Jungle Retreat by Kupu Kupu Barong

This intimate hotel is situated in a quiet, lush location with lots of trees and tropical plants spread across the grounds. Reception takes place in a large, semi-open lobby filled with ornate carvings and bas reliefs and topped with a traditional woven roof. The resort is on the large side, and while most travelers can get around easily enough on foot (it's usually no more than a five-minutes walk from rooms to the reception area), the hotel provides golf cart rides for getting luggage and guests to rooms, as needed. The hotel is most suited to vacationing couples, though families do stay here owing to the larger rooms and villas. 

Jungle Retreat is located in the outskirts of Ubud, tucked away in a rain forest area just off the main Raya Kedewatan I Road. It's about a 10-minute drive to the main market and the Saraswati Temple and a few minutes further to the Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary. It's just over an hour to the beaches of Nusa Dua to the south and Seminyak to the southwest. Ngurah Rai International Airport in the Baliense capital of Denpasar takes about 55 minutes to reach.

The Jungle Retreat offers three types of rooms: Deluxe Suites, Deluxe Grande Suites, and Family Suites. The main differentiating factor between the three is their size (Family Suites can accommodate extra queen beds to sleep up to four people). All units feature similar decor including hand-carved upcycled teak furniture, a mix of wood and stone flooring, wooden wall paneling, bamboo ceiling accents, and quintessentially Balinese wall art and sculptures. Most rooms have large oriental rugs on the floors. Large windowed doors lead out to patios, furnished with padded wicker chairs with matching ottomans, and let in lots of natural light, though guests wanting to sleep in late can simply draw heavy blackout curtains to keep the rooms dark. Standard amenities include flat-screen TVs, minibars, safes, coffee- and tea-making facilities, and individually controlled air-conditioning units. Bathrooms are luxurious, with stone vessel sinks and shower/tub combos with deep soaking tubs. Hairdryers and L'Occitaine toiletries are provided. The property also offers three types of villas, some with their own private decks with small jungle-facing swimming pools. These units feature traditional Balinese decor and interiors and some are spread out over two floors.

Amenities are geared toward travelers wanting to relax. The Mango Spa by L’Occitane is one of the main draws for many travelers, thanks to its wide range of massage and wellness treatments and semi-open (but private, screened-in) treatment rooms with teak floors and traditional thatched roofs. The spa also has a shop selling loungewear, traditional crafts, and all sorts of cosmetics. There's also an infinity-edge swimming pool on a rooftop deck with a mix of shaded and open-to-the-sun lounge chairs, though it's tiny and really only suitable for cooling off.

Two of the hotel's three restaurants are located next to the swimming pool: Tamiang and Oishi Tei. Tamiang is the main all-day restaurant and is the only one open for all three meals (breakfast is included); the cuisine offerings included Balinese and Indonesian mainstays along with a few international specialties. Oishei Tei opens in the afternoon and primarily serves sushi. There's also a  third split-level restaurant, La View, with fine dining that draws inspiration from Southeast Asian and French culinary traditions.

The hotel also offers a number of educational and cultural excursions, many of which are included in room rates. Free activities include bicycle tours out through the lush rice paddies surrounding Ubud, trekking near the Ayung River, visits to Ubud Market, foot massages, and classes on how to make traditional offerings to the gods, in the Balinese Hindu style. The spa also offers free classes in essential oil distillation and solid perfume-making. Additional activities are available for a fee, include private yoga classes, sunrise treks up Mount Batur, whitewater rafting, and tours to various attractions around the island. There are no real business facilities, but the hotel does offer free Wi-Fi. On-site parking is free.