Buahan, A Banyan Tree Escape

“Meraviglia sulla terra”

We have never stayed anywhere as magical as Banyan Tree Escape. Every single detail of this resort is thoughtfully designed and perfectly maintained. From the moment you arrive, you can feel the care, passion, and attention that make this place truly exceptional. The villas are simply breathtaking… more

We have never stayed anywhere as magical as Banyan Tree Escape. Every single detail of this resort is thoughtfully designed and perfectly maintained. From the moment you arrive, you can feel the care, passion, and attention that make this place truly exceptional. The villas are simply breathtaking, completely surrounded by thousands of hectares of lush tropical rainforest, offering total privacy and an unforgettable connection with nature. What makes this place even more special is the incredible staff. Every single person went above and beyond to make us feel welcome, taking care of every little detail and making sure every need was met with genuine kindness and warmth. The highlight of our stay was undoubtedly the food. The chef deserves special recognition—we had the best hotel breakfast we have ever experienced. Every dish was beautifully presented, incredibly fresh, and prepared with outstanding attention to detail. It was an unforgettable culinary experience. We also joined the yoga and Pilates sessions in the beautiful wellness area, and they were fantastic. The resort offers complimentary daily activities, making every day unique and memorable. Visiting the private waterfall was another unforgettable experience and added even more magic to our stay. The atmosphere here is simply extraordinary. Peaceful, elegant, and truly magical, it’s the kind of place that stays in your heart long after you leave. A heartfelt thank you to the entire team for making our stay so special. We sincerely hope to come back one day.

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“Wildly at Home”

I have been fortunate enough to stay in many beautiful places around the world, but Buahan is one of the very few that I can honestly say changed me. I stayed for just over two weeks, which gave me the opportunity to experience the resort far more deeply than a typical visit. Over that time, I cam… more

I have been fortunate enough to stay in many beautiful places around the world, but Buahan is one of the very few that I can honestly say changed me. I stayed for just over two weeks, which gave me the opportunity to experience the resort far more deeply than a typical visit. Over that time, I came to understand that what makes Buahan extraordinary is not simply its breathtaking setting; it is its people. The scenery is spectacular. The jungle is alive from sunrise until long after dark with birds, insects, frogs, squirrels, geckos and countless other creatures. Waking up to those sounds and falling asleep to them each night became one of my favourite parts of every day. It is important to understand what Buahan is, and what it isn’t. This is genuine outdoor living. The bales are open to nature, so you will hear the jungle, see wildlife, experience the weather, and occasionally share your space with a curious creature or two. If that idea makes you uncomfortable, this may not be the right resort for you. If, however, that sounds magical, you are in for something very special. Over the course of my stay I came to feel less like a guest and more like someone who had been welcomed into a family. One of the things I appreciated most was how personalized everything became. Rather than simply following a schedule, the team took the time to learn what genuinely interested me and then found ways to make it happen. Whether it was wildlife, photography, Balinese culture, or simply a quiet afternoon listening to the sounds of the forest, I always felt genuinely heard. The smallest touches often meant the most: cold towels waiting after excursions, helping me when my phone unexpectedly refused to charge because of a moisture warning, preparing fresh aloe after I spent a little too much time in the sun, somehow finding me sandals that fit perfectly, remembering my favourite foods, always making sure I had plenty of water, walking me to activities, taking care of my laundry, and countless other thoughtful gestures. None of those things were expected, but together they created an experience that felt deeply personal. Every member of the team somehow struck the perfect balance between being attentive and giving me the space to simply enjoy the peace of the jungle. I never felt managed or rushed; instead, I felt genuinely cared for. A special thank you to Arda, Uya, DeGus, Hengki, Koming, Kitut (the dancer), Chef Made, Olive, Aris, Arsana, Risku, Sri, Budi, Yoga, Agoy, Ratni, Queen, Widi, Oji, Nuno and Eric. Each of you contributed in your own unique way to making this such an unforgettable experience. I know there are many more wonderful people working behind the scenes whose names I may never have learned, so please accept my sincere thanks as well. It truly takes the entire Buahan team to create something this special. I was fortunate enough to be there during the resort’s anniversary celebration, which was one of the highlights of my trip. Rather than feeling like an event staged for guests, it felt like being welcomed into a celebration that genuinely mattered to the people who work there. It was joyful, authentic and unforgettable. One of the things I appreciated most was that the team never tried to tell me how to enjoy Buahan. Instead, they paid attention to what genuinely made me happy and helped me experience more of it. The freedom to enjoy the resort in my own way, felt like the greatest luxury of all. If you’re considering staying here, my advice is simple: come with an open mind. Embrace the jungle, slow down, ask questions, learn about everything around you, and let the staff guide you. This is not a place to hide from nature; it is a place to become part of it. Buahan isn’t just somewhere you stay. It’s somewhere you experience. I arrived hoping for a lovely holiday. I left feeling as though I had found a place, and people, I will never forget. I cannot wait to return.

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“Not just a hotel, an experience to be felt”

When we arrived at Buahan, a Banyan Tree Escape, we already expected something special. The concept is unlike anywhere else, and after previous stays in Bali we thought we knew what Balinese hospitality felt like. Meeting Hengki, the manager, on arrival, we could immediately sense his love for this… more

When we arrived at Buahan, a Banyan Tree Escape, we already expected something special. The concept is unlike anywhere else, and after previous stays in Bali we thought we knew what Balinese hospitality felt like. Meeting Hengki, the manager, on arrival, we could immediately sense his love for this place, its people and the deep care he brings to it. What we did not expect was to leave changed. We return to Bali because we love the culture, the food and the nature, so marking our tenth wedding anniversary here was an easy choice. We split the trip, four days at Mandapa, where we had happily stayed before, followed by four days at Buahan with no real idea of what to expect. By the end we only wished we had spent the whole trip here. We are usually the sort of guests who avoid hotel breakfasts. We value privacy and quiet, and we would normally take our coffee alone. At Buahan, for the first time ever, we found ourselves coming down each morning (often still full from the night before) simply to sit and talk with the team. We had even packed books to read by the pool and never opened a single one, because there was always someone we would rather be talking to. That team is the heart of this place. What struck us first was how deeply everyone loves the property and how proud they are of it, a feeling that proves utterly contagious. Agoy, our host, set the tone from the start. He is tireless, always close by, checking in, never missing a hello, and his knowledge runs deep. He has a real gift for explaining Balinese culture and history by relating it to other traditions, so that everything clicked into place for us. He answered all of our questions, joked with us when we joked, he really understood us. We laughed so much with him, my face sometimes hurt. I always looked forward to seeing his beaming face every day! Oji, whose smile could lift the greyest, rainiest day, walked with us on the Sandikala Walk and the Soul Freedom Journey and answered every question we had about village life and religion with warmth and enthusiasm. Budi sat with us for hours, late into the night, sharing Balinese culture and offering us a window into his own life and the experiences that have shaped him. Those conversations meant more to us than he probably knows. At the Botanist Bar we were spoiled. Arsana, the mixologist, builds drinks around local flora with real artistry, and he taught us about each ingredient, its traditional medicinal use and the part it plays in balancing the glass in your hand. Ari, the bar supervisor, was also (of course) very talented, weaving childhood stories around the same local ingredients as he made fantastic cocktails and mocktails, we shared so many laughs with him but he also shared deeply personal stories about ingredients and what they meant to him and why, it was very moving. The food was its own journey. Chef Vera prepared our Jungle Affair dinner and walked us through refined Balinese cuisine dish by dish, visibly delighted to share these celebratory, traditional plates and the stories behind them. Chef Made led our jungle cooking class at lunch and poured out his knowledge of every ingredient, culinary and medicinal alike, lighting up each time he found something new to show us, and the meal we cooked was incredibly delicious (as is all the other food at this property). Olive arranged that lunch and our private dinner with extraordinary care. We happened to see her setting up hours before our private dinner, and when we finally arrived we were genuinely speechless at the effort and beauty she had put into it. Yes, Buahan has the views, the food and the ambience you would hope for (and more). But the real experience here is the people, and the feeling they create. We leaned into all of this so far that we even made friends with other guests. The depth of it only really hit us at checkout. When our host told us he was genuinely sad to see us go, I had to fight back tears. Then, as we were leaving, Hengki asked how everything had been, and I choked up again when answering him. By then we understood exactly what we had felt on that very first day: he cares as much about his team as he does about his guests, and it shows in everything around him. I have never met a hotel manager like this, nor have I felt that way leaving a hotel. A word on what this place is and isn't. The people here are not the stiff, faultlessly formal staff you find at most luxury hotels, where warmth can feel like part of the service. At so many of these places you sense, however politely, that you are a customer to be looked after and charged. Here you never feel that for a moment. Everyone is simply themselves, and the connection feels genuine rather than transactional, which is exactly what makes it so warm and so meaningful. If you are after ultra-polished, white-glove perfection, this may not be your place. If you are looking for something real, authentic and genuinely meaningful, this is exactly it. So please do yourself a favour and throw yourself into it completely. Take your photographs of the views, then put the camera down, look around and talk to the people, who could not be more eager to share. We have stayed in many hotels around the world, often Rosewood, Mandarin Oriental, Four Seasons and Ritz-Carlton, and we have never experienced anything like this. We came expecting views and left feeling more connected to other people, more connected to nature, more grateful, and quite simply changed. We are already thinking about our return, and we cannot wait to try more of the Banyan Tree Escapes in the future. It is the perfect way to immerse yourself in a local culture, even without knowing a single person from the area. Buahan is not simply a hotel or a place to stay. It is an experience, and it is meant to be felt.

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“Sensational”

The most sensational place we have ever stayed, its luxury meets adventure with every single detail taken care of. We will be back