Hanging Gardens of Bali

Character and identity

Set deep in the Ubud jungle above the Ayung River gorge, this is a 40-villa hideaway where the landscape does the heavy lifting. Thatched-roof villas, each with a private pool, are scattered across a steep hillside and connected by landscaped pathways and a funicular that ferries you between the lobby and your room. The signature is the multi-tiered infinity pool that steps down the cliff in imitation of Bali's rice terraces. Dining centres on Three Elements, an open-air restaurant serving Indonesian-Western plates in the canopy, while the Spa Collection works through Balinese healing rituals in jungle pavilions.

Who's it for

Bottom line

The pull here is the setting: a cliffside jungle perch with a private pool in every villa and one of Bali's most photographed infinity pools as the centrepiece. Book it for a romantic stretch of two to four nights, ideally pairing it with a beach property afterwards. Choose a villa low enough on the hillside to maximise the gorge view, and don't skip nasi goreng satu juta at Three Elements.