The Best Glamping Sites in Indonesia

Dangling off the northwestern tip of Bali, this glampsite-meets-dive-centre celebrates the island’s picture-perfect great outdoors by immersing you right in the thick of the scenery. After bedding down in your beach camp tent, complete with minibar, flatscreen TV and – in the case of the two-bedroom villa – private infinity pool, make the most of the onsite watersports centre, where you can learn to dive on a PADI course. After exploring some of Bali’s finest coral reefs, unwind with a sundowner in the bamboo-roofed bar.

Set at the foot of photogenic Mount Salak, an eroded volcano in West Java just a hop from Jakarta, Highland Park proves that there’s more to Indonesia’s natural beauty than just great beaches. The mist-circled peak dominates every angle of your stay, whether you’re emerging in the morning from your tipi-style tent, or taking a dip in the sprawling outdoor pool. Families love the on-tap activities, ranging from a flying fox to ‘zip-biking’ (like zip-lining, but on a bike).

Bali’s lush interior – which is carved out by rice paddy fields and volcanoes, and studded with atmospheric temples – isn’t only photogenic, it’s also far sleepier than the coast. And this glampsite lets you see all of it, with trekking tours around the green rice terraces, mountain biking past remote villages and serene temple blessings after sunset. The safari-style tents ooze atmosphere too, with wooden four-poster beds, sink-in jacuzzi bathtubs and terraces with views over the surrounding jungled hills.

Honeymooners will love the ultra-stylish tents at Galalima Glamping, located to the west of Bali’s cultural centre, Ubud. With spinning ceiling fans, soft lighting and floaty white fabrics, the they evoke an old-world vibe that somehow still manages to feel contemporary. Meanwhile, an array of onsite activities gives you insight into island life – choose from making your own coconut oil, traditional palm-leaf sewing or eco-painting. Active type? Cliff-jumping and sunrise cycling are do-able, too.

The postcard pin-up Gili Islands, strewn like a string of pearls off the coast of Lombok, are favoured by photographers for a reason: their immaculate white-sand beaches, with clear surf, swaying palms and vibrant coral reefs, are paradise encapsulated. And this affordable eco-lodge on a coconut plantation on the westernmost island, Gili Trawangan, lets you experience the scene via stilted canvas tents, fruit salad breakfast and afternoons in shade-dappled hammocks. Throw in the ace cocktails and pool, and you won’t want to leave.

If you’ve come to Bali to experience its world-class beaches – and who hasn’t? – this stay puts you within steps of the south coast sands, sandwiched between beach bars and resorts. It specialises in weddings, so if you are in the market for a bohemian celebration it’s a winner; but even if you’re just a regular guest, there are plenty of draws: spa treatments, the beach club, and horseback riding in the surf. Tents are barbecue-equipped and sleep two or four people.

Stellar beaches, championship golf courses, watersports galore – the island of Bintan, just a hop from Singapore, is becoming one of Indonesia’s most celebrated holiday getaways. Book into The ANMON with a group of mates and you’re sure to have a ball, chatting over wood-fired pizzas, cheers-ing with mixologist-made cocktails in the bar, or falling asleep together under the stars (some of the rooms come with an inbuilt skylight). The outdoor cinema provides the perfect low-key night after a busy day exploring beautiful Bintan.

My oh my, those blues. The waters lapping the fringes of the Marriott-run Natra Bintan truly have an out-of-this-world sparkle – but you’ve not only come here for the beach. Canvas-topped tents, with their creamy hues and occasional outdoor whirlpool, are the picture of indulgence; a spa turns out muscle-melting massages and skin-softening body scrubs. Basically, if you’re looking for all the luxurious perks of a hotel, with a bit of al fresco romance thrown in, this spot is for you.

You’ve never done yoga quite like this; Pondanu lets you practise your downward dogs on a floating platform anchored in the sprawling Lake Beratan. It’s not the only thing that makes this glamping stay in central Bali enticing, though. The views – to surrounding mountains and, of course, those waters – are first-rate, while skylights in cabins give you views to twinkling stars above. Al fresco seating areas let you take in the Balinese sunshine by day, and roaring campfires after dark.