Buahan, A Banyan Tree Escape

Its 16 villas are so private they don’t need doors, or even walls, as they open onto nothing but unspoiled forest and distant mountains and fields. There’s a spa, of course, as well as an intimate (and very fine) restaurant, and the infinity pool is as spectacular as you’d expect.

Being immersed in nature takes on a deeper meaning at this singular hotel set on the outer reaches of Ubud. Buahan offers 16 villas, a holistic spa, an eye-catching suspended swimming pool and an innovative “no walls, no doors” concept – all set in Bali’s rainforest canopy.

Designed to exist seamlessly in its jungle site in northern Bali, Buahan has no doors and no enclosing walls. The idea is for guests to engage with nature - and, in turn, disconnect from the outside world.

It’s a veritable Eden, where plant-based dishes and restful morning yoga soothe the soul.

In the thrumming jungle 40 minutes north of Ubud, Buahan is reshaping the high-end hotel experience into one without walls. Nature is the star attraction in this remote, crowd-free part of Bali, where guests stay in one of 16 open-air bales, or villas.

Waking up at Buahan is nothing short of magical: only a gauzy curtain hangs between your bed and the chlorophyll-rich Buahan Valley fanning out right below your villa.