Overview: Buahan, a Banyan Tree Escape (Bali)

February 12, 2026

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Wednesday newsletters at all times characteristic a lodge or flight evaluation.

A number of weeks in the past, I loved a terrific vacation in Bali, Indonesia. You’ll be able to learn my journey studies right here:

Overview: Buahan, a Banyan Tree Escape (Bali)

Nestled within the untouched northern reaches of Ubud, Bali, Buahan, a Banyan Tree Escape, presents a transformative retreat that blends luxurious, sustainability, and deep immersion in nature. Formally opened on 13 June 2022, this adults-only resort is about roughly 40 minutes from central Ubud and round two hours from Bali’s Ngurah Rai Worldwide Airport, offering a secluded escape whereas remaining accessible. With solely 16 personal balés, the resort introduces a hanging “no partitions, no doorways” idea all through the property, permitting company to expertise a seamless reference to the encompassing jungle, rice terraces, and river valleys. From panoramic mountain views to hidden meditation corners, Buahan creates a sanctuary the place each element — from structure to experiences — invitations reflection, rejuvenation, and a profound connection to nature.

Buahan, a Banyan Tree Escape options in my prime 10 lists of the finest luxurious resorts in Bali and the finest luxurious jungle lodges on this planet.

Have you ever ever stayed at Buahan, a Banyan Tree Escape? In that case, what was your expertise? Go away a remark.

On this evaluation (extra data and pictures beneath my YouTube video):

Execs & Issues I Like

Buahan, a Banyan Tree Escape is situated in northern Ubud, a quieter, less-traveled area of Bali identified for its lush rice terraces, dense jungle, and flowing rivers. This space presents guests an opportunity to step off the primary vacationer path and revel in a extra tranquil, genuine expertise. Ubud itself is a cultural and religious hub, with an array of artwork galleries, conventional craft workshops, and vibrant native markets. Temples and group ceremonies present perception into Balinese heritage, whereas the encompassing countryside is ideal for scenic walks, biking, or rice terrace hikes. Staying at Buahan permits vacationers to steadiness cultural exploration with deep immersion in nature: after visiting Ubud’s bustling streets and artisan villages, company can retreat to the resort’s hillside hideaway, the place peace and quiet reign. The northern location additionally presents cooler temperatures and dramatic views of the seven peaks, making it a haven for vacationers looking for each journey and serenity in Bali.

Perched on a hillside inside a secluded valley, Buahan has been designed to mix harmoniously with the encompassing jungle, rice terraces, and river valleys. The design ethos facilities on open-air dwelling, with a daring “no partitions, no doorways” idea working all through the resort. Conventional Balinese structure is mixed with modern luxurious, creating areas that really feel serene, ethereal, and deeply linked to nature. Villas characteristic personal swimming pools, terraces, and panoramic jungle views, all constructed with sustainable supplies, native craftsmanship, and hand-carved furnishings. WThis indoor-outdoor strategy, referred to as “The Bare Expertise,” permits pure gentle and airflow to fill each house, totally immersing company within the surrounding setting. The Banyan Tree Group collaborated with Balinese architect Gede Kresna’s agency Rumah Intaran to make sure the property respects native tradition and minimizes environmental influence, sustaining a low-impact footprint whereas enhancing the pure fantastic thing about the positioning.

On the coronary heart of Buahan, a Banyan Tree Escape is the central pavilion, a hanging two-level open-air hub that serves because the resort’s social and operational middle. Visitors examine in right here, and it additionally acts because the assembly level for many excursions and actions, making it the focal hub of the property. The higher degree homes the Botanist Bar, providing cocktails infused with regionally grown botanicals and herbs, with sweeping views of the valley and jungle. The decrease degree options the resort’s restaurant (referred to as Open Kitchen) and the infinity pool. The latter is lined with loungers in vibrant pink cushions, offering a hanging house to chill out or float whereas having fun with panoramic views of the Ayung River and surrounding peaks. The pavilion is central to the resort expertise, providing an area for gathering, unwinding, and connecting with each the environment and fellow company. Its open-air design permits for pure gentle, contemporary air, and uninterrupted reference to the setting, whereas encouraging each leisure and social interplay.

Buahan, a Banyan Tree Escape’s 16 villas supply an elevated sense of privateness and tranquillity, preferrred for adults looking for uninterrupted relaxation and reference to nature. The villas, or balés — a time period in Indonesian tradition that refers to an area the place the group gathers — are scattered throughout the property to maximise privateness, views, and a way of discovery. Every villa is totally open to the encompassing jungle and valley, with solely curtains offering privateness at night time, permitting company to completely immerse themselves within the sights, sounds, and smells of the pure setting. The balés characteristic open-air dwelling areas, personal swimming pools, and terraces with sweeping views. Designed with sustainable supplies, native craftsmanship, and considerate touches that honor Balinese heritage, every villa balances fashionable consolation with eco-conscious dwelling. Situated alongside winding paths by means of rice terraces and forested nooks, every balé looks like a private sanctuary whereas remaining in concord with the property’s ecological and cultural environment.

The culinary choices at Buahan, a Banyan Tree Escape are each modern and deeply rooted in native traditions. The Open Kitchen Restaurant, situated on the decrease degree of the central pavilion, serves a altering plant-based menu every night time, with the choice to incorporate beef, fish, or rooster with the primary course. Breakfast is primarily an à la carte affair, complemented by a small buffet that includes contemporary fruits, pastries, and native staples, offering a relaxed begin to the day. Components are sourced from farms and small producers inside an hour of the resort, supporting native communities and guaranteeing freshness. Visitors also can forage for herbs and greens and take part in open-flame cooking lessons that spotlight Balinese flavors and methods. The Botanist Bar upstairs supplies a complementary expertise, providing cocktails infused with native botanicals, herbs, and fruits whereas overlooking the valley.

immersive experiences designed to nourish physique, thoughts, and spirit. The Toja Spa consists of simply two intimate open-air pavilions, guaranteeing personalised therapies whereas sustaining a serene ambiance. Visitors can get pleasure from massages, facials, and holistic wellness therapies impressed by historic Balinese therapeutic traditions. As well as, the resort has a devoted yoga pavilion, a peaceable open-air house for yoga, meditation, or guided wellness periods surrounded by the jungle. For journey and self-reflection, company can take a 15-minute hike to the Tjamuhan waterfall alongside a steep and typically slippery path, a brief trek that rewards with breathtaking views and a way of accomplishment. Extra actions embody jungle treks, biking excursions, and guided nature walks, whereas hidden meditation spots and backyard nooks present quiet areas to learn, replicate, or just take in the serene ambiance.

Buahan, a Banyan Tree Escape operates with a robust dedication to environmental stewardship and local people engagement. Nearly all employees are employed regionally, and produce is sourced from close by farms and small companies. The resort incorporates sustainable supplies, water conservation, and waste discount practices, together with eco-friendly options comparable to pure mist to maintain bugs at bay. Each side of the property displays a philosophy of low-impact luxurious, guaranteeing that company can get pleasure from nature with out disrupting surrounding communities. This dedication to sustainability and social accountability is obvious all through the resort, from design and operations to visitor experiences and culinary practices.

Buahan, a Banyan Tree Escape is managed by the Banyan Tree Group, a globally acknowledged luxurious hospitality model identified for combining sustainable design, wellness, and immersive nature experiences. The Banyan Tree Escape sub-brand, to which Buahan belongs, focuses on smaller, adults-only resorts in distant areas, providing deeply private and intimate stays. Every Escape property emphasizes reference to the pure setting, sustainability, and native tradition, with out compromising on consolation or luxurious. Following the success of Buahan, the Escape sub-brand is about to increase, with a second property quickly opening in Tanzania, reflecting the group’s dedication to delivering these immersive experiences in untouched and galvanizing areas world wide. Buahan exemplifies the ethos of the model: a harmonious mix of cultural respect, environmental care, wellness, and luxurious that enables company to reconnect with nature and themselves.

Cons & Issues To Know

One side to think about at Buahan, a Banyan Tree Escape is the variety of steps and steep walkways all through the property. As a result of its dramatic hillside setting, transferring between the balés, central pavilion, and waterfall trails entails fairly a little bit of strolling up and down steps. There’s an elevator connecting a number of villa ranges, which actually helps, however company ought to nonetheless count on a good quantity of climbing throughout their keep. For some, this provides to the immersive jungle expertise and sense of seclusion, however for others — particularly these with mobility considerations — it could really feel bodily demanding at instances.

Whereas the culinary idea is artistic and thoughtfully sourced, I personally was not totally satisfied by the predominantly plant-based dinners. The menu modifications nightly and consists of the choice of beef, fish, or rooster with the primary course, but I discovered a few of the vegan dishes to be modest in portion measurement and never at all times as flavorful as I had hoped. After all, style is deeply private, and lots of company might recognize the lighter, vegetable-forward strategy. Breakfast, nonetheless, was a spotlight: the à la carte choices have been contemporary, superbly introduced, and genuinely scrumptious.

The “no partitions, no doorways” idea is daring and central to Buahan’s identification, however it could not go well with everybody. Though curtains enclose the villa at night time, the balés stay totally open to the encompassing jungle. You’ll hear bugs, birds, and the sounds of nature always, and there’s a actual sense of publicity to the weather. For vacationers who embrace this degree of immersion (like myself), it might really feel liberating and distinctive. Nevertheless, if the thought of sleeping in an open-air villa within the jungle makes you uneasy, this will not be the precise match in your consolation degree.

My Verdict

Format: 8/10
Design: 9/10
Pool: 9/10
Rooms: 10/10
Meals: 6/10
Breakfast: 9/10
Spa: 8/10
Service: 8/10
Wow issue: 10/10
Worth for cash: 8/10
General expertise: excellent – 8.5/10

Ideas & Save Cash

Lower your expenses: get complimentary VIP perks when reserving Buahan, a Banyan Tree Escape by means of Virtuoso:
- Improve on arrival, topic to availability
- Each day breakfast for as much as two company per bed room
- $100 USD resort credit score, to be utilized throughout keep
- Early check-in / late check-out, topic to availability
- Complimentary Wi-Fi

Lower your expenses: learn right here my ideas for getting one of the best deal at a luxurious lodge like Buahan, a Banyan Tree Escape (and/or obtain many free perks).

Learn my ideas for making ready your journey in time.

Finest Time To Go to

The most effective time to go to Bali is usually throughout the dry season, which runs from Might to September. Throughout these months, the island experiences decrease humidity, loads of sunshine, and minimal rainfall, making it preferrred for outside actions comparable to beachgoing, sightseeing, mountaineering, and water sports activities. June, July, and August supply essentially the most dependable climate, though they’re additionally the busiest and most costly months attributable to excessive vacationer demand.

The months of Might, June, and September are sometimes thought of essentially the most balanced time to go to. Climate circumstances are nonetheless glorious, however crowds are lighter and costs are usually extra affordable than throughout peak season. This era is especially nicely suited to vacationers who need to discover the island comfortably whereas avoiding the busiest instances.

The moist season lasts from October to April and is characterised by greater humidity and quick however intense tropical rain showers, mostly within the afternoons or evenings. Whereas January and February are sometimes the wettest months, journey throughout the moist season can nonetheless be satisfying, particularly for guests centered on wellness retreats, cultural experiences, or a quieter ambiance. Throughout this time, the panorama is very lush and lodging charges are sometimes decrease.

How To Get There

Buahan, a Banyan Tree is situated north of Ubud, and is reached by street from Ngurah Rai Worldwide Airport in Denpasar. The journey takes roughly 2 hours, relying on site visitors, and travels inland by means of central Bali. Probably the most handy method to attain the property is by arranging a non-public airport switch by means of the resort, which may be organized prematurely and supplies a seamless arrival expertise. Alternatively, company might journey by taxi or personal automobile with a driver, that are broadly accessible in Bali. If arriving from Ubud, the retreat is a couple of 30 minute drive from the city middle.

Photographs

Beneath is a choice of my pictures from Buahan, a Banyan Tree. To view further photos, together with breakfast and dinner on the most important restaurant, click on right here.