Hotel Review: Capella Ubud, Bali, Rainforest Tent Stay | Luxury Tented Lodge Experience Designed By Bill Bensley

Posted on July 18, 2023 by theRantingPanda in Food

The Hotel It has been a few years since I visited Ubud in Bali and to say that heading there specially for Capella Ubud is not an understatement. I finally made it to the Bill Bensley designed property this month where it is nestled within lush green forests. For those who are familiar with Bill Bensley, his design style is quite bold, and I am also glad that I managed to revisit the other resort he designed at InterContinental Danang Sun Peninsula Resort.

Ubud properties exude a very different vibe from the ones in Seminyak which typically overlooks the beach. Instead, the first thing which greeted me as I stepped into Capella Ubud are the tents amidst the greenery.

It is a luxurious tented camp design inspired by the early European settlers from the 1800s, set within a terraced landscape amidst rice paddy fields and the sacred Wos River, in an authentic Balinese artist village called Keliki.

The open concept reception is most likely the first stop in Capella Ubud for most guests, and I was served a refreshing welcome drink and cold towel upon arrival. There is no need to worry about my luggage which was well taken care of and deposited in my tent when I entered the tent. I was also given a welcome duffel bag containing camp essentials upon arrival.

In terms of capacity, there are only 23 tents in this property, which makes it very exclusive where it is never too packed within the hotel. There are 22 one-bedroom tents as well as 1 two-bedroom lodge, all with private saltwater pools.

All 22 one-bedroom tents and the 1 two-bedroom tented lodge are individually styled with a wink back to the early 1800s, balanced by modern conveniences and feature a private pool and large outdoor decks.

Here are the 5 tent categories:

• 5 Terrace Tents (173 sq m), located near the camp central and the paddy fields, with an outlook to the rainforest.

• 4 Rainforest Tents (173 sq m), offering a rainforest setting and view.

• 8 River Tents (173 sq m), offering a tranquil Wos river experience. Secluded on a gradient in close proximity to the Wos river, this tent is best suited to the curious and able traveller.

• 5 Keliki Valley Tents (173 sq m), offering the most dramatic, unobstructed and elevated Keliki valley view and the largest pools.

• 1 two-bedroom tented lodge (217 sq m), blended into the terraced landscape and conveniently located in close proximity to The Cistern, The Lodge is best suited for a small family or a group of friends travelling together.

The Room I checked into the one-bedroom Rainforest tent. It is noteworthy that every tent has its own unique name, where I checked into Baker’s Tent.

The path into the tent is lush and I like the whole nature, garden element of the entrance.

I was immediately greeted by the large outdoor deck which overlooks the forest, where there are outdoor dining tables and oversized daybed to laze the day away.

The space of the terrace Tent is huge at 173 sqm where the layout of the tent is split into the living area, bedroom, indoor bathroom and shower, outdoor shower, outdoor deck and an outdoor split level private pool.

The living room area is well-furnished with ample sofa space, a spacious cabinet with Illy coffee machine and tea station and utensils, and also a huge complimentary in-retreat refreshment trunk consisting of non-alcoholic beverages and snacks.

I would say the design of the tent is vintage luxury, as it kind of felt like I was transported back to the previous century.

The king size bed is higher than usual, so some guests might need a bit of a jump to get up the bed. Otherwise, there are power points beside each side of the bed, and I did have a good quality sleep as the mattress and pillows are hard enough for my liking.

There is also ample tabletop space throughout the tent which is great for storing my belongings, or even to place your luggage on.

At the end of the tent is the open concept bathroom with double vanity sinks, separate shower zone and toilet bowl, and a centrepiece hammered copper bathtub.

The interesting fact about the bathroom is the use of curtains for the standing shower zone and toilet bowl, where the toilet bowl is designed in a loud throne-like fashion with attached bidet lever and a pulley flush system. Rustic and old school.

The indoor bathroom is directly linked to the spacious outdoor shower zone which is definitely worth experiencing once during your stay. I like the outdoor shower which brings guests even closer to nature, yet it still retains utmost privacy.

Of course, the other main highlight of every tent in Capella Ubud is the private pool, which is accessible via a spiral stairway.

The outdoor private pool is not huge for the Terrace Tent, but good enough for a private dip with jacuzzi. It comes complete with two poolside sun loungers.

One of the main features of the tent is the blinds which require manual rolling, and thankfully, kudos to the team for an awesome evening turndown service where all blinds are rolled down in the tent, along with a pot of hot tea and a basin for guests to soak their feet. I thought that this is one of the best turndown services I have experienced, as I also noticed that even my phone cables are neatly rolled. In the morning during the tent make up service, all the blinds will be rolled back up again.

The Facilities All guests have access to the “Officer’s Tent” living room, where morning coffee, afternoon tea and evening cocktails and canapés are served. A wide range of books, International magazines, a billiard table and board games are also available.

The afternoon tea is a mix of local Indonesian snacks and some savoury bites, while the evening cocktails has a pretty good variety of cocktails to choose from, including wines and spirits.

I also checked out The Armoury located right beside the “Officer’s Tent”, a 24/7 fully equipped gymnasium in a tent setting. You can also check out various class schedules for Yoga, TRX and Jungle Bootcamp.

If you are in for a spa retreat, there is the Auriga Wellness which uses organic natural products exclusive to Capella Ubud, where there are 3 luxurious treatment tents, or you can opt for In-tent treatments.

I also spent time at The Cistern, a 30-metre long outdoor rainforest pool and the best bit about this pool is that it is a heated pool.

The only downside is that there are not many sun deck chairs beside the pool which looks out to the valley.

That said, I appreciate that cold towels, water and light snacks like chips are served by the staff the moment I arrived at the pool.

For guests who wish to venture out of the property, there are also a few scheduled daily return transfers to Ubud centre. Adventure programmes are available from sunrise to sunset as per the camp’s schedule, such as a guided sunset walk to the rice paddy fields.

The Restaurants There are two main dining concepts in Capella Ubud, Mads Lange and Api Jiwa. Mads Lange is the camp’s split-level tented dining room named in honour of the famous Danish spice trader, entrepreneur and peace maker of Bali, Mads Johansen Lange, nicknamed “The White King of Bali”. Open concept, no air-conditioning, but it is not at all warm.

The view from Mads Lange is great as it looks out to the lush greenery, and you can also catch a glimpse of The Cistern pool from here.

The restaurant focuses on International and Indonesian dishes, with a wide variety on the menu where you get the likes of Nasi Goreng, Pasta, Pizza, and more.

Breakfast is also held at Mads Lange, where you get to choose from a good mix of International and Indonesian dishes along with seasonal daily specials.

It is interesting that there are also Chinese and Japanese options for breakfast, such as dim sum and miso salmon. I especially love the fresh miso salmon dish which comes with a clear broth.

For Western options, you cannot go wrong with the organic eggs benedict where the Hollandaise sauce is delicious. The local Indonesian coffee also packs a punch for me which also comes in French press style.

Pastries and a small counter of sourdough bread and fruits are also available.

I also managed to have dinner at Api Jiwa during my stay which focuses on Asian barbecue food.

Api Jiwa is located right below Mads Lange, and it is a cosy, rustic and intimate space where most seats are around the open kitchen counter where diners can watch the chefs cook up their magic.

It is only opened for dinner, where there is the Asian Omakase Sample Menu (IDR 1,500,000++ per person) where you can expect dishes like Babi Guling in steamed bun, Australian beef tenderloin, Chawanmushi and grilled Sumatran River Prawn with Nasi Goreng.

The poolside Mortar & Pestle Bar serves light and refreshing snacks alongside a wide range of cocktails.

Not exactly a dining concept, but there is a daily evening Camp Fire complimentary for all guests where there is a huge screen which airs classic Balinese movies. There are hot chocolate and toasted marshmallows served here to add to the campfire ambience.

Private dining is also available – from candlelit dinners to private picnics within the property.

Rants Some of the tents like the River tents are quite far out from the reception, where you can expect quite a fair bit of walking to get back to the tent from the main hub of the resort where the restaurants, The Armoury and “Officer’s Tent” are located. It also gets more challenging if it rains since it is pretty much an open concept property. That said, it is important to state your preference for your tent location which boils down to your sense of adventure and fitness level to some extent.

Overall Experience In most aspects, Capella Ubud is one of the most unique properties I have ever experienced. The tented villas exude a sense of adventure and rustic vibes, and I love how lush the whole property is where each tent is blended seamlessly with the forest. Head here if you are looking for an unique stay experience in Ubud, Bali.