Lift Bali is a small experimental eco-friendly hotel, providing treetop lodging for modern day Tarzans in the heart of the rainforest.
Hidden in plain sight between rice paddies and lush forest in the village of Penestan, Kecamatan Ubud, Lift Bali is created without concrete to have a less invasive environmental footprint and impact. Designed by Bali-based architect Alexis Dornier, the lodgings are designed to blend seamlessly with their surroundings. Guests sleep cocooned by leafy trees, wooden beams and the sounds of the jungle.
"Many developments here on this island use high quantities of concrete, and the experience is often times the same. We wanted to challenge that and create light architecture while suggesting a surreal mix of industrial impermanent structures embedded into a tropical forest," Dornier said.
There are three lodges, each named after a famous author: Ernest Hemingway, George Orwell and Stanley Kubrick. And they've all been designed to appeal to growns-ups who want to immerse themselves in nature without forgoing creature comforts. Each space is fitted with a four-poster bed, custom-made furniture and floor-to-ceiling windows that provide uninterrupted views of the forest. Wooden blinds do offer some privacy though, so guests can shower in peace, while still enjoying the views.
The freestanding lodges can be reached from a metal staircase that winds around the tree trunk. The bedroom is on the first floor, while the open-air, private deck is on the second floor, shaded by a bamboo roof. Dornier said the "unpretentious" lodgings were designed as "spaces where people could retrieve to, detached and off the ground."
The park-like setting holds a small sauna, a little pool, bar, benches and small recreational areas. There's also a yoga deck for those who want to stretch under the stars. Better still, all this back-to-nature wilderness is just short journey from the cafes, bars and boutiques of Ubud.
For more information, see here.
