This wondrous Bali resort is a work of art

If you’ve spent time in Bali, there’s a chance you have come across the creative legacy of long-term Canadian expat John Hardy and his family. It might have been at one of the John Hardy jewellery stores that sell the brand’s handcrafted link chains and esoteric bamboo designs. Or perhaps on a tour of the lauded Green School, the inspirational, jungle-immersed school that John and his wife Cynthia founded in 2008 when they sold the jewellery business.

Bambu Indah, the Hardys’ wondrous nature-immersed resort, south of Ubud.

Maybe you’ve experienced the beautiful work of John’s daughters. Carina Hardy’s female-inspired Elppin jewelry label has something of a cult following on the island. And Elora Hardy’s architectural firm, Ibuku, conjures exquisite structures from bamboo, including the globally acclaimed Sharma Springs house at Green Village in Sibang.

If these creative outlets have somehow passed you by, then let it be Bambu Indah, the Hardys’ wondrous nature-immersed resort, south of Ubud, that grabs your attention.

There are few resorts in Bali that manage to be both luxurious and authentically sustainable. But at Bambu Indah the Hardys have woven their eco ethos into the resort’s DNA, employing sustainable building practices, adopting local culture, growing local produce and getting guests out on trash walks. What’s more, they have done it with enviable creativity.

The three-hectare property stretches from the edge of the traditional village of Sayan down to the Ayung River across a canvas of dense, big-leafed, cicada-screeching tropical jungle. The land is bisected by a river-wide subak, part of Bali’s UNESCO World Heritage-listed ancient irrigation system, and has sloping hillsides and rock faces. Navigating these topographical elements is all part of the experience.

Riverbend, Bambu Indah.

From the lovely traditional wooden house at reception, stepping stones and little dirt pathways weave around the property, through hillside tunnels and along waterways, over wobbling bamboo bridges and down playful staircases. A magical bamboo elevator descends through compact clay walls to the lower part of the property for those less inclined to walk.

Spiral staircase at Riverbend.

Throughout this intact paradise, the Hardys have built 17 innovative accommodation options, either on the village edge, where roosters crow each morning, or camouflaged amid the jungle. Each has its own architectural intrigue.

The three-level Riverbend House sits perched on a mosaic of rice paddies that cling to the gently sloping terrain. Apart from the beautiful scaly copper roof, it is built entirely from bamboo, the pale yellow and dark green trunks bending, flexing and tapering to form incredible curved ceilings, spiralling staircases, undulating walls and freestyling furniture.

Curvy creation … Tree House, a whimsically turreted castle of bamboo sitting high in the branches.

Toward the village end of the property, Tree House is a whimsically turreted castle of bamboo sitting high in the branches of two bountiful bunut trees that lord it over the surrounding forest. Moon House, different again, is a crescent of bamboo and copper that sits like a giant seed pod on the hillside looking out over the river.

Guest room, Sumba House.

New installations include two-storey Mangosteen, a traditional two-bedroom teak house that has an outdoor bathroom encased in woven copper walls and balcony views that glimpse the neighbouring Bongkasa rice fields, and Sumba House, a feat of bamboo engineering inspired by the traditional buildings of the Indonesian island of Sumba. This eye-catcher features a towering central bamboo stack, which houses a remarkable second floor master suite.

All this accommodation is mindfully and sustainably fitted out with French linens, mosquito nets, lush natural bath products and local teas and snacks. Air-con is an option but it’s with doors open and ceiling fans whirring that you really feel immersed in a paradise.

From the sanctity of the accommodation, guests emerge to congregate for coffee or cocktails at the new Elevator Sunset Bar, made of stone and ironwood and overlooking the Sayan Valley. Or they make their way to flatter riverfront terrain, where ducks and geese dig for snails in the mud, and elegant coconut tree trunks slice vertical stripes through the blue sky.

Immersed in nature – Bambu Indah.

In this paradisiacal setting dotted with day beds and hanging chairs, natural spring water filters its way through the hillside and over mossy rock before falling into three pristine natural pools. Swimming in these crystalline waterholes, with leafy banks that croak and burp with insects and frogs, is one of Bali’s most edifying experiences.

Guests can also dine in the magnificent, copper-roofed River Warung restaurant, another mastery of bamboo architecture, serving simple organic Indonesian food. Or they can head to the rustic bamboo spa. Here, the milky brown water of the Ayung, eddying and swirling over boulders and branches, becomes the backing soundtrack to a luxuriant Balinese massage. It is further proof that luxury can live in harmony with nature, and that the Hardy family have gifted Bali with yet another creative legacy.

THE DETAILS

FLY
Jetstar, Qantas and Virgin Australia operate multiple daily flights between Australia’s capital cities and Denpasar in Bali.

TOUR
Green School runs public tours on Tuesdays and Thursdays during term. Cost is IDR195,000 ($19) a person, free for children under 10. Bookings essential. See greenschool.org
Carina Hardy’s designs and John Hardy jewellery stores are found across Bali. See carinahardy.com and johnhardy.com

Elora Hardy’s Sharma Springs can be seen on a Green Village tour. Cost is IDR195,000 ($19) for adults and IDR135,000 for children (7-12). See greenvillagebali.com/visit

STAY
Bambuh Indah rooms from IDR5,057,800 ($485) for two. A day pass with access to the sunset bar, riverside restaurant and swimming holes is IDR726,000 for an adult, IDR363,000 for children. See bambuindah.com

The writer was a guest of Bambu Indah. See bambuindah.com