A River Country Club in the hills of Bali – now there’s a novel thought for Bali, and we do love novel! We also like the fact that it is open to all, so no stuffy members-only policy!
Set in the mid-hills, heading towards Ubud and a short distance from Bali Zoo, the Tlaga Singha River Country Club opened its doors last October, and is set to fire up everyone’s social media platforms, and to be frank, I’d personally really like to be flown in by drone, just to see this architectural marvel from the sky! Can someone please film me landing?
Majestic, it rises out of the jungle as a monumental day-venue with a two-tiered, free-from swimming pool, cascades and all. Entering the soft-flowing angles of the gigantic, bamboo entrance hall, the first tier of the pool welcomes guests to a clover-shaped island, bridging out into the clear, blue waters. Pool-side? Find cabanas and day beds. And to the one side, beautifully arched sconces catering to those who want to stay out of the sun and the heat. This is tree-top, country clubbing at its best.
A staircase down on one side of this architectural feat leads to the second-tier of this monumental water feature. I’ll call this canopy-living, as you are now directly across from the luscious jungle canopy on the other side of the ravine. This pool, bigger and half covered by its top floor neighbour, boasts the same outdoor free-form shape yet half of its size is, as I mentioned, covered – a perfect indoor / outdoor option. The interior part of the pool, is cavernous, as high as any vaulted church ceiling and in nude concrete – impressive…The amazing lighting feature is reminiscent of a stalagmite cave, individual rectangle glass tubes suspended from the ceiling – once again, fabulously novel and very Instagrammable!
Next up, the swim-up bar. I am usually not a fan, however surrounded by design-led features I’ll happily order, sit and sip on any one of the amazing cocktail choices served up in the cute ceramic Tiki holders. Then for food, we have the talented Head Chef I Nyoman Wijana lending his culinary skills to the halal archipelagic selections on the top floor’s Bale Rangong and to the specialities and menu of the sister restaurant Paon – Bebek Me Spa, Pizza Sambal Mata, Nasi Goreng Tlaga Singha and many other dishes. I gather cooking lessons are also available, but just thinking of the washing-up that cooking entails has always made me steer clear of cooking lessons!!
For those of you looking for group bookings or tying the knot, celebrating a birthday or just creating a gathering for any given occasion, the team at Tlaga Singha River Country Club are happy to help as they have a dedicated events manager.
Open: 7 days a week – 10am – 10pm
Fb: Tlaga Singha
Ig: @tlagasingha
