Nandini Jungle Resort, Ubud: A Perfect Retreat In Bali

A resort in a lush valley

Bali is known for its beautiful white sandy beaches and exotic distinctive cultures. However, as many people have explored the island, people have started looking for something more in Bali. Many go deeper into the island’s remote places to enjoy an off-the-beaten-path retreat. Despite the overwhelming tourism in Bali (around 3.5 million international tourists come to Bali every year), surprisingly Bali’s inland has numerous forested spaces, barely touched by tourism!

If nature is what you imagine for your Bali trip, Nandini Jungle Resort is the right place for you to stay. It’s located in a very lush and wooded valley, about 25 kilometers, or 15.94 miles away from Ubud (it takes around 30 minutes by car), giving you a completely tranquil experience. The resort is located in a village (Buahan Village, in Gianyar District) surrounded by jungles, so your views will always be of green trees and vegetation. You’ll also be able to listen to the chirps of birds, the croaking frogs, and the flowing river water.

Luxury starts from your arrival

If the location is so remote, what kind of amenities will you have available at the Nandini Jungle Resort? Well, this resort will make your days unforgettable, even from the moment you arrive. Upon your arrival, you will get free cold towels and a basket of local fruits (you may receive tangerines, which are grown in Bali), and you will also get a free foot massage. This complimentary foot massage can be scheduled for the day you arrive or the following day. It is done by one of the resort’s professional therapists (for ultimate relaxation and your health!) at the resort’s Sungai Spa, located below the resort!

There is more good news, the resort provides incredible services for guests such as a free yoga session every morning at the pool area, free bike rental and free afternoon tea and snacks everyday at around 4 pm!

Luxurious rooms surrounded by jungle

Staying in a jungle environment may make you question what type of room you’ll stay in. Well, this is a boutique resort with 17 beautiful private villas. Each villa is spacious, spotlessly clean, comfortable and very well maintained.

Each villa is a wooden hut with a thatched roof. You will not see any traditional ceiling from inside the room, but you are protected from the elements with a wooden frame roof topped with thatch. There is a large terrace overlooking the jungle with a table and two chairs and you can spend your time there while enjoying nature. However, you can also enjoy the lush surroundings from inside the room, as the glass door is large and you can still hear crickets from inside, even when the door is closed.

The in-room amenities include air conditioning, a king-sized bed, flat screen TV (with international channels), a telephone and safe. The bathroom is big and wooden (except for the marble bathtub and closet). There is a window next to the bathtub where you can bathe with a view of the lush wooded jungles. Your bathroom is stocked with complimentary liquid soap, shampoo and body lotion. This resort is really ideal for those who want to live like the king of the jungle!

Swim in the lush environment

This jungle resort even has a fascinating swimming pool, where the crystal clear water is taken from the spring water nearby and channeled to the pool! What makes this resort so special is its ambience. This is one of the very few places in Bali where you can swim in such a lush environment, and where you can swim or relax in the pool area, while being able to view the tropical forest.

Organic breakfast

The breakfast is at the resort’s restaurant named Ginger. It is buffet style and it has options of Continental and local foods such as satay (skewered meat grilled with peanut sauce). Everything is made of fresh, organic vegetables, fruits and spices harvested from their own garden. There is also an egg station where chefs will prepare eggs to your order. For beverages, they have tea, coffee and fruit juices. Their home-made papaya jam is a highlight because it is fresh and sweet. It’s a must when you have bread!

The restaurant is very relaxing and has soft Balinese instrumental music playing in the background. Almost everything is made of natural materials, including the plates. While you normally use ceramic, glass plates, or even those made of plastic, at Ginger, you will eat off of plates handmade from rattan.

Make sure you tell the kitchen staff if you are a vegetarian or if you have special dietary requirements. They will be happy to inform you which items on the menu you can and you can’t eat, and even cook a special meal for you upon your request. For example, you could order a plate of vegetarian fried rice.

The secret river

Tell me the most exotic place you have ever dined, and I believe it must be in a fancy restaurant, by a swimming pool or the ocean or an incredible skyscraper. If you love exotic dining experiences, at this resort you will get the chance to have a special meal by a river surrounded by lush environment.

Are you in Bali for a honeymoon, wedding anniversary or a birthday of a loved one, or simply a romantic meal with your sweetheart? Whatever your reason, river dining is awesome, especially when it is accompanied with candle lights and flower petals on and around the table.

The resort has a secret river and I call it that because part of the river bank is on the resort’s property, so only the resort’s guests can access it.

Menus vary from Western to Indonesian foods and for beverages, try their fresh strawberry daiquiri (rum, strawberry juice and sugar), and the refreshing ‘ginger lemongrass tea’. Besides dining you can also have body massage at ‘Sungai’ Spa, located by the river, or simply sit at the ‘bale’, or a bungalow to enjoy nature.

Fantastic jungle elevator

The river is located far below the resort and it’s a nice little workout to make a round trip journey on foot to the river. However, for those who simply want to relax, don’t worry, as there is a ‘jungle lift’ that will take you there and back to your villa. The lift runs on a rail and it resembles a wooden hut, which moves slowly among the vegetation. Where else can you ride on this kind of jungle lift?

Village walk

It’s always interesting and fun to explore the local culture when you come to a new place, and it’s good news that you can arrange a 2-hour village walk early in the morning, guided by the hotel staff (it is free of charge!).

A village walk starts at 7 am (the staff will pack your breakfast) and you will walk past green paddy fields on your way to Buahan Village. You will get to learn new things about farming, like watching how some farmers plow the fields using a buffalo. Inside the village, you will walk past the villagers’ houses and will see morning routines, such as kids who get to school by bikes or on foot and some villagers who pray at the mini shrine in front of their house (each family has a Hindu shrine in the front of their house).