Postcard From Batukaru
A slower side of Bali.
There are places in Bali that ask very little of you.
Batukaru is one of them.
Nadia & Henry disappeared into the hills for a few quiet days at Kubu Sala — waking to cooler air, long breakfasts and the kind of mornings that unfold without an agenda.
Far from the pace of the coast, Batukaru feels softer around the edges. Mountain roads curve through endless green, rice fields stretch into the distance and small villages appear quietly between the trees. The air is cooler here, the light a little hazier, and time seems to move differently.
It’s a part of Bali best experienced without too much of a plan.
Walk until you find a coffee stop. Take the long way through the rice fields. Swim beneath a waterfall. Come back for the afternoon light.
There’s something wonderfully nostalgic about it — a slower, quieter version of the island that feels increasingly rare.
STAY A WHILE
Hidden amongst coffee, cacao and rice fields, Batukaru Coffee Estate feels less like a hotel and more like an escape into the landscape. Mornings begin slowly here, ideally with a walk through the estate before breakfast.
For something deeper into the jungle, Sarinbuana Eco Lodge is secluded, lush and beautifully removed from the outside world.
And then there’s Kubu Sala — private, quiet and cosy, with the kind of intimacy that makes a few days away feel much longer.
FOLLOW THE LANDSCAPE
The Jatiluwih Rice Terraces are reason enough to linger. Best explored on foot or by bicycle, the UNESCO-listed Subak landscape unfolds in layers of green, with narrow paths leading between the fields.
For coffee, Batu Karu Kopi sits above the terraces with sweeping views across the valley. It’s the sort of place where one coffee naturally turns into two.
Later, stop at CataVaca Jatiluwih for an unfussy lunch overlooking the landscape.
And if you’re staying at Batukaru Coffee Estate, make time for breakfast. Much of the produce comes directly from the estate, making an early meal after a walk through the fields feel particularly special.
TAKE THE LONG WAY
Beyond the terraces, Luhur Batukau Temple sits quietly within the rainforest, surrounded by towering trees and misty mountain air.
A little further on, Yeh Hoo Waterfall offers a cool pause beneath the canopy — the kind of swim that makes you forget about everything waiting back at the coast.
But perhaps the best way to experience Batukaru is simply to keep driving.
Follow the winding roads. Pass through tiny villages. Stop for fruit from a roadside stall. Pull over when the rice fields catch the light just right.
There’s no itinerary to follow here.
Just mountain air, green horizons and long afternoons.
Our kind of Bali — quiet, unhurried and a little nostalgic.