Translated as “beautiful bamboo,” Bambu Indah is the passion project of jewelry designers John and Cynthia Hardy. The couple—Canadian and American expats living in Bali for more than 30 years—bought 11 teakwood bridal houses in 2005, then moved them 15 minutes west of Ubud Village before restoring and individually decorating them for visiting guests. Today, the Sayan Ridge residences are surrounded by cutting-edge bamboo dining and lounging structures, an organic permaculture garden, swimming holes inhabited by fish and frogs, and flat green rice paddies. Daughter Elora Hardy is responsible for some of the bamboo architecture and furnishings, while son Orin tends to the edible gardens; spiritual ceremonies, tours, and artisan-led courses involve local friends. Though the decor is heavy on traditional textiles and beautiful objects from around the world, they combine with whimsical surprises, like a boat-shaped treehouse 30 feet in the sky to a rope swing that drops guests into the natural rock pool.
