I stayed at Anantara Ubud and found 'real' Bali hidden in the highlands

I arrived in Bali for the first time in ages, I left not only full in body, but also in mind and spirit.

It’s been a while between Bintangs but I’m happy to report paradise hasn’t been entirely paved over with villas and resorts yet.

I arrive in Bali for the first time in ages fearing the worst, spooked by horror stories of gridlocked traffic, badly behaved tourists and the steady erosion of the culture and charm that lured us there in the first place. I expected it would have been developed beyond recognition, but I am – happily – mistaken.

On an island where age-old customs are changing fast, if not vanishing altogether, I find a way of life virtually unaltered for more than a millennium. The irony is that it takes a brand-new resort opened in the central highlands to show me an authentic side of Bali.

Anantara Ubud arrived last October, its 85 suites and villas and copious pools anchored on a steep hillside among virgin forest. The name is slightly misleading – the highlands hotspot of Ubud is a 40-minute drive from the resort, which is situated near Puhu village in the quiet Payangan district. Payangan is a Sanskrit word meaning abode of the gods, a reference you’ll understand better when you get there.

With little else around it’s tempting to stay put and succumb to the resort’s many distractions, which include a five-room spa, a gym with jungle views, sundry restaurants and bars and daily activities such as yoga and rice-field runs.

I’d also have to factor in the occasional outing to Kirana, the resort’s all-day diner where breakfasts cater to every taste in a triple-height space suspended in the rainforest. Picture: Supplied.

I could have happily spent my days in my 105-sqm villa shifting between the coffee machine, the 9.5m lap pool and the daybed and sofa, admiring the remarkably humbling outlook onto a towering wall of green on the ridge opposite. Forest bathing, but make it fancy and awe-inspiring.

But I’d also have to factor in the occasional outing to Kirana, the resort’s all-day diner where breakfasts cater to every taste – laksa, dim sum, smoothie bowls and an entire page of “wellness” options – in a triple-height space suspended in the rainforest. Perhaps a light lunch and a swim at Sulang Bar, another sleek space cantilevered in the jungle, and a cocktail in the cathedral-like Lobby Lounge with its wall of stained glass and arresting views to the sacred volcanoes of Agung and Abang.

But my hosts have other plans. They keep hustling me out the resort gates and into the hinterland to make me understand why this part of the island is so special.

I could have happily spent my days in my 105-sqm villa. Picture: Supplied.

Anantara Ubud’s director of spa, wellness and recreation Made Warnata is from the neighbouring village of Begawan, established by his ancestors in the 12th century. He’s tapped local connections to create rare experiences that showcase one of the oldest and still untouched parts of Bali.

“My biggest dream would be to bring up and show the heritage of Payangan to the world,” he tells me. “I want everyone to know about my area.”

One morning I don the sarong and sash thoughtfully placed in my wardrobe by staff and join Warnata on a pilgrimage to Mengening Temple, established by a Balinese king in the 11th century. The temple is off-limits to tourists, but its sacred springs, a fetching arrangement of terraced water features set in lush greenery with turtles and koi, are open to respectful outsiders.

The next night at we attend an Agni Hotra fire ceremony conducted by the high priest of nearby Bukian village. Picture: Kendall Hill.

Warnata, who’s descended from a long line of priests, leads me through various pools and cascades imbued with different powers – one removes selfishness, another sadness – and ends by blessing me with holy water. Afterwards I’m, apparently, thoroughly cleansed of all my negative emotions. It feels good.

There’s a handful of other people at Mengening, while the next night at an Agni Hotra fire ceremony conducted by the high priest of nearby Bukian village, it is just our small group. Chanting mantras, making offerings, being purified in this arcane ritual. Intimate and unforgettable.

It is just us, too, on a visit to Alas Taro, an archetypal village dating from the arrival of Hinduism in the fifth or sixth century, where we visit a traditional home and walk through the town’s sacred forest, an experience exclusive to Anantara guests. Along the way Warnata explains the significance of everything we’re doing and why it matters to Balinese spirituality and heritage.

I leave the Balinese highlands not only full in body, but also in mind and spirit, thanks to Anantara’s focus on the things that matter. Picture: Supplied.

I thought I was coming here for a few days of resort-style indulgence and – sure – that’s a big part of the experience. The sound-healing session at the spa and a six-course dégustation of dry-aged fish and meats in fine-diner Amerta are my highlights. But I leave the Balinese highlands not only full in body, but also in mind and spirit, thanks to Anantara’s focus on the things that matter.

Ubud excursion

Anantara runs an Ubud shuttle for guests craving a barista coffee or lifestyle boutique. I spent an afternoon there and it was… nice? Not overdeveloped or overly busy but I was very happy to return to the real Bali.

Kendall Hill visited Bali as a guest of Anantara Ubud Bali Resort.

Originally published as I stayed at Anantara Ubud and found 'real' Bali hidden in the highlands