All too often when traveling, you want to feel like you are in an exotic place but end up in what amounts to just another posh hotel room. Sure, the views off the balconies or just outside the windows might be spectacular. But if you pulled the curtains, you might as well be at the luxury hotel just a few miles from your house. What really makes a luxury resort worth the visit is how well it blends comfort and luxury with the local flavor of the area. In this regard, the Menjangan Dynasty Resort is one of the best places to get this kind of experience.

From the air, the Menjangan Dynasty Resort looks like a small to medium sized village. The architecture and design is the height of modernity while still honoring the stylistic traditions of the area. The structures are constructed with bamboo and alang-alang thatch. The buildings are open to the air, creating an inviting atmosphere. It seems like the perfect place to steal some time in the ocean air with your toes buried in sot, white sands.

The Menjangan Dynasty Resort is a newer resort, but the companies that run it and the area where it’s located have rich histories. Before we tell you all about what to expect when you visit, it’s good to know where you’re headed.

The resort only opened in 2015, but it quickly made a name for itself as the first of it’s kind of luxury camping resort. Adopting the term “glamping,” a portmanteau of “glamorous camping,” it sets itself up as a unique luxury experience in the already crowded Bali resort space. The Menjangan Dynasty Resort is part of the Park Plaza Hotels and Resorts network of about 40 hotels across the globe. This company, however, was acquired by the Radisson Hotel Group, so they are more directly managed by Radisson’s arm in the Asia Pacific region. However, none of this matters to the staff on the ground at the resort. Multiple professional and user reviews extoll the virtues of the attentive and personable staff at the Menjangan Dynasty Resort.

Bali is both a province of Indonesia and an island on the western tip of the Lesser Sunda Islands. Indonesia is a rich cultural land, where most of the residents practice Islam. However, in Bali the religious minority Hindu are the majority here. Still, despite their religious differences, the people of Bali share a distinct and prolific culture. They have a rich history of painting, hand-crafting, music and dancing. Bali is a volcanic island, and there are a number of major peaks and rock formations, including islets made from pillow basalt, a volcanic rock. There are a number of active volcanoes still on the island. The highest peak, Mount Agung, is an active volcano as is Mount Batur, another popular peak. There are also a trio of small islands to the south east of the main island of Bali. In the east, the Lombok strait divides Bali from Lombok.

There are not many natural waterways in Bali, save for a small river. Thus, the area has always faced water shortages. The locals developed an ingenious irrigation system, but the influx of tourists threatens the island. There have been increasing water shortages, especially near the cities that get the most tourist traffic. There is Kuta, a beach town, Ubud in the center of the island, Denpasar, Singaraja, the former colonial capital and the island’s second-oldest city. Whether you want to be deep in the jungle, up on the mountaintops, or in the cultural heart of an old, old city, Bali has it.

Bali is a wonderful place to visit, full of gorgeous views and beautiful people full of stories and ready to share their homeland with us. We’re very fortunate for that, because there are many things to do in Bali that you just can do elsewhere in the world. As mentioned above, the coral reef system in the waters nearby is unparalleled anywhere else. The rich cultural tapestry woven by Balinese artists and the islands’ religions is fascinating, a global treasure.

Since it’s an island, there are plenty of beachfront activities, but it’s not all just sun, sand, and surf. There are mountains and jungles all over the island, so you can connect with nature. Or you can tour the ancient historical sites and temples in the area, to learn the rich history of this little island, and its journey from a loose collection of kingdoms to the province of Indonesia it is today. While there are many things to do in Bali, you can also elect to do nothing. You can pretty much just plop yourself down anywhere on the island and be surrounded by natural splendor. Bali is a jewel of the Indian Ocean, and it’s place that should definitely make your luxury bucket list.

There is more to a luxury resort than room service and bedsheet thread counts. Below you will find a succinct breakdown of what the Menjangan Dynasty Resort has to offer its guests. From fine dining to hotel amenities to outside the resort’s boundaries, you’ll never run out of things to do.

The accommodations are the most unique feature about the Menjangan Dynasty Resort. It’s a hike to get there, so once you arrive you will want to rest comfortably. Luckily, the Menjangan Dynasty Resort has a number of options for the weary traveler.

As this is a glamping resort, the basic room for an individual or couple is the Beach Camp Tent. While it is called a tent, it’s more of a hybrid style building. It’s fully powered and has a hard roof, complete with a ceiling fan. The walls are curtains, that can be drawn for privacy. However, you are out in the elements. Of course, as Bali is a tropical paradise, those elements are almost always agreeable. The tent has an integrated bathroom with a monsoon shower, a hand-painted tile floor, and a luxury vanity unit.

This room is almost identical to the above room, save for instead of a queen-size bed it comes fit with two twin beds. Just like the other tents, it is almost 40 square meters in size, and it comes brimming with comfortable amenities. Your bare feet will love the goatskin rugs and reading in the evening by the driftwood and seagrass lamps is a singular pleasure. The sleeping area is air conditioned for really hot nights, but usually the fan and the ocean breeze are enough. Extra camp beds are offered for families at no extra charge, for any room at the resort.

The crown jewel of the four premier luxury suites at the Menjangan Dynasty Resort are the large open-air decks and private infinity pools. Because of the lush natural splendor surrounding the entire resort, you might feel compelled to never leave the deck. It’s like your own private paradise. The bedroom is air-conditioned and furnished with a queen-size bed. There is also a daybed that can double as a bed for the kids or just a place to lounge inside. There is an attached bathroom as luxurious as and more spacious than those found in the tents. Along with monsoon shower, these bathrooms feature a terrazzo soaking tub.

The two bedroom villas are positively palatial at 82 square meters. Like their smaller sisters, they too have an open-air deck and a private infinity pool. The villa features two bedrooms, obviously, and also a common area. One bedroom features a queen-size bed, while the other incorporates two twin beds. Curtains separate the bedrooms from the common area, which features a plush sofa and cozy armchairs. Like all the rooms, this one comes equipped with a TV and DVD player for quiet nights. At the center of the common area is a basketware trunk which can also serve as a coffee table. 

The Menjangan Dynasty Resort wants to meet all the needs of its guests. They offer what you’d expect, transportation, a tour desk, WiFi, and a laundry service. They also offer services you might not, like the lending library for books and DVDs. Get all the details on what they have to offer below.

All of the on-site facilities are named “Pasir Putih,” which means “white sand.” The spa is where you go if lounging in the white sands of the beach still isn’t enough relaxation. You can get couples massages or beauty treatments like facials, manicures, or pedicures. The spa is located on a cliff overlooking Banyuwedang Bay, and you couldn’t find a more relaxing view. One fun offering they have are spa bods, which are bathubs filled with essential oils and flowers. They offer them in both spa tent or more private pods that still offer a majestic view of the bay. 

Like any good resort or hotel the Menjangan Dynasty Resort offers a fitness center which guests have access to 24 hours per day. Still, you’re not a convention in Cincinnati, but on the beautiful island of Bali. If you want to work out, do it outside. The resort offers a large infinity pool complete with a diving area for swimming. You can also go for runs on the beach or around the resort. If you push too hard, there’s a buggy service to zip you back to the tent or to the spa for a massage.

The Pusir Putih Beach Club and Watersports area, managed by Bai Hai Diving, is a must-visit location. From their experienced instructors you can learn to dive, snorkel, or windsurf. You can zip across the surface of the gleaming blue ocean or dive beneath it to go face-to-face with the fish. They offer myriad excursions based on skill level. If you are a beginner, they have you covered. If you are more experienced, they do their best to stay out of your way.

Both near the resort and in the nearby national park, there are quite a few other options for outdoor adventures. You can go on nature hikes unlike an you’ve been on before. You can ride horses with the backdrop of the Javan mountains, like something out of a movie. And, most important, you can hit the beautiful white sand beaches. Whether you just want to stroll along the coast or sit and wait for the tide, this is a beautiful place to do it. The glamping tents and villas are lovely and comfortable, but to truly experience the splendor of Bali, you have to go outside. 

What’s the difference between a luxury resort like this and being stranded on a desert island? Food, of course. Well, there’s also the pools and beds and buggies, but mostly the food. To feel truly pampered, you have to be eating well. And the Menjangan Dynasty Resort offers plenty of options for that.

While staying at the Menjangan Dynasty Resort, you can enjoy meal after meal of top-of-the-line cooking. Locally sourced food used in a variety of Western and Asian dishes, make the dining experience at the resort second to none. You can eat in the Beach Club restaurant, constructed of bamboo and an alang-alang roof. Or, you can take your meal to a beachside table next to the ocean. These have curtains for privacy or you can leave it open for a true oceanside meal. In the surrounding villages and urban areas, there are options for fine dining as well. Check with the concierge to find out which are the best choices.

Of course, not every meal has to be a fancy sojourn through the world of haute cuisine. Sometimes you just want to hang out by the bar, eating fried foods and drinking your favorite drinks. Whether its just to cool off from the sun or for a low-key lunch, the lounge and bar area is a great place to hunker down. There is even a swimming pool right nearby so you can go back and forth. Though, it’s fully up to you if you want to wait an hour before getting back in the water. A great place for a quick drink or to wile away the hours as the sun sets, the lounge is a place you will go back to again and again.

Of course, sometimes you don’t want a full meal, nor do you want to be anywhere other than your room. Luckily, the restaurant also offers a vast selection of tapas for snacking. You can have them delivered to your room at any time of the day or night. The room service is a great feature. You can have dinner on the beach outside your tent. You can eat lunch in the infinity pool. You can have breakfast in bed. You’ll definitely want to get out and go exploring, but there is nothing like enjoying a relaxing meal in your room, too.

The Menjangan Dynasty Resort is in a relatively remote part of the island, bordered by a national park. While you can still enjoy some of the urban, tourist destinations, you will need to arrange some travel options. Still, there is plenty to see nearby.

The West Bali National park is an exquisite land preserve that is home to more than a hundred different species of animals and plants. Some of them, such as the Bali myna bird or the small Indian Sandalwood tree are critically endangered. The park is accessible by road or by ferry, and features several, carefully-curated habitats. At the center of the park sits the remains of four volcanos, dormant for some three million years or more. One of the habitats are a stretch of coral reef, islets, and a long beach. There is a seaport to the west and the village of Goris sits on the opposite side of the park. There are plenty of opportunities for hiking, exploring, or a more rustic camping experience.

This island, the namesake for the Menjangan Dynasty Resort, is also known as Deer Island. Naturally, the island is populated by a number of deer, though these tropical ungulates aren’t confined to it. They can often be seen swimming from island to island. In fact, it’s not uncommon to see one of these peaceful creatures ambling around the resort in the late or early hours of the day. The island also has its own section of coral reef, ripe for exploration. Despite the name, there are opportunities to see other impressive fauna as well. The site is popular with birdwatchers because of the diverse species of sea and shore birds there.

Part of the reason to come to the Menjangan Dynasty Resort is that it’s mostly secluded from the world. There are small villages close by, which offer a great opportunity to help enrich the local economy. The Menjangan Dynasty Resort sources food and wine from local providers, but there are hidden gems in these villages for travelers who really want to experience the culture. There are more urban areas with more “tourist” destinations (though, as a tourist, these are not always a bad thing). However, you will have to drive there or hire a car.

Those who travel to the Menjangan Dynasty Resort often have nothing but praise to offer. Many reviews mention how personable and friendly the staff are, eager to ensure guests have what they need. Also, it seems that no matter which way you look at the Menjangan Dynasty Resort the view is good enough for a postcard. The unique design and faux-rustic stylings make staying here a very unique experience. It truly offers much of the closeness to nature that camping does but also all the amenities of a luxury resort.

The only true problem with the hotel is also one of its many positive features: the remote location. It can be difficult to reach the resort, involving long car rides or slightly shorter trips by sea. If you like a vibrant urban metropolitan area near the resort, you will be disappointed. You can reach the villages and bigger towns, but again you’d be in for a long trip that might take most of the day. Still, if that’s what you want you may want to consider some alternative locations we list below.

Whether the glamping aspect of the Menjangan Dynasty Resort or its remote location doesn’t appeal to you, there are plenty of other options. If your problem is scheduling, it might be worth it to wait until a room is available. But either way, there are plenty of places to travel that offer luxury accommodations and the best Bali has to offer.

While the Menjangan Dynasty Resort evokes a kind of traditional Indonesian style, the Intercontinental Hotel and Resorts in Bali is different. Rather than bamboo and alang-alang roofs, the hotel looks like something from the colonial era. You can stay in Executive Rooms, Suites, or the Imperial Villa that looks like something out of The Crown on Netflix. Offering a fine dining restaurant, bar and grill, and plenty of local options, the food at the resort is exquisite. While they may not have as many amenities as some others, they offer plenty of what guests love like spas, fitness, and tours.

The Ritz-Carlton Bali offers similar seaside vistas as the Menjangan Dynasty Resort but offers more traditional rooms. They have junior suites, suites, and villas to choose from. It’s located near enough to local restaurants that you won’t have to take all your meals in the fine dining restaurant located in the hotel. They offer a pool, spa, and a fitness center with a yoga course right on the beautiful Nusa Dua beaches.

The Oberoi features a more open-air design and style like the Menjangan Dynasty Resort, however it also offers close proximity to local markets. If you love shopping, especially on the local economy, this is the place for you. This is truly an urban resort experience, while still maintaining the tropical trappings people love in Bali. It’s bustling and noisy, but for many travelers that’s the kind of city life they want to enjoy. 

This resort is unique because it offers not just a luxurious place to rest your head but the experience of truly living on the beach. Even though the tents are open to the air, they are remarkably cozy and the temperature is easy to regulate. The views are spectacular, and there is more to do than most people have time for in a single holiday. If you find yourself visiting the Menjangan Dynasty Resort, don’t be surprised if you decide you want to go back to finish what you started. A great place to truly get away from the rigors and stresses of daily life, the Menjangan Dynasty Resort is a singular oasis for the tropical traveler.

What do you think? Share your thoughts, reactions, and experiences in the comments below. Remember, if you liked the article, share it on social media.

Related Article: Best Resorts in Bali for the First-Time Luxury Traveler