Mandapa, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve

If Mandapa feels more like a community than a hotel, that’s because it is. The resort occupies 24 lush acres on property previously owned by a group of neighboring families who retain access to the land and its resident temple; as a result, it maintains three acres of rice paddies and a traditional rice barn on stilts, and the villagers bring daily offerings to the temple, giving Mandapa a strong connection to local culture. The hotel’s open-air lobby sits 300 feet above the Ayung River valley, overlooking 35 hillside suites with views of the jungle and rice paddies and 25 villas along the flowing river. The suites are furnished with traditional Balinese pieces and artwork as well as stand-alone soaking tubs, while the high-ceilinged villas, decorated with ornate and vividly colored botanical panels, have large pools and separate master suites. Everywhere, local materials and design elements feature prominently, from the thatched roofs to the fringed umbrellas that shade the lounge chairs by the pools. Golf carts driven by staff members carry guests along the steep paths between the lobby, the villas, and the riverside Mandapa Spa. Yet, as dreamy as the hotel seems, it’s only a 10-minute drive from Ubud, Bali’s cultural center.

Tap into the spiritual magic of Ubud at Mandapa, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve. Located just 10 minutes outside of Ubud past a working rice paddy, the resort features 25 villas along the Ayung River and a spa where guests can escape bad energy and align their bodies with their newly blissed-out minds.

The Mandapa sits on 24 lush acres of riverside rice paddies and rain forest, on property previously owned by a neighboring group of families. When the resort opened in 2015, it was with the understanding that the families would retain access to the land and to the temple that sits on it. As a result, the resort maintains three acres of rice paddies and a traditional rice barn on stilts, and the villagers bring daily offerings to the temple, giving the hotel a strong and cooperative connection to the local community.

The hotel’s open-air lobby sits 300 feet above the Ayung River valley, overlooking the property: 35 hillside suites with views of the jungle and rice paddies, and 25 villas along the flowing river. The high-ceilinged villas, decorated with ornate and vividly colored botanical panels, have large pools and separate master suites. The 35 suites are furnished with traditional Balinese pieces and artwork and—a favorite feature among guests, stand-alone soaking tubs with views. Everywhere, local materials and design elements have been used, from the thatched roofs to the fringed umbrellas that shade the lounge chairs by the pools.

Golf carts driven by staff members carry guests along the steep paths between the lobby, villas, and the riverside Mandapa Spa. As dreamy and faraway as it seems, the hotel is only a ten-minute drive from Ubud, Bali’s cultural center.