Sandat Glamping Tents in Ubud: let luxury be your canvas
Bali's cultural capital Ubud has become so crowded that travellers are turning to glamping to recreate its rustic vibe, writes Holly McDonald
As the centre of Bali's Ubud becomes ever more crowded with restaurants, trinket shops, and cars, regular visitors to the island have sought refuge in its surrounding area, seeking to find the tranquility that first lured them to the cultural town.
And the truth is, you don't have to head too far away from Ubud's most hectic quarter to find your own little patch of rural paradise.
Just a 10-minute drive from central Ubud, down rough, unsealed roads flanked by pretty rice fields, Sandat Glamping offers a twist on the usual getaway. Here you can stay in one of five tents, each with its own individual colour-focused décor, pitched securely amid the paddy fields, and boasting its own private pool.
Three eco-friendly coconut-wood lumbungs, or more permanent traditional-style buildings, are also placed around a lovely shared pool.
I'm curious to see how Bali has launched into the glamping - or glamorous camping - industry that is taking the travel world by storm. Just how many insects would it involve?
The staff member showing me around explains that the sturdy, huge tent I'll be staying in, the "suite tent penjor brown" is from South Africa, home of the safari.