Baung

The Bambu Indah located in Central Bali is a hotel that promotes ‘sustainable leisure’. Its name means “beautiful bamboo” in Balinese. Four little antique houses from Java built of teak timbers—formerly the houses of Javanese noblemen—gaze out to a spectacular rural view of rice fields, temples, and mountains. Guests can swim in the natural pool, walk in surrounding rice paddies, and dine by candlelight at the Ayung River’s edge.

The structures include a reception area, a Long Barn, and a Minang house made of an extremely rare species of Black Bamboo native to Java – thought to have evolved when sulfur left on the land from a volcanic explosion gave rise to a brand new species of bamboo. Black Bamboo is not only exquisite, but also emulates the coloring of traditional Minang homes that were once made with hard wood. A new style of thatching was developed using local grasses.

This house shows crescent upright curves reminiscent of the houses of Minangkabau, North Sumatra. The Long Barn was built by Balinese master builder, Indra. The 56 m barn features a stairway that can be winched up. Here guests are received in a large basket with a big stone table. The reception place at Bambu Indah features all-bamboo flooring, a stone slab reception desk and bamboo wall-lined tables. In most structures, special tying and binding and pinning joinery into the design eliminated the need for nails or bolts. The house’s footings were built on top of river boulders which would allow the entire house to move in case of seismic activity.