#14 in Top 20 Bali for a Wellness Retreat · Five-Star · Tabanan
Ulaman Eco Luxury Resort
A bamboo-and-rammed-earth resort in the Tabanan jungle, where the architecture is the wellness.
A bamboo-and-rammed-earth resort in the Tabanan jungle, where the architecture is the wellness.
Ulaman is the architecture-led pick on our Bali wellness list: a bamboo-and-rammed-earth resort that opened in 2020 in the Tabanan jungle, designed by Inspiral Architecture and Design Studios. It suits a traveller who wants design and eco-conviction to be part of the retreat, with a riverside spa, yoga, sound baths and farm-to-table dining, and who accepts a remote setting for it.
"A resort built almost entirely from bamboo and earth, where the architecture itself is the reason to come and the treatments are the bonus."
HotelsForKings aggregate 9.4/10, scored on Room & Design, Service, and Location. One editorial opinion, not a user-review average. See our methodology.
Choose Ulaman when you want the building and the ethos to be as much a part of the retreat as the treatments. It opened in 2020 in Tabanan, west of Ubud, designed by Inspiral Architecture and Design Studios around a river and dense jungle, and its structures are built from bamboo and rammed earth rather than concrete, with much of the bamboo harvested on the site itself. The curved bamboo forms and the way the villas dissolve into the greenery are the property's signature, and they have been widely published in the design press.
The wellness programme wraps around that setting: a riverside spa, daily yoga, sound baths and farm-to-table dining at the E.A.R.T.H. restaurant, which leans strongly plant-forward and draws much of its produce from the on-site garden. Ulaman lands at #14 on our Bali list because it is a design-led retreat rather than a clinical medical spa; if your priority is a rigorous, results-driven programme, other properties go deeper, but few match Ulaman for atmosphere and eco-credibility.
Book a jungle villa with a private plunge pool, such as a Cocoon or a Lake Villa over the spring-fed lake, as the sweet spot for most guests. The villas share the bamboo-and-earth language but differ a lot in position and outlook, and a private pool turns a room into a place you actively want to spend the day, which suits a retreat where slowing down is the point.
The Avatar Tree House villas, raised among the treetops, are the most photographed and the boldest expression of the architecture, but they are reached by steps and elevated walkways, so ask about access before committing if stairs are an issue. Whatever the category, confirm the exact villa type and whether it includes a private pool when you book, because the difference between the tiers here is significant and not always obvious from the name.
Take the guided walk of the architecture on your first morning to understand what you are actually staying inside, then book a spa treatment or a sound bath for the middle of the stay when you have properly wound down. Eat at E.A.R.T.H. and lean into the plant-forward menu rather than fighting it, and because the resort is remote, plan any Ubud or Canggu day trips in advance rather than expecting to pop out on a whim.
Ulaman sits in Tabanan, in quiet rice-field and jungle country west of Ubud, roughly 60 to 90 minutes by car from Denpasar airport and about 30 minutes from both Ubud and Canggu. That remoteness is central to the experience: there is no passing traffic, no resort strip and little to do beyond the property, which is exactly what a switch-off retreat wants, and the river and jungle around the villas do the restorative work.
The flip side is that you are committing to the resort. This is not a base for exploring Bali's beaches or nightlife, and even Ubud's cafes and markets are a planned outing rather than a stroll. For a few days of deliberate seclusion that suits many wellness travellers perfectly; for anyone who wants to combine a retreat with sightseeing or beach time, it is worth pairing Ulaman with a second, better-placed hotel rather than basing the whole trip here.
Ulaman does design and atmosphere superbly, but the things that make it special also limit who it suits.
Ulaman ranks #14 in our Top 20 Bali for a Wellness Retreat list, with an aggregate 9.4/10. It wins clearly on architecture and eco-conviction and gives ground on location and on the depth of a structured programme. Here is how it lines up with the properties ranked around it.
| Hotel | Style | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Ulaman (#14) | Bamboo eco resort in Tabanan | Design and eco-led retreats |
| The Royal Pita Maha (#12) | Riverside resort near Ubud | Balinese healing, central to Ubud |
| Padma Resort Ubud (#13) | Larger resort in Payangan | Facilities, pool, families |
| Buahan, a Banyan Tree Escape (#15) | No-walls jungle villas | Barefoot luxury seclusion |
Pick Ulaman for the architecture and eco-ethos; step to The Royal Pita Maha for Balinese healing closer to Ubud, Padma Resort Ubud for more facilities, or Buahan for open-air jungle seclusion. All four appear on our full Bali wellness ranking.
A ranked shortlist, a special offer worth booking, and the overpriced stay to skip. Straight from the editors.