settings shaded by decorative sun umbrellas, you might say it's a tad OTT for what is essentially a patio. That is, until the clouds part and you clock the view. In the big blue yonder, sacred Mount Agung, Bali's highest mountain, juts into the sky like an arrowhead. The supporting peaks of Mount Batur and Mount Abang point to the Balinese heavens next to it. Such views aren't usual for resorts with Ubud in their name. Accommodation in Bali's spiritual heartland – known for its yoga retreats, holistic therapies and holidays to reset mind and body – is more often 'immersed in bamboo jungle', or 'overlooking rice paddies', or 'hidden among traditional village houses and temples'. But those familiar with the terrain will know Anantara Ubud is a good 40-minute drive (about 20 kilometres) from Ubud, closer by way of address to the traditional hillside village of Banjar Puhu in Payangan. Not long ago, my preference for an overnighter (or a staycation, given I've lived here for nearly four years) would have been as close to Ubud's heart centre as possible, somewhere within a leisurely walk to the galleries and artisan shops along Jalan Raya Sanggingan perhaps, and a quick Gojek ride to the Campuhan Ridge walk. But like Bali's busy southern beach communities, Ubud has had its share of overtourism, failing infrastructure and standstill traffic. Resort stays well beyond the city centre are increasingly looking like a great idea. Part of Minor Hotels hospitality group, Anantara Ubud opened in October last year. It has an admirable hilltop-down design with a sprawling lobby level and main public areas taking full advantage of that, and the 85 suites and pool villas tiered down the hillside.
The Age
3 days ago
- The Age
New Bali jungle resort is beyond the tourist crowds and traffic of Ubud
I'm having a ginger tea and a toes-up on the expansive deck of the new Anantara Ubud Bali Resort. With an enormous angular water feature designed to look like a swimming pool, and a dozen or so couch and table-settings shaded by decorative sun umbrellas, you might say it's a tad OTT for what is essentially a patio. That is, until the clouds part and you clock the view. In the big blue yonder, sacred Mount Agung, Bali's highest mountain, juts into the sky like an arrowhead. The supporting peaks of Mount Batur and Mount Abang point to the Balinese heavens next to it. Such views aren't usual for resorts with Ubud in their name. Accommodation in Bali's spiritual heartland – known for its yoga retreats, holistic therapies and holidays to reset mind and body – is more often 'immersed in bamboo jungle', or 'overlooking rice paddies', or 'hidden among traditional village houses and temples'. But those familiar with the terrain will know Anantara Ubud is a good 40-minute drive (about 20 kilometres) from Ubud, closer by way of address to the traditional hillside village of Banjar Puhu in Payangan. Not long ago, my preference for an overnighter (or a staycation, given I've lived here for nearly four years) would have been as close to Ubud's heart centre as possible, somewhere within a leisurely walk to the galleries and artisan shops along Jalan Raya Sanggingan perhaps, and a quick Gojek ride to the Campuhan Ridge walk. But like Bali's busy southern beach communities, Ubud has had its share of overtourism, failing infrastructure and standstill traffic. Resort stays well beyond the city centre are increasingly looking like a great idea. Part of Minor Hotels hospitality group, Anantara Ubud opened in October last year. It has an admirable hilltop-down design with a sprawling lobby level and main public areas taking full advantage of that, and the 85 suites and pool villas tiered down the hillside.
West Australian
10-05-2025
- West Australian
The Meru in Sanur a luxury escape for medical tourism patients
If you travel often enough or for long enough, sooner or later you're going to get sick overseas. The last time it happened to me was in Bali when I felt a tickle in the back of my throat while waiting in the queue at immigration. By the time I checked in to my hotel, it had developed into a full-blown cold: runny nose, burning throat and inescapable lethargy. But as luck would have it, I'd booked a stay at The Meru, a luxury resort that opened last year on the beachfront at Sanur that was designed not only to please the eye but for the convalescence of discharged patients at the new Bali International Hospital. A private facility specialising in cardiology, oncology, neurology, gastroenterology and hepatology, and the first hospital that allows foreign doctors to practise medicine in Indonesia, the hospital is only 500m from the Meru and is projected to turn Sanur into a world-class medical tourism destination. Hotel rooms generally range in size from 20sqm to 60sqm. But at The Meru they range from 83sqm to 160sqm. Normally I find large hotel rooms over-the-top, as I spend most of my time outside, exploring the surrounding area or doing activities at the resort. The itinerary for my two-night, three-day stay included sunrise yoga classes, a Sanur cycling tour, a 60-minute Balinese 'Apun' massage, a sound healing ritual, chef-cooked meals at The Meru's restaurants plus a candlelit seafood feast on the edge of the beach. All of that went out the window when I got sick — I spent 90 per cent of my time at The Meru inside my room. But because of its size and the different sitting options: there were two lounge settings, one inside and another on an outdoor terrace overlooking a private tropical garden, I didn't have to spend all day in bed. Soaking in the bathtub, which faced glass sliding doors overlooking a rock garden, offered another distraction and sinusitis relief. It didn't take a great leap of the imagination to see how much more pleasant it would be for someone to stay here while recovering from surgery compared to being holed up in a standard hotel room. When the hotel ambassador at The Meru heard I cancelled my massage because I was sick, she brought me ginger and turmeric tea, an age-old Indonesian recipe that did wonders on my throat. The room service menu was extensive but I ordered the same item for every meal: a delicious laksa soup with egg noodles, baby roast chicken, bean sprouts, spring onion, egg and a coconut curry chicken broth exploding with goodness and overflowing with flavour. After two nights my health had improved, and I was able to spend my last day walking around the resort, taking in the impressive architecture, the marble and wood-panelled walls, sculptures and indoor water fountains, and cooling off in the 50sqm oceanfront pool. The Meru is in Sanur, a beach town popular among grey nomads and young families, on Bali's south-east coast, 40 minutes' drive from the international airport. Room rates start at $389 per night, including breakfast for two and free activities. See . + Dave Smith was a guest of The Meru. They have not influenced this story, or read it before publication.
