Ubud Hanging Gardens

Ubud, Bali

Ubud, a Balinese cultural and artistic center, lies between vast stretches rice fields and steep ravines, a few kilometers from the capital, Denspasar. “Ubud is a village consecrated by painters. Walter Spies, who taught painting and music, came there in the 1930s, bringing with him a number of Europeans like the painters, Willem Hofker and Rudolf Bonnet. That’s how Ubud became fashionable in the world of art”, explains the tourist editor of the French newspaper Le Monde, Florence Evin. From then on, Ubud became home to host of museums and art galleries, and what was once a simple ordinary village became an active and busy city.

A real must here are the traditional dance and music performances which feature the myth of the barong, the struggle between the positive and the occult forces.

A hanging garden

Ubud, with its vast stretches of rice fields on the hillside, is located the southern tip of Bali, in the heart of the Ayung valley. This green patch of land perched on the heights of the Denspasar region, contains a thick tropical forest surrounding the centuries old stones of the Darem Segara temple. Visible from the steps of the sanctuary, the 38 villas of the Ubud Hanging Gardens hotel reveal the silhouettes of a daring blend of traditional Balinese architecture and contemporary design. Half hidden by lush vegetation, the suites rise in terraced fashion with undulating curves, like so many hanging gardens, in the image of the famous Hanging Gardens of Babylon. Cacao, coffee, bamboo and flamboyant trees in addition to orchids fill the landscape with a multi-colored and chlorophyll atmosphere. Sprung from the imagination of landscape architects William Warren and John Pettigrew, the villas take the form of traditional Balinese buildings, which open onto to the exterior. Marble bathrooms, precious wood and fabrics and large bay windows all provide a minimalist and elegant comfort to the interiors, with the advantage of a private infinity swimming pool facing the jungle, perfect for contemplation with one’s feet in the water.

The best selling book by Elizabeth Gilbert, “Eat, Pray and Love” which was made into a film directed by Ryan Murphy, contributed to the popularity of Ubud. The story recounts the tribulations of a fortyish New York woman devastated after her divorce. Actress Julia Roberts played the role of a woman trying to rebuild her life. The film gave spectators the opportunity to discover the beauty of the region.