What sets one of Bali’s best hotels above the countless others tempting tourists to Indonesia’s island of the gods? At Mandapa, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve, it's the texture of nature and culture woven into nearly every aspect of a stay.
Each morning at breakfast, a staff member in a Balinese sarong offers a selection of jamu — Indonesia’s herbal (and supposedly medicinal) beverages traditionally sold by traveling female merchants. In my room, aside from a classic full bath, an outdoor waterfall shower adds the option to bathe amid Bali’s lush rainforest flora. After finishing a full-body massage, the spa’s adjoining relaxation room, where I’m served ginger tea and cookies, is awash in the sound of water rushing through a bend in the Ayung River so soothing I can almost hear it still.
Like many cities across Japan, Bali is currently wrestling with the growing pains that come from overtourism. However, Mandapa is managing the ups and downs of that process just fine — perhaps no small feat considering the ultraluxury property that prides itself on the grandeur of isolation just celebrated its 10-year anniversary.
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