Mandapa, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve, Bali

24 April 2016

Words: Joe Mortimer / Images: Ritz-Carlton

Only the best locations in the world will do for Ritz-Carlton’s exclusive ‘Reserve’ collection, and Mandapa doesn’t disappoint. The central Bali resort spills down the side of a steep valley to the banks of the Ayung River, which curves around it in a natural embrace.

Under the shade of perfumed frangipani trees, riverside villas look out over the water, their private infinity pools spilling over the edge. Behind a private gated entrance, separate buildings for living and sleeping are fitted out in natural materials and local stone, decorated with traditional works by local artists.

Dine riverside in a bamboo cocoon at romantic Kubu, or have your patih (butler) arrange a candlelit meal in the rice paddies or a picnic on the banks of the river. Sunrise yoga overlooking the river, therapeutic massage at the hands of a blind healer, and long walks through the estate are some of the things that make magnificent Mandapa unlike anywhere else in the world.

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