The Hanging Gardens of Bali – Review of Ubud’s Jungle Retreat

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Last updated: 1st April 2024

Wow, Wow, Wow. From the moment we arrived at the Ubud jungle retreat of the Hanging Gardens of Bali, we felt like VIP guests. This hotel resort has been our our bucket list for years and staying here really was a dream come true! In this post, we’ll share our experience of staying at the impossibly romantic Hanging Gardens of Bali in a luxury riverside private pool villa for 5 nights.

 

About The Hanging Gardens of Bali

The Hanging Gardens of Bali is a luxury 5-star all-villa hotel that offers the ultimate jungle hideaway experience. It’s considered one of the best resorts in Indonesia and we can understand why. It’s all about luxury, greenery and relaxation in a peaceful jungle setting. Hanging Gardens offers jungle views from any part of the hotel which are stunning, especially when you take the funicular ride through the tropical wilderness.

This is easily the best hotel we’ve ever stayed at, we thought it was even better than our trip to the Maldives. The hotel is immaculate and has the most attentive staff who are happy, courteous and nothing is any trouble. We enjoyed conversations with the super friendly staff all asking where we are from and curious to know about unusual things in England like snow. Balinese people are so kind and see the good in everything, people are happy and respect each other, what a lovely way to be.

The hospitality at Hanging Gardens is just superb, the best we’ve ever experienced, we felt so welcomed all the time.

 

 

Our Bali Airport Transfer

Our first-class experience started with the airport transfer we booked with the Hanging Gardens of Bali. After a super long flight from the UK, Mari our driver picked us up from Bali’s Ngurah Rai International Airport and offered us frozen cold towels and ice cold water on arrival, which was super appreciated. His welcome and air-conditioned 4×4 vehicle made us feel immediately like we had arrived in luxury.

The 31 mile drive to the hotel took over an hour through Bali’s narrow streets. We saw some interesting sights along the way – like at a crossroads where policemen wave airport-style batons and blow whistles to the sound of constant car horns, it’s a chaotic scene, but everyone seems to know what to do! They also drive on the left just we do in the UK.

Once we arrived at the hotel lobby we tucked into strawberry-dipped chocolates and sipped on a mango and soda welcome drink, followed by a flower garland placed on our wrists. Whoo hoo! we couldn’t wait to see what our private pool villa would be like.

 

 

Hanging Gardens of Bali Attractions

Bali’s World Famous Infinity Pool

The star attraction of the Hanging Gardens of Bali has to be its famous and iconic 2-tier infinity pool. It’s one of the world’s most breathtaking swimming pools. Awarded ‘most amazing pool in the world’ by Condé Nast Traveller.

Ingeniously designed to mimic the natural contours of the land, creating a seamless blend between the pool’s crystal-clear waters and the lush tropical landscape. We thought the split-level design was so clever and gave the illusion of the water cascading into the jungle.

The infinity pool’s picturesque setting makes it a favourite spot for photographers and Instagrammers. The combination of lush greenery, flowing water and stunning architecture creates an idyllic backdrop for capturing memories of a truly extraordinary stay.

 

 

Private Riverside Pool Villa

We stayed in a private riverside villa – number 71. To get there we took a funicular ride down from the restaurant down to the spa and then a short walk along romantic garden pathways to our secluded villa. When we thought about staying in Bali we deliberately didn’t want a beach stay, instead choosing to immerse ourselves in nature with a retreat in the middle of the jungle, and this villa delivered!

Our villa was slightly overlooked from behind but not from below with amazing views of jungle vegetation and sounds of the rushing water of the Ayung River.

We even caught sight of monkeys in the trees below, now we understand why they said always keep your patio doors closed!

Our private pool was just the right size and perfect for a quick dip from the heat. As the evenings drew in we watched various dragon files dancing over the surface of our pool. Phil’s favourite area of our villa was the luxurious outdoor Bali bed. We both loved the evenings just surfing on the internet with a bottle of beer whilst listening to the sounds from the Jungle.

The interior is tastefully decorated with polished wood floors and wooden window shutters – perfect for keeping all the light out for a good night’s sleep which Phil loved. The king-sized four-poster bed was super comfortable.

We would wake up at 6 am to the sound of the dawn chorus, lots of tweeting birds and frogs croaking outside. Followed by a really powerful shower to wake up, just how we like it, proper lux!

Garth being a graphic designer was slightly obsessed with the attention to detail with the Hanging Gardens logo printed and embossed on just about everything from bed linen, and coat hangers to toilet rolls.

 

 

Breakfast

The hotel’s Three Elements restaurant provides the venue for breakfast with a breathtaking panorama of the pool, jungle and an ancient temple at the top of the hill as the morning mist rises.

At breakfast, you can eat Western dishes like bacon and egg with buffet-style options. We preferred the a la carte style menu with local dishes like Nasi Goreng. Garth’s all-time favourite dish Asian dish is Nasi Goring, which his nana used to make at weekends. It’s an Indonesian rice dish made of fried rice, meat, veg, crispy shallots and a fried egg on top (must have a fried egg on top!).

 

 

Romantic Evening Dinners

In the evenings we really enjoyed listening to the live pianist in the pool bar who created a classy vibe whilst we looked out onto the pool and the deck. They decorate it with tea lights, the glowing candles are so romantic! We even witnessed a marriage proposal one night, the guy was really nervous, but did a great job, what a location to propose!

Garth had his favourite long island iced tea pre-dinner cocktail by the pool every evening before we indulged on a three-course evening meal in the restaurant where the servings were huge.

 

 

Gardens & Grounds

We both loved spending time walking around the grounds of the hotel. Garth loved the scents of frangipani trees.

 

 

Hanging Gardens of Bali – Optional Experiences

Balinese Cooking Lesson & Lunch

We booked a hotel cooking class with the resident chef, Surana. The day started with a trip to the nearest local market where we saw a full pig on offer for lunch. This is Babi Guling, one of Bali’s signature dishes – roasted pig stuffed with turmeric, lemongrass and garlic. In the market, we tried ‘snake fruit’ called Salak for the first time. It looks really exotic and once you peel off the leathery skin it tastes sweet and juicy. Slightly bitter like pineapple, but Garth loved it with his sweet tooth.

We really appreciated Surana introducing us to the market vendors and taking the time to teach us some Balinese phrases like ‘thank you’ – ‘Suk-se-ma’. He found our attempts at other words hilarious.

After getting all the food we needed from the market for the cooking lesson we headed back on the road to the ancient Segara Madu Temple which overlooks the Hanging Gardens of Bali. We’d seen it from the pool in the main hotel.

As we entered through the temple gate we were greeted with an incredible view! This was simply the most fantastic location for our cookery class. We couldn’t get over the attention to detail the hotel had done – from the table dressing to providing products in the temple’s really basic toilet. Everything was thoughtfully considered.

Balinese food is generally healthy and our cookery lesson consisted of 6 courses! Including Garth’s special request to show us how to make Nasi Goreng. Phil felt so privileged to have not just the hotel’s top chef teach him but together with a sous chef on hand and a chef steward for service. They all spoke good English and the instructions were easy to understand.

Phil noted that he really needs to get some better sharper kitchen knives at home. The ones he used were so good he managed to trim the tip of a finger of a rubber glove off. Fortunately, no cut fingers and it was quickly fished out of the bowl before the cooking commenced.

Our cookery lesson and lunch consisted of a 6-course menu:

• Fish soup
• Chicken satay peanut sauce
• Vegetable salad
• Steamed sweet potato rice
• Nasi goreng
• Coconut pancakes with vanilla sauce

After we finished eating, we took the leftovers back to our villa, and we both received printed certificates acknowledging our cooking credentials. Garth’s was labelled “Prince Garth” much to Phil’s amusement. 😆

 

 

Bali Floating Breakfast

Our next experience was a bucket list one! OMG wow. Yes, I know we keep saying that, but our Bali floating breakfast was way beyond our expectations. Served on a traditional Balinese boat, the hotel said we would feel like Javanese royalty feasting on our breakfast, and yes we certainly did! It was so decadent and so much food!

We thought it would be hard to eat being in the water, but it was fine and a real experience as our breakfast boat floated around and drifted slowly on the pool water.

 

 

The Spa Collection

The Spa Collection is Hanging Garden’s spa and wellness retreat. We had a couples traditional Balinese massage which was so relaxing, so much so Phil fell asleep and started snoring 😅.

We we’re expecting pan pipes and ambient music but instead, the treatment room had an open wall to the jungle where we could hear the running water from the river and the noises of the wildlife. We had to put on robes and ‘panties’. They were so small but very stretchy and the more they stretched the more you could see through them! 😆

 

 

Final Thoughts on The Hanging Gardens of Bali

The Hanging Gardens of Bali Hotel and Resort is a tropical paradise where luxury meets nature. Whether you seek a romantic getaway, a wellness retreat, or a lavish escape, this iconic destination promises an unforgettable experience. Embrace the magic of Bali at its finest, we loved every moment of the hotel’s beauty and serenity.

 

 

Hanging Gardens of Bali Tips & Practical Advice

Phil and Garth’s Top 5 Hanging Gardens of Bali Tips

• Tip #1: The infinity pool opens at 7 am and is the perfect time to take photos as the sun rises.
• Tip #2: The hotel offers 3 x free daily shuttle services to downtown Ubud.
• Tip #3: At night cover up and spray yourself in mosquito spray – you’re in the middle of the jungle.
• Tip #4: If you order the floating breakfast have a light dinner the night before.
• Tip #5: Order the beef tacos and cocktails in the restaurant which are amazing.

 

How We Did It

We stayed for a 5-night stay in a Riverside Private Pool Villa after bagging a great deal on Travel Zoo. Most people stay for 2-3 nights. The cooking lesson cost us 146,000 IDR pp (£170 for 2).

 

Pin our Hanging Gardens of Bali Hotel Review for reference

Have you been to the Hanging Gardens of Bali? Let us know your thoughts or other recommendations in the comments below: