My latest Ubud reset came with a private pool and the sound of the Ayung River.
I live in Sanur, and that’s where my heart lies, but Ubud is where I go to feel my absolute best. Even a couple of nights up here does the trick (and I never need much of an excuse to come). This time, I checked into Impiana Private Villas Ubud, a resort in Sayan with 69 suites and villas, two restaurants and a spa, all set above the Ayung River. Our Lifestyle Writer, Vici, had nothing but good things to say about her stay at Impiana Private Villas Seminyak, so I had to see its newer sister property in Ubud for myself.
Wanting to go all in, I went for the Riverside Pool Villa, and to say I had an amazing time would be an understatement. Here’s how my two nights by the Ayung River went…
Impiana Private Villas Ubud at a glance
Best for: Couples, honeymooners and families who want a private pool and a slow stay by the Ayung River.
Good to know: The resort has 69 suites and villas across five enclaves, sitting on a slope above the Ayung River in Sayan, so the team takes you around by buggy.
Price per night: Starting from IDR 2,787,000++ for a suite, or from IDR 4,429,000++ for a villa
Highlights: Dinner and dessert at Bijan, afternoon tea at Ayung Riverside, and treatments at Prana Spa.
My Ubud escape for the weekend
After a short buggy ride from the hotel lobby (where I tried their tea and a little chocolatey snack), I walked into my home for the next two nights. The high ceilings caught my eye straight away, all timber beams and woven panels above a bed draped in klambu (the sheer bed canopy). It felt like stepping into a traditional Indonesian home.
The villa is very spacious, so there was no shortage of corners to settle into. A grey couch sits at the foot of the bed facing the outdoors and the TV, with a marble coffee table and a bowl of fresh fruit to welcome you. Dark timber floors give the whole room a warm feel, and there’s a walk-in closet and a minibar tucked in too.
Slide open the glass doors and you step straight onto the patio, where my private pool faces the Ayung River. It’s so close that I could literally hear the calming stream. Bougainvillea spills over one side of the pool and palm trees fill the view, with a daybed under a pergola where I spent most of my afternoon.
That’s also where my floating breakfast arrived – a tray of pastries, fresh fruit and juice drifting across the pool and scattered with flower petals. After all, why stay in Ubud if you’re not gonna soak in all the greenery and hear the birds chirping? So comfortable and calm that I almost didn’t want to leave the room.
My only reason to leave: the restaurants
The title says it all, and I mean it. Impiana Private Villas Ubud has two restaurants and a bar, and between them they gave me plenty of reasons to leave the villa.
Bijan Restaurant & Bar
Bijan Restaurant is the resort’s all-day dining spot, set above its own rice terraces, where the menu goes well beyond one cuisine. You can have your pick of Indonesian, Indian, Chinese, Italian or Western dishes sitting side by side. This is where I had the breakfast buffet and dinner.
For dinner, I went for the pan-seared Atlantic salmon, which came with crispy skin and a lemon butter sauce that kept the whole plate light.
I was also wowed by dessert, the Es Cendol 2.0. I was expecting a glass of cendol with coconut milk like the one I grew up with, but Bijan went for a deconstructed take on the beloved Indonesian iced dessert. It arrives as a smooth pandan and coconut dome with the green cendol on the side. You get every flavour of the glass you’d order from a street cart, but instead of sipping, you’re scooping. How fun!
Bijan also has a sunken bar, open daily from 11am to 10.30pm, with Balinese craft draft beers and signature cocktails.
Ayung Riverside
For something more relaxed, head down to Ayung Riverside, the cosy one with a pool facing the Ayung River. This is where the complimentary afternoon tea is served every day from 4pm to 5pm, with canapés, fresh fruit and several kinds of tea. You can stay on for a full meal too, as the restaurant specialises in Asian BBQ and grills.
I went for a frozen drink (and I love that it came in a tall glass) with beef carpaccio to go with it, followed by the sambal matah prawn linguine. It’s a zesty twist on pasta with the fresh, tangy kick of Balinese sambal matah against the lemon butter. I finished with a warm chocolate fondant. All of it arrived by the pool, facing the river, and life doesn’t get much better than that.
My final thoughts on Impiana Private Villas Ubud
It’s hard to pick a highlight from my stay, because it’s all in the little things. They add up to daily moments I’d happily repeat, like the spa facing the Ayung River, where I got to choose my scent and sipped a hot herbal tea.
Then there’s the afternoon tea at Ayung Riverside, which can also come with a mixology class. I love Balinese arak, so making my own arak cocktail by the river was right up my alley.
Even getting around is easy. The resort sits on a slope above the river, so you just call a buggy and the team will take you wherever you’re heading. I had lovely conversations with them along the way.
Before I knew it, my two nights by the Ayung River were over, but I’ll definitely be making my way back to Impiana Private Villas Ubud whenever I need a quick refresh and healing.
WhatsApp: +62 8113 8203 834
Email: info.ipvu@impiana.com
Address: Jl. Raya Sayan, Kedewatan, Ubud