Forget Bali’s beach clubs, this ‘jungle club’ is all the rage

The place

K-Club Ubud, Bali

Check-in

Tucked away from the macrame, motorbikes and mayhem of downtown Ubud, K-Club boldly claims to host Bali’s best “jungle club”, Kabana, within its lush and luxurious confines. Check in via a giant bamboo pod – located at the peak of the 3.4-hectare property, which cascades down into terraces below – before being escorted by your personal butler to one of the 30 villas or 11 glamping tents for a private Balinese blessing ceremony.

With 40 pools across the property there’s copious aqua to punctuate the jungle green.

The look

Bamboo has been deployed generously to create pods that resemble giant bird nests plonked around the property, used for a yoga space, gym, resort store, and spa. K-Club is all curves, high ceilings and open-plan living. Traditional Indonesian sirap (shingled timber) roofs lend old-world charm, as do Javanese artworks and artefacts. With a total of 40 swimming pools scattered around the property – featured in private villas, luxury tents, and the Kabana Club, the latter which boasts seven watering holes alone – there’s copious aqua to punctuate the jungle green.

The room

A private plunge pool takes centre stage.

Behind a timber door, my two-bedroom villa opens onto a yawning living space. To my left there’s a butler’s pantry and fridge groaning with alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, a full kitchen, bar stools, and a dining table that seats six. To my right is a powder room, two plump lounges and two bedrooms – one of which boasts a deep tub and its own indoor-outdoor garden. I opt for the second bedroom so that I can prise open the curtains and watch the sun rise over the jungle. But taking centre stage is my own private plunge pool, ideal for a night swim under the stars.

Food + drink

K-Club’s signature restaurant Akar, meaning “root”, sources most of its produce locally. The vibe here is high energy: think thumping lounge music and a laser light show projected onto the jungle, while you dine on mirrored placemats upon sequined tablecloths. The menu is just as attention-grabbing, with the likes of seared Jimbaran Bay fillet barramundi, Indian Ocean slipper lobster, and at least seven different cuts of Australian beef, among a smattering of Indonesian dishes. Wash this down with a selection of cocktails served in stemless glasses, and beer and wine at Australian prices. For more informal poolside fare during the day, head to Kabana and feast on hummus, salads, sliders, and pide. This jungle club sashays into its own on Friday and Saturday nights with regular parties making it a firm favourite among the Instagram set.

Kabana: one of Ubud’s hottest jungle clubs.

Out + about

For a true taste of the area, take the resort’s ‘Ubud Experience’ tour that incorporates the famed Tegallalang rice terraces located 10 minutes from the hotel. Other options include an ATV or buggy jungle experience, or bicycle tour among nature.

The verdict

Stealing the limelight from Bali’s beach clubs, jungle clubs are all the rage right now. Kabana’s generous size, regular events, and quirky cocktails may indeed prove it lives up to its claim of being the best in the land, particularly when perched among K-Club’s many assets.

Enjoy a soaking session in a lush indoor-outdoor garden.

The essentials

Villas from $700 a night; glamping tents from $1500 a night. K-Club, Jalan Raya Cebok , Kedisan Tegallalang, Kedisan, Kecamatan Ubud, Kabupaten Gianyar, Bali. Phone: [phone]. See kclububud.com

Our score out of five

★★★★

Highlight

Its name means “in bloom” and Mekar day spa will leave you flourishing like a lotus leaf. Finish your treatment with a 30-minute rose petal bath overlooking that glorious jungle to the soundtrack of a gushing river below.

Lowlight

It’s easy to be reminded that you’re simply not cool when you find yourself wishing they’d occasionally dial down the continuous lounge music in all the dining spaces. Solution: snatch some mealtime peace and quiet via your in-villa menu.

The writer stayed as a guest of K-Club, Ubud.