Latest news with #AnantaraUbud
Sydney Morning Herald
6 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
6 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.
