Robinson Crusoe meets Kung Fu Panda at Panchoran Retreat; the brainchild of Irish-born interior and landscape designer Linda Garland, known locally as 'the bamboo queen'. Garland's penchant for this eco-friendly construction material led her to establish the Environmental Bamboo Foundation back in 1993, seven years after she started building her retreat on the outskirts of Ubud. The massive estate, Garland's home-turned-hotel-turned-vastparty- villa, uses more bamboo than a Chinese construction site - from the food to the furniture and the floorboards, there's not much that escapes the bamboo stick. Exploring Balé Gede - the main house, with a communal lounge and outdoor dining area - one discovers avant-garde bamboo chandeliers, rickety bamboo rocking chairs on the porch, and Deco-esque tables crafted from reclaimed bamboo panels. And it's all designed and crafted by Garland herself.
The six very separate villas, each aptly named (Waterfall, Bamboo, Coconut, River House, etc.), are well spaced out, tiered down a lush hillside overlooking a small river and, yes, a grove containing 100 different varieties of bamboo. Spring-fed swimming pools, encroaching vegetation teeming with wildlife, and outdoor decks capture the very essence of Ubud. Whether it's one bedroom for honeymooners, or three bedrooms for families or sleeping for 20-plus for a wild, wild party, Panchoran has something for everyone.
Shabby chic is the best way to describe the décor, with a mishmash of objets and furniture giving each space the ambiance and character of a cosy, somewhat eccentric, country house. Four-poster beds overhung with mosquito nets, huge ceramic vases overflowing with stems of ginger and dragon flowers, and Javanese carved panels characterise the bedrooms. There's very little spit and polish: the outdoor bathrooms are overgrown with moss and ferns, the floorboards creek, the vases are chipped, and there are cobwebs in the corner. But that's all part of the charm.
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