Buahan, A Banyan Tree Escape - Sleeping With No Walls In The Balinese Jungle

No walls. No doors. Just a curtain between the bed and the jungle. That's the premise behind Buahan, a cluster of 16 open-air villas scattered across a hillside above the Ayung River in Bali's highlands, each one facing out toward rice terraces, waterfalls, or the island's seven sacred peaks.

It opened in June 2022 as the first property under Banyan Tree's new "Escape" sub-brand, a rootsier and more culturally grounded departure from the group's usual wellness-resort formula. It's adults-only, and a second Escape property is already planned for Tanzania.

Deep In Bali's Quieter Highlands

Buahan sits in Payangan, in the Gianyar regency, about 40 minutes' drive north of central Ubud and roughly 90 kilometers (56 miles) from Ngurah Rai International Airport, a trip of around two hours depending on traffic.

The setting is the lush highlands north of the city: tropical forest, rolling rice terraces, and the Ayung River cutting through the valley below, with views out toward Bali's seven peaks on a clear day. The dry season, April to October, brings the clearest mountain views and the best conditions for getting outdoors; the green season, November to March, turns the valley a deeper shade of green and pulls you further into the rainforest atmosphere.

The hillside setting means sloping paths and a fair number of steps between the villas, the central pavilion, and the waterfall trails, though a lift built into the slope helps with getting between levels.

Building A Resort Without Walls

The land had been in Banyan Tree's hands for well over a decade before it became Buahan, and the company spent months researching how a hotel here would affect the surrounding villages, agriculture, and culture before a single foundation was laid. That research shaped almost everything that followed.

Construction avoided heavy machinery to keep the jungle intact, and the villas were built using reclaimed ironwood pulled from old boat piers and fishing boat decks rather than freshly felled timber. Balinese architect Gede Kresna, through his firm Rumah Intaran, worked with Banyan Tree on a design the team calls "The Naked Experience" - built to let light and air move through every space uninterrupted.

The villas contain no plastic, and nearly everything in the kitchen is sourced from within an hour's drive of the property. Staff are hired almost entirely from the local area, including a farm manager, Wayan, whose enthusiasm for sustainable agriculture reportedly rubs off on most guests who meet him.

Sixteen Balés

Each of Buahan's 16 villas is a balé, an open-air Balinese pavilion reimagined as a private retreat: reclaimed ironwood pillars, vaulted wooden-shingled roofs, and no walls at all, just curtains for privacy at night and bamboo shades that roll down if it rains.

Every balé runs to 160 square meters (1,722 square feet), sleeps two in a king bed, and comes with its own private pool, terrace, in-room safe, minibar, coffee and tea facilities, a fire pit, and a dedicated host assigned to your stay. Bathrooms lean into the same handmade aesthetic, with double sinks, hand-hammered copper bathtubs, and wooden mirrors individually carved by local craftsmen.

Because the villas are open to the jungle, mosquito nets are standard around every bed, and a natural repellent is provided in the room; housekeeping fogs the grounds weekly, and gardens planted with lemongrass and zodia help keep the bugs at a distance.

Rainforest Pool Balé

Framed by mountain views and dense garden greenery, this is Buahan's introduction to the open-air concept - the balé built for you if the whole no-walls premise feels like a lot to take in at first. Built largely from ulin wood, volcanic stone, and organic cotton, it includes a private terrace and plunge pool that seems to blend straight into the treeline, along with a jungle-print bathrobe and a safari-style hat as room touches.

Buahan Valley Pool Balé

This is the resort's signature villa, which looks straight out over Buahan valley, where forested hills, rice terraces, and the river shift constantly through the day. It's the only one of the three with a private balcony in addition to its terrace, and its heated pool means the view works just as well after dark as it does at sunrise. It also sits closest to the restaurants and spa, if convenience matters more to you than total seclusion.

River Valley Pool Balé

This balé looks out over Buahan's river valley, with layers of rainforest and rolling hills that shift shade as the light moves and the Ayung River winding through below. It's built for watching the landscape change rather than doing much else, with birdsong filling the valley and a private terrace and pool positioned to make the most of the view.

Farm-To-Table, Balinese Style

Open Kitchen, the resort's restaurant, is run by chef Eka Sunarya, who grew up in the village and cooks a menu that's predominantly Balinese and mostly plant-based, with beef, fish, or chicken available alongside the main course if you want it.

Around 70 percent of what's on the plate comes from the resort's own garden or from small farms within an hour's drive. Lunch is served family-style and tends toward dishes like moringa soup cooked in coconut shell and pepes, banana-leaf parcels of local vegetables and mushrooms grilled over charcoal; dinner shifts into a more composed tasting menu that might include grain porridge with local herbs and kampung egg confit, or croquettes made from peanut and edamame.

Breakfast is à la carte, backed by a small buffet of fresh fruit and pastries. Upstairs, the Botanist Bar mixes cocktails and non-alcoholic drinks from herbs, flowers, and spices grown on-site or sourced from nearby producers.

Beyond the daily menu, there are a few set dining experiences worth knowing about. Timbungan Lunch draws on Bali's communal dining traditions, gathering local ingredients and regional dishes into a shared meal with sweeping views over the highlands.

Jungle Cooking takes you to the nearby Dukuh Asri Regenerative Centre for a hands-on class in traditional Balinese cooking, guided by one of the resort's chefs using heritage techniques. And Jungle Affair is the resort's dedicated romantic dinner: a private, candlelit multi-course meal set inside a pavilion in the forest, aimed at anniversaries, honeymoons, or proposals.

Toja Spa

Toja means water in Balinese, and the spa built around that name leans fully into the theme, set in open-air bamboo pavilions overlooking the Ayung River, with the sound of the water built into the treatments themselves.

The signature offerings include Raindrop Therapy, which combines ten therapeutic essential oils with foot stimulation, energy balancing, and sound healing using Himalayan bowls; Sejoli, a couples' treatment that opens with guided meditation before moving into a Balinese massage and a flower bath; and Buahan Bliss, which pairs a dry brush exfoliation with a massage using ginger and kaffir lime oils, a heated herbal wrap, and a floral bath in a stone basin overlooking the canopy.

The spa is reserved exclusively for guests staying at the resort. Daily yoga and meditation sessions are included with your stay; more specialized or private sessions may cost extra.

The Infinity Pool Above The Valley

The heart of the resort is a two-level open-air pavilion, where you'll check in on arrival and where most excursions set off from. The upper floor holds the Botanist Bar, looking out over the valley; the lower floor houses Open Kitchen and the infinity pool, lined with red-cushioned loungers and positioned to seem like it spills straight into the Ayung River and the peaks beyond.

What There Is To Do

There's an open-air yoga pavilion for daily sessions, guided meditation, jungle treks, and cycling routes through the surrounding countryside, along with cooking classes built around foraging your own herbs and vegetables.

A short, 15-minute hike leads down to the Tjampuhan waterfall, which also serves as the setting for the Soul Freedom Journey, a purification ritual involving traditional Balinese dress, a guided walk to the falls, meditation and chanting, and a flower-release ceremony by the water.

Countryside tours run in a vintage VW convertible, and the resort can arrange blessing ceremonies at one of Ubud's older sacred sites. In the evenings, the valley fills with fireflies, and the property's location well outside the city means very little light pollution for stargazing.

Sandikala Walk

Named for the Balinese concept of sacred twilight, when day gives way to night, this is a guided walk through the rice fields with a local farmer, starting at the Subak temple to learn about Bali's centuries-old irrigation traditions.

The walk continues after dark, tracing stories about rice-growing cycles, local star lore, and generations of farming knowledge, with the fields lit only by starlight and fireflies. Twenty percent of the fee goes toward supporting the local Subak system and organic rice farming.

Tri Hita Karana

This one is built around exploring the villages around Buahan by vintage car, starting at the site where the priest Maharsi Markandeya is said to have held Bali's first meditation, credited with introducing Hinduism to the island.

From there, the route continues to the Sabahang Dehet temple for meditation in the surrounding jungle and a chance to join the prayers underway, before passing through a palm forest known as Alas Jaka, where you're invited to plant a tree of your own. The experience ends at a local farm, preparing lunch alongside a woman from the village in her own traditional kitchen.