Capella Ubud: Bill Bensley 1800s glamping tented sanctuary in Ubud’s Keliki Valley with private saltwater pools and Mads Lange

Hidden within the dense, untouched tropical rainforest and terraced rice paddies of the sacred Wos River in Keliki Valley north of Ubud in Bali, Indonesia, Capella Ubud opened as an architectural sensation (voted World’s Best Hotel by Travel + Leisure). Master-designed by legendary architect Bill Bensley as an homage to 1800s European explorers and settlers, the 23-tent luxury sanctuary was built entirely without cutting down a single tree. Featuring the acclaimed open-air Indonesian restaurant Mads Lange, the intimate omakase grill Api Jiwa, the 30-metre outdoor heated saltwater pool The Cistern, the nostalgic Camp Fire for nightly storytelling, and the holistic Auriga Wellness tents, this property is Bali’s premier tented haven.

Arrival introduces travelers to unvarnished 1800s jungle expedition romance: personal Capella Culturists greet guests at the suspension bridge entrance with handcrafted walking sticks, expedition survival kits, chilled ginger-tamarind elixirs, and views of the mist-shrouded rainforest valley. Day-one logistics focus on coordinating bespoke Balinese rainforest, cultural, and outdoor pursuits: descending through the jungle canopy along suspension bridges to your private tent, swimming in your private outdoor saltwater plunge pool or the 30-metre Cistern pool, taking morning jungle yoga and forest bathing walks, indulging in Balinese chakra-balancing rituals at Auriga Wellness, gathering around the Camp Fire for hot spiced cocoa and 1920s silent films, and reserving dinner at Mads Lange or Api Jiwa.

Camp living balances authentic jungle adventure with sublime holistic wellness: the Auriga Wellness tents feature private outdoor treatment pavilions overlooking the river, vitality pools, and therapies utilizing organic Balinese herbs, warm volcanic stones, and traditional healing. Dining is an extraordinary culinary summit: refined Indonesian and international gastronomy at Mads Lange (featuring local farm vegetables, suckling pig, fresh caught seafood, and fine wines), multi-course Asian barbecue and robata omakase at Api Jiwa, and craft cocktails at the Officers Tent.

Accommodations comprise 22 one-bedroom luxury tented retreats and one two-bedroom lodge ranging from 173 to 217 square metres. Each residence features custom Bill Bensley hand-painted canvas walls, private outdoor saltwater plunge pools, expansive outdoor decks with daybeds framing the jungle canopy, plush four-poster king beds with mosquito netting, and copper bathrooms with hammered copper soaking tubs and custom Capella amenities.

Glamping purists, design devotees, and luxury travelers seeking Bill Bensley jungle genius, private saltwater pool tents, and Api Jiwa dining in Ubud should book Capella Ubud without hesitation. Travelers seeking generic concrete beach resorts should look elsewhere. Grounded review consensus confirms legendary standing with a 4.9 out of 5 on Tripadvisor across 1,100 reviews and a 4.9 out of 5 on Google across 1,350 reviews.