architectural design

traditional architecture

balinese cuisine

local food

balinese spirituality

meditation

balinese healing

local drinks

ayurveda therapies

local crafts

cloth making

balinese culture

Buahan, A Banyan Tree Escape ♦ Bali · Indonesia

Banyan Tree Connections

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Days / Nights

Postcards

Itinerary

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Bali, Indonesia

Sleep With the Valley for a Wall

Architectural Design Traditional Architecture

Buahan, A Banyan Tree Escape

The Bali architect Gede Kresna built these sixteen balés with almost no industrial material and, more striking, with almost no walls — bedroom, bath and deck sit open under a single roof above the Ayung valley, the living space left without barriers between you and the highland. Kresna learned the approach at Rumah Intaran, his own vernacular-building school in north Bali, where local timber and stone do the work concrete usually does. You wake to mist rising off the river gorge and the ridgeline of peaks beyond Payangan, forty minutes north of Ubud. Buahan opened in 2022 as Banyan Tree's first Escape; the openness is the whole idea.

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Bali, Indonesia

Eat What the Valley Grows

Balinese Cuisine Local Food

Buahan, A Banyan Tree Escape

Dinner at the Open Kitchen is built from what grows within an hour's drive, and the kitchen forages the surrounding highland for plants most Balinese restaurants no longer cook with — part of a deliberate effort to bring back older island recipes that fell out of use. The menu runs to roughly five courses and leans plant-forward, the produce arriving from the valley floor and the gardens around you rather than from a supplier in Denpasar. You eat on an open deck as the light goes off the gorge. Ask what the wild greens are; the answers tend to be plants you have walked past on the trails without noticing.

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Bali, Indonesia

Sit by the Fire on the Full Moon

Balinese Spirituality

Buahan, A Banyan Tree Escape

Purnama, the full moon, is one of the most auspicious days in the Balinese saka calendar, marked across the island with offerings and temple visits. Buahan's evening gathering draws on that observance and on agni hotra, the fire offering in which grains and ghee are given to the flames while mantras are spoken, fire standing for purification and renewal. This is a resort adaptation rather than a temple rite, and it helps to hold it as that — a borrowing from a living faith, led at the property rather than by the village priest. You sit at the fire pit as dusk fills the valley and set an intention for the nights ahead.

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Bali, Indonesia

Heal in Nature Through a Balinese Waterfall Ritual

Meditation Balinese Healing

Buahan, A Banyan Tree Escape

Start your soul freedom journey with the making of a Canang Sari, a traditional Balinese offering created as a gesture of gratitude and intention. Guided through the process, you’ll learn the meaning behind each element before dressing in traditional attire and walking through the valley towards the resort’s waterfall. The path moves through forested surroundings, with the sound of water growing louder as you approach. At the waterfall, a guided meditation and soft mantra chanting help settle the mind and bring focus to the moment. The experience ends with a flower release ritual in the water, creating space for reconnecting with yourself and nature.

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Bali, Indonesia

Brew Loloh, Bali's Wild Tonic

Balinese Cuisine Local Drinks

Buahan, A Banyan Tree Escape

Loloh is the Balinese herbal drink families have brewed for generations, the best known being loloh cemcem from Penglipuran village in Bangli — cemcem leaves pounded with tamarind, palm sugar, coconut and lime into something sour, sweet and faintly sharp. It sits in the same tradition as Javanese jamu, and Bangli has put it forward for recognition as Indonesian intangible heritage; the plants in it have been studied for their antibacterial compounds. In the workshop you grind your own seasonal blend by hand and taste as you go. The point is the knowledge, not the drink — which leaf settles the stomach, which root warms you, gathered from the same hills the kitchen forages.

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Bali, Indonesia

Take the Rice Farmers' Boreh

Ayurveda Therapies Balinese Healing

Buahan, A Banyan Tree Escape

The herbal paste in this treatment is Boreh, and it did not start in a spa. Balinese rice farmers made it to warm aching muscles and keep off chills after working the wet fields — cinnamon, cloves, ginger and rice powder ground with coconut oil and spread on warm. The massage that goes with it follows techniques recorded in the lontar usada, Bali's palm-leaf medical manuscripts, and carried down by balian, the island's traditional healers; the pressure-and-stretch style absorbed Indian and Chinese ideas through centuries of trade. Designed for two, it runs about an hour. Worth knowing what boreh is for: heat in the muscle, not fragrance.

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Bali, Indonesia

Dye a Cloth, Bali's Older Craft

Local Crafts Cloth Making

Buahan, A Banyan Tree Escape

The resist-dye you try in this workshop — tying and binding cloth so the dye cannot reach the folds — is the everyday end of a Balinese textile tradition that runs much deeper. At its far end is geringsing, the double-ikat woven only in Tenganan, a village of Bali Aga people who predate the island's Hinduisation; a single sacred cloth can take years, both threads dyed before a line is woven, and the name means without sickness. What you make is simpler and yours to keep, but it sits on the same island lineage of pattern made by withholding colour. Plan to get your hands stained; the dye does not wash off in a day.

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Bali, Indonesia

Wear the Three-Thread Tridatu

Balinese Culture

Buahan, A Banyan Tree Escape

The bracelet tied to your wrist on arrival is a tridatu — three threads, red, white and black, twisted together. The colours stand for the trinity that orders Balinese Hindu life: Brahma the creator, Vishnu the preserver, Shiva the destroyer and renewer, the cycle of birth, life and death held on one wrist. It is a genuine devotional object here, normally knotted on by a priest at the temple and worn until it falls away on its own, not a souvenir. You will see it on wrists all over the island once you start looking — children, drivers, shopkeepers. Take it as a blessing for the days at Buahan rather than a welcome gift.

Banyan Tree Connections

Nestled within Bali's lush highlands, Buahan Tree Connections is a journey of wellbeing, nature, and meaningful connection. Designed to nurture both body and mind, this immersive retreat combines ancient Balinese traditions, restorative wellness rituals, mindful movement, and transformative experiences in nature.

Over four days, discover hidden waterfalls, holistic healing practices, cultural wellness traditions, and moments of deep reflection—all set against the backdrop of Buahan's open-air jungle sanctuary.

Day 0 — Arrival & Intention Setting

A Gentle Introduction to Buahan

Arrive at Buahan and settle into your private villa overlooking Bali's verdant valleys. Take time to unwind, reconnect with nature, and embrace the slower pace of the highlands.

Afternoon | Personalised Wellbeing Consultation

Begin your retreat with a one-on-one consultation with Buahan's wellbeing practitioners. Together, you'll explore your personal goals, intentions, and aspirations, creating a tailored wellness journey for the days ahead.

Evening | Moon Meditation & Fire Ritual

As dusk settles over the jungle, gather around the sacred fire for a guided meditation inspired by the lunar cycle. Through reflection, intention-setting, and ritual, create space for renewal and deeper connection.

Highlights

Personalised wellbeing consultation
Guided moon meditation
Traditional fire ritual
Intention-setting practice
Sunset views overlooking the jungle

Day 1 — Reconnecting with Nature

Morning | Soul Freedom Journey

Venture beyond the resort on an immersive journey through one of Bali's hidden natural sanctuaries. Explore forest trails, discover a secluded waterfall, and engage in mindfulness practices designed to reconnect you with nature and self.

Highlights

Guided nature exploration
Sacred waterfall experience
Mindfulness and grounding practices
Connection with Bali's natural landscape

Afternoon | Time at Leisure

Return to Buahan and enjoy a leisurely afternoon surrounded by nature. Relax in your villa, enjoy the resort facilities, or simply take in the serenity of the landscape.

Evening | Island Bonding Massage

Experience a deeply restorative spa ritual inspired by the healing traditions of the Indonesian archipelago. Designed for two, this treatment combines rhythmic massage techniques and aromatic herbal oils to encourage relaxation and connection.

Highlights

Private treatment for two
Traditional Indonesian-inspired techniques
Herbal oil therapy
Deep relaxation and restoration

Day 2 — Wellness Through Tradition

Morning | The Art of Loloh: Elixir of the Wild

Discover the ancient Balinese tradition of loloh, a herbal tonic crafted from locally sourced leaves, roots, and spices. Learn the cultural significance of these wellness elixirs while creating and tasting your own seasonal blends.

Highlights

Hands-on workshop
Traditional Balinese herbal knowledge
Seasonal local ingredients
Cultural immersion experience

Afternoon | Slow Living in the Highlands

Spend the afternoon at your own pace, enjoying the tranquil surroundings and wellness offerings of the resort.

Evening | Yoga Duo

Join a private yoga session designed for two, set amidst Buahan's open-air landscape. Through mindful movement, breathwork, and gentle stretching, cultivate balance, presence, and shared connection.

Highlights

Private guided yoga session
Movement and breathwork
Suitable for all levels
Surrounded by nature

Day 3 — Departure

Morning | Reflection & Renewal

Enjoy a final breakfast overlooking the jungle and spend your last moments embracing the calm and clarity cultivated throughout your stay.

Departure

Depart Buahan carrying forward the practices, traditions, and connections discovered during your journey.

Inclusions

3 nights accommodation at Buahan
Daily breakfast and dinner at Open Kitchen
Personalised Wellbeing Consultation
Moon Meditation & Fire Ritual
Soul Freedom Journey
Island Bonding Massage (two 60-minute treatments)
Yoga Duo session
The Art of Loloh workshop
Daily in-villa healthy snacks
Herbal Oil Massage & Hand Reflexology (60 minutes)
Fitness Duo session
Tie Dye Workshop
Welcome Tridatu Bracelet
Handcrafted Tie Dye Bag
Journey Reflection Card
All guided experiences conducted privately

Exclusions

International and domestic flights
Airport transfers (unless specified)
Travel insurance
Additional spa treatments not listed
Personal expenses and gratuities
Meals and beverages not mentioned above
Optional experiences outside the itinerary

Coming Soon.