Bali has no shortage of back-to-nature retreats, but no other resort takes that promise quite so literally as Buahan, a Banyan Tree Escape. Fanning out over a jungle-covered valley some 30 minutes north of Ubud, the resort’s pavilion-style villas blur the line between inside and out. They have outdoor plunge pools and bathtubs from hand-hammered copper on their balcony, and a terrace where guests can order Indonesian-inspired meals created from ingredients sourced and foraged from surrounding farms. More grounding, though, is the fact that they don’t have any walls. At night, only a gauzy curtain around the bed separates you from the valley unfurling at your feet. Each villa’s location, ensconced in palms and tropical jungle, ensures total privacy, and with not a single building visible on the horizon, the hubbub of Bali’s touristy corners could not feel farther away.
Location: Jl. Banjar Selat, Buahan Kaja, Payangan, Bali, 80572
Hit the surf in Siargao
Courtesy of Nay Palad Hideaway
For surfing couples, palm-fringed Siargao in the southeastern Philippines is hard to beat. Glassy barrels roll reliably from its eastern coastline and deliver wave breaks for beginning boarders and seasoned professionals. As with every surf hub, the waves have spawned a whole ecosystem of hostels, smoothie-bowl cafes, and yoga shalas, but its tight-knit community of Filipino and expatriate surfers have so far managed to make sure that the island clings to the unfussy, on-the-cusp-of-discovery vibe you hope to find in a place like this. Nay Palad Hideaway, which reopened in 2023 after a top-to-bottom renovation, channels the surfer-cool look but is anything but scrappy. Its jungle-fringed villas come with breezy bedrooms and heaps of space and open to outdoor showers and sling chair-strung verandahs. The poolside lounge and restaurant follow an anything-goes approach: the team can whip up drinks wherever and whenever you want it, and the menuless restaurant is happy to pitch up a dinner table on the beach or in one of the bird nest-like nooks that dot the property. Another plus: the concept is all-inclusive, so there’s no need to fret about the bill.