Capella Ubud, Bali

With its bold and playful take on Bali’s colonial history, Capella Ubud raises the island’s bar for luxury resorts and sustainable design alike, as paul kay discovers

Set deep in the jungle a few miles north of Ubud, the Keliki Valley is one of the most verdant areas of natural wilderness one could hope to stumble across. Replete with lush tropical vegetation and an abundance of towering trees fed by meandering rivers, it’s a location that’s ideal for trekking, nature photography or simply quiet contemplation by the water’s edge. It’s not, however, a place that’s easy to build upon, far less a setting amid which most would attempt to construct a luxury resort without altering the landscape or even so much as uprooting a tree. And yet, that’s exactly what the owners of Capella Ubud have achieved. A labour of love some four years in the making, the resort – which opened in late June 2018 – is yet another bold accomplishment by fêted hotel designer Bill Bensley, the creative spark behind such boltholes as the Four Seasons Tented Camp Golden Triangle in northern Thailand, the Rosewood Luang Prabang in Laos and the just-opened Shinta Mani Wild in Cambodia. The designer of more than 200 properties in some 40 countries during the past 30 years, Bensley is known for his flamboyant style, intriguing conceptual narratives and commitment to sustainable design – all of which lie at the heart of Capella Ubud. Comprising just 23 luxury tented retreats scattered through a parcel of forested land sandwiched between rice fields and a deep river valley, the resort is inspired by the camps of the Dutch colonialists who settled in Bali in the early 19th century, reimagined with liberal doses of humour, fantasy and stylish kitsch. Nowhere is this design aesthetic more apparent than in the Officer’s Tent, an inviting social hub in which patterned fabrics, Venetian mirrors and decorative furniture vie for attention with wooden stag’s heads, colourful traditional carvings and vintage curios. A full-sized American pool table and a drinks cabinet from which complimentary cocktails are served each evening round out the faux-colonial vibe. This tongue-in-cheek narrative continues throughout the tented retreats, each of which has been individually designed to reflect the profession of the camp’s various imagined occupants: Painter, Horn Collector, Naturalist, Librarian, Puppet Master and so on. Set on wide wooden

platforms that protrude from the valley’s side, most tents are reached via a small hanging bridge that leads to a spacious sundeck and a rock-rimmed plunge pool with uninterrupted views of the jungle. Entered through hefty double doors that have been intricately carved and painted in traditional Balinese style, each tent makes it easy to imagine you really have stepped back in time as the canvas and teak structures feature almost no visible signs of modern technology within their carefully curated mise-en-scène. From the imposing ornate fourposter bed that dominates the space and the rococo-style couch with vividly coloured batik cushions, to the gargantuan travel chest that contains an incredibly well-stocked minibar, there’s almost too much to look at – and that’s before taking in each tent’s singular collection of objets d’art related to its specific theme: a collection of vintage cameras perhaps, or a clutch of traditional shadow puppets and theatrical masks. Dig a little deeper and deft design touches and surprises abound, from the complimentary carafe of home-spiced rum to the satisfyingly chunky brass key that locks a similarly old-school padlock and chain on the doors. Even the bathroom is a sight to behold, with its glimmering polished copper bathtub (the product of more than 100 hours’ labour) and a grandiose wooden throne that conceals the toilet. A wander around the resort reveals even more quixotic touches: lifesized brass monkeys perched on tent roofs; undisturbed jackfruit trees and coconut palms peeking through the sides of public areas; and

precipitous paths – a necessity resulting from Capella’s efforts to preserve the land’s natural topography – wending their way down to a small temple on the banks of the sacred Wos River. The theme of adventure and discovery also infuse Capella’s dining areas, which combine Bensley’s design ethos with a sense of colonial-era elegance, a touch of Asian fire – sometimes literally – and the gastronomic nous of culinary director Matt McCool, formerly of erstwhile London hotspots Maze and Tom Aikens. The camp’s main restaurant, the grandly tented Mads Lange, is named after a 19th-century Danish spice trader dubbed the White King of Bali. Known for his entrepreneurial acumen and knack of peacefully mediating disputes between the Dutch and the local rajas, Lange would no doubt have approved of the setting: diners gaze out into the jungle from beneath a double-height vaulted canvas ceiling that features a hand-painted Kamasan representation of the Hindu epic poems The Ramayana and The Mahabharata. It’s the perfect spot in which to enjoy breakfast, which ranges from indulgences such as home-made spiced sausages to health-conscious dishes as satisfying as they’re nutritious. Tucked away below Mads Lange is the resort’s intimate chef’s table, Api Jiwa, where 10-course tasting menus are conjured up over a blazing robatayaki grill – aptly, because its name translates as “fire to the soul” in Sanskrit. Served omakase-style and emphasising seafood, the menu takes Japanese cuisine as its starting point then throws in liberal helpings of Indonesian and Thai influences to add hints of spice and Southeast Asian flavours such as tamarind and lemongrass. Guests at Capella Ubud can also make a splash in the resort’s 30-metre-long rainforest pool or work out in the tented gym and yoga pavilion, while the Auriga spa is inspired by lunar cycles and Balinese and Hindu traditions with a menu of treatments that include chakra balancing and Tibetan bowl sound healing. Beyond the resort, Capella offers a selection of experiences that range from the authentically local to the lavishly indulgent. For gastronomes there are excursions based around the appreciation of chocolate, coffee and Indonesian cuisine, while guided expeditions to the bamboo forest of Kintamani and to the 1,717-metre-high summit of Mount Batur, an active volcano, are available for the more adventurous. Alternatively, guests can hop aboard a helicopter for a bird’s-eye view of Bali’s lush landscapes before setting down for a romantic lunch on a secluded beach on the nearby island of Nusa Penida. Irrespective of how the day is spent at Capella Ubud, all post-prandial paths lead to the Camp Fire, where hot chocolate and marshmallows – which guests are encouraged to toast themselves on the ends of small swords – are served by resort staff beside a roaring bonfire as documentary footage of early-20th-century Bali plays on a screen above. Like Capella Ubud itself, it’s an experience that feels unique, playful and utterly memorable. Capella Ubud was recognised as the Best New Hotel in the World in 2018 at November’s Ultra luxury travel awards; one suspects it will have to make room for more accolades in the year ahead.