The unassuming pathway, overgrown with arched bamboo plants, that leads down to The Ridge Bali from the hotel’s drop-off point on Jalan Raya Sayan, doesn’t give away just how breathtaking of a view lies just beyond – and that’s very much part of the magic that radiates from every corner of this design-forward and locally owned boutique hotel of just five private villas.
Somewhere along the busy Jalan Raya Sayan near Bali’s spiritual centre of Ubud, between tiny ‘warung’ restaurants and power lines hanging overhead, an inconspicuous, narrow alleyway hints at buildings beyond the chaos of Balinese traffic. When our driver pulled over to drop us off here, he was clearly unsure whether this was actually the right address. Could this be the place? Luckily, it didn’t take long for a member of the hotel team to approach us. ‘Mr. Michels, is it? We’ve been expecting you’. It was a reassuring welcome, paired with a smile, that set the tone for a stay at a hotel that endeavours to be rather unlike most on the Island of the Gods.
The Ridge Bali is the brainchild of local entrepreneur Made Puspa, whose penchant for minimal but warm aesthetics permeates the property. From the reception, flanked by lush plants and marigold blossoms floating in rustic vases, we were led to the hotel’s main stairway – where incense sticks scented the air – and down to the on-site restaurant. It’s appropriately named Sayan Valley, in honour of the panoramic views its terrace grants guests over said valley and the Ayung River, which flows at its bottom, surrounded by a stupendous display of palm trees, ferns, shrubs and grass-covered terraces. We took a few minutes to take in the scenery before noticing the handmade quality of the ceramic mug our welcome drink had been to us in… ‘It’s by local brand Gaya Ceramics’, a waitress mentioned, ‘they have a store down the road. Our driver can take you tomorrow if you’d like?’.
That Balinese companies would have been involved in creating The Ridge Bali seems logical given its local ownership. In fact, Made Puspa collaborated with interior design studio Arhpa and lighting specialists Binar, both of Balinese origin, and the results arguably epitomise a contemporary take on local hospitality: wabi sabi touches, premium materials, atmospheric lighting and a commitment towards restraint, away from excess. We found the hotel to look very ‘of the moment’ – it opened in early 2024 – and refreshingly small in scale. Competition in Sayan is steep, with several of the world’s most established luxury hotel brands having opened large-scale resorts here in the past. The Ridge Bali, in contrast, offers a more intimate, discreet way than its famous neighbours to experience this spiritual part of the island.
Of the hotel’s five private villas, the two 145 sqm/1,560 sqft Premium River View Villas are the most generously spaced while boasting views of the jungle stream below. Setting foot into ours, we immediately felt cocooned by its cabin-like appeal courtesy of teak wood-panelled interiors, a large rug and a recess in one of the walls, into which a small work area had been built. We loved our bed, complete with a footboard bench, bedside USB sockets and individual, recessed reading lights, and appreciated finding vegan-friendly cookies, which the team had prepared especially for us, alongside loose leaf teas, a Nespresso machine, a thoughtfully stocked minibar and ample, fresh fruit (topped up by the staff each day) in a nook next to our wardrobe. And speaking of our wardrobe, this too was equipped with many an item you might hope to find on holiday – sun hats, well-made slippers, a yoga mat, original dressing gowns by Indonesian brand bennu and carrier bags ideal for a stroll around nearby Ubud.
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| While you’re Out There |
| With Ubud being almost entirely made up of cheap shops selling the same fake designer bags and made-to-break tourist trinkets, it’s a joy to know that Threads of Life continues to produce local textiles and woodwork of exceptional quality. We’ve come to the store for years and always walk away with a beautiful souvenir or two. Best of all, Threads of Life directly provides an income for over 1,200 women from lesser-visited Indonesian islands, including Timor and Sumbawa. |
Meanwhile, our bathroom featured lava stone twin vanities, a calm colour palette and a rainfall shower… not that we made much use of the latter, having instead opted for regular, long baths in our canopied outdoor bathtub, which sat next to a large daybed, separate loungers, a cosy outdoor dining area and a private infinity plunge pool under a frangipani tree. Our sundeck was our favourite part of our villa and its sheer size was indicative of just how much time guests of The Ridge Bali tend to spend on their terraces. The hotel really banks on its valley views, which couldn’t be more magnificent: each night, we slid into our tub alongside a generous helping of bath salts and watched the sun set over the Sayan valley, with both Batukaru and Sanghyang mountains on the horizon and a symphony of crickets chirping all around.
We could also see an architecturally stunning – and not to be named – neighbouring resort from our deck and thought ourselves lucky to be just a little higher up. One floor down from our villa, the aforementioned Sayan Valley bar and restaurant is home to the hotel’s main pool, alongside which guests (and locals visiting for a meal with a view) enjoy contemporary takes on classic cocktails (try the Tokyo Banana) and Asian fusion cuisine. The menu isn’t the most extensive we’ve seen, but we certainly enjoyed mushroom and lentil soups, fried jackfruit with chili-dusted sweet corn and pandan-flavoured desserts while Weezer’s Island in the Sun or The Cardigans’ Lovefool played in the background – both perfectly charming and slightly nostalgic of course, although we found that in the evenings, something more local or subdued would’ve made a much more fitting soundtrack to an otherwise elevated dining experience.
For breakfast, we enjoyed avocado toasts, chia seed puddings with mango puree, smoothie bowls and ‘tipat cantok’, a Balinese dish made with rice cakes, vegetables and spicy peanut sauce, while fresh juices and oat lattes gave us a much-needed energy boost. When a breakfast item wasn’t available on a specific day (no doubt a result of The Ridge Bali being a comparatively small operation), the kind staff suggested off-menu options like nasi goreng with deep-fried tempeh. They also surprised us with a locally inspired interpretation of afternoon tea one day – think sweet and savoury light bites with cubed passion fruit jelly – which our wonderful butler set up on our terrace as we watched rain fall into the valley below. Service, although not as polished as what you’d find at internationally branded resorts on the island, is on the whole friendly and accommodating.
The one thing some guests might miss is a designated gym or spa, neither of which is available owing to the property’s intimate scale. We frankly didn’t mind, however, not least because the hotel can arrange a number of wellness experiences in the comfort of your private villa, from mother-to-be massages to warm river stone treatments. We opted for an hour-long deep tissue massage that had us melt into the treatment table, thanks to a seriously gifted masseuse whose knuckles knew no mercy — just how we like it! Post-treatment, we sat and listened in awe to the birdsong and rustling palm trees all around. This, to us, is a luxury that will never get old, although guests in search of a little more stimulation will delight in complimentary Netflix accounts to tune into their favourite shows instead.
With The Ridge Bali, owner Made Puspa has achieved something quite extraordinary. The hotel is rich in personal touches that underline its independent spirit and commitment to supporting local arts and crafts. There are the handwritten welcome letters, the considered presentation of dishes, and the paintings of Balinese scenes by artists Wayan Donal and Tatiana Efimova, which ooze vitality and offer a vibrant contrast to the otherwise sleek and cutting-edge interiors. But beyond that, there’s a spirit of privacy and discretion that make the hotel a bonafide oasis: in and around Ubud, tourist numbers can reach extremes during high season and even the most high-end of resorts can feel ‘busy’. To some visitors, we’d argue, this tucked-away collection of villas will feel the most luxurious of all.
Photography courtesy of The Ridge Bali
