Ulaman

 

One of the things I love most about Bali is the amazing places that exist only here on the island. Whatever your fancy, you can create it! And, as a visitor, you can stay in places that almost straight out of children’s books. Fairy tales that seemed impossible, but that someone actually dreamt of and made into reality.

Ulaman feels like a fairy tale. A small boutique hotel with its own private waterfall to swim in.

Ulaman Eco Retreat

 

10 minutes from Canggu in the small village of Kaba Kaba, you will find this gorgeous magical resort. Made sustainably out of bamboo, but with all the amenities of a modern hotel. All the bedrooms have aircon, there are windows to the balconies/ terraces that you can open or shut at night so the bugs don’t come inside (my kind of place!). There are 3 different kinds of bedrooms. We got lucky and stayed in one of the largest rooms. This one has a king bed but was easily large enough to accommodate my two little ones. This room does not have a private pool, like the smaller bungalows, but to be honest, we didn’t need it. The kids played in the large central pool and the in-house waterfall.

Our bedroom was absolutely stunning. It’s completely made out of bamboo, even the flooring is made out of bamboo. A large couch on the left made the room extra luxurious and I’ve absolutely fallen in love with the bamboo reading chair. The bedroom leads onto a large balcony with an outdoor sofa, a small table and chairs and even a hanging chair.

The bathroom was huge! With a large wooden bathtub and a shower made from bamboo, it’s a total fairy tale bathroom!

At the highest point of the resort, on top of the waterfall, you find the Yoga Shala. This beautiful bamboo structure gets you in a meditative state while you hear the sounds of the water flowing underneath.

In the main building, there is an incredible bamboo staircase that curves around and leads down to the communal areas. The large bar and the massive wooden shared table (made from a single tree slab!) made dinner very open and friendly.

The dining table overlooks the long swimming pool and also the outdoor sofas that are perfect for hanging out.

The stone walls behind the kitchen and sofas have been hand carved creating a mythical place. It almost feels like you are in an Indiana Jones movie or Tomb Raider. There is a giant hand-carved Buddha that looks like it’s been there for hundreds of years. Absolutely incredible! Around the corner, they have carved a cave out of the solid stone making the perfect cellar….. where the owner makes his own alcohol!

Next to the cellar, you can take the stairs down to the small waterfall where you can jump in or just swim in the waterhole.

Next to the pool there is a small bamboo house that contains the spa. A perfect place to have a massage above the river, where the flowing water helps create a relaxing state.

The resort is utterly stunning by day, but I almost feel like it becomes even more magical at night. When the bamboo structures light up and the light shines on the carved stone walls, that fairy tale feeling grows, making your stay here a magical and unforgettable adventure.

 

Ulaman

 

 

 

 

Designed by Inspiral Architects in conjunction with Ulaman

Photographed, styled and words by Sheila Man