Komaneka at Tanggayuda Hotel Review (Ubud, Bali)

Komaneka at Tanggayuda was the most peaceful, beautiful jungle retreat we could have wished for, and our favourite place to stay in Bali!

During our trip to Bali last year, we stayed in several places across the island, but the Komaneka at Tanggayuda* was our favourite for several reasons. Just thinking back to this place as I write this, it really was such a special experience.

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About the Komaneka at Tanggayuda Hotel

This peaceful, luxury resort feels like a total hidden gem. When we visited at the start of October (2023), it felt like a tranquil retreat away from the hustle and bustle of Ubud centre and busy Bali traffic.

Being perched on the edge of the valley, the resort spans several levels, with plenty calming lounge spaces and several swimming pools to explore.

We loved the traditional mix of Balinese decor and zen style, and spent lots of our time lounging by the infinity pools and taking a dip to cool down in the tropical heat – looking out into the forest and rice terraces in the distance.

The hotel also features a restaurant (which we ate at a few times and was very tasty!), gym/fitness room, and on-site spa too.

Our Room: Premier Valley Pool Villa

There are several different styles of room to choose from at Komaneka Tanggayuda*, and we opted for their Premier Valley Pool Villa.

Walking into this room, both our jaws dropped! We’re lucky to have stayed in some beautiful places across the world, but this room was 100% the most beautiful we’ve ever stayed in.

Not only did we have our own pool outside on a private terrace with sunloungers and day bed, the room itself was huge too. Featuring a king size bed, desk, sofa & smart TV, large double sink bathroom and bathtub, and all the other amenities you might expect in a luxury hotel, the Premier Valley Pool Villa also had its own al fresco shower too!

A lot of thought had gone into the layout and little touches in this villa, and it really felt like a luxury, VIP experience.

The Location

Komaneka Tanggayuda* is located just outside of Ubud (about a 15 minute drive), in the quiet jungle overlooking the Oos river valley. For us, this location was the best option for staying in the Ubud area, because the town itself is VERY busy and bustling, and after spending several nights in the lively Canggu area, we were ready for some relaxation.

From the pools and terraces around the resort, you can look out onto the lush tropical forest, and even see rice terraces in the distance too. You would have no idea you were so close to one of the most popular, busy places on the island from here!

Getting to Ubud from the Hotel

When we first arrived, we assumed we would need to organise taxis for ourselves to get in and out of Ubud centre, but the resort runs a FREE regular shuttle service throughout the day, and this was a GODSEND. Such a great touch and made exploring super easy!

The shuttle taxi would travel between Komaneka Tanggayuda and its sister hotel in the centre of Ubud, and would happily drop you off along the route wherever you needed. We used this service many times throughout our stay, and it was easy to WhatsApp the hotel while we were out if we needed to change pick up times.

Things To Do Nearby & in Ubud

Ubud is one of Bali’s most popular areas, so naturally there are plenty of things to do in and around the centre, including exploring the markets & coffee shops in Ubud, taking trips to waterfalls etc, but below are a few of our fave things we got up to during our stay:

• The Sacred Monkey Forest
  This is what everyone who has been to Ubud tells you to do – it’s definitely the most touristy experience in the area! We got there as soon as it opened (around 9am I think – the shuttle from Komaneka dropped us straight there!) and while it was fairly quiet when we first got there, half way through our visit it definitely started getting really busy – so try and go early if you can.Yes, it was cute seeing the baby monkeys playing and it is a really beautiful park to walk around BUT it is crazy just how many monkeys there are… apparently over 1000 and we saw lots. While it was fun, I was terrified the whole time that one would jump on me (they’re pretty confident and will do whatever they want!), and lo-and-behold one DID jump on Alex… we deliberately didn’t bring any food with us, but we had no idea that they would still be interested in stealing water bottles and suncream (and yes, they can UNZIP rucksacks!).Overall, Alex thought it was fun but I probably wouldn’t go back… sorry monkeys!

• Ayung River Rafting*
  The Komeneka Tanggayuda hotel is actually super close to the launch point for rafting down the Ayung River, so we booked an afternoon of white water rafting and had so much fun taking in the beautiful scenery and floating down the river. I’ve been white water rafting before in Croatia which was pretty intense, but this was fairly gentle and the perfect amount of adrenaline for me!There are tonnes of different companies that all collaborate together to run these trips, and most of them offer pick up from your hotel as well. Ours picked us up and it was only a 5 minute drive down to their HQ (which has a little cafe and changing rooms), and then another 5 minute drive (in a very fun pick up truck!) to the river launch point.

• Lobong Culinary Experience
  This was one of my favourite experience from our ENTIRE Bali trip, and one that I only stumbled upon by total accident as I was browsing on Google Maps after we’d arrived at Komeneka. Just a 5 minute drive down the road, chef Sang Made came and picked us up from the hotel and took us to his traditional Balinese home that he shares with his family, for a private cooking class afternoon.He has been running this cooking school for over 10 years, using locally sourced ingredients to teach you multiple authentic Balinese dishes, using tools and cooking processes that have been in his family for generations.Not only did we learn SO much about Balinese food and cooking, the experience of being in his home and learning about his culture and Balinese life was just incredible. And at the end of the class, we followed his mother as she performed some blessings at their family temple, and they also laid us up our own private table and served us each dish we’d made for a romantic dinner.

  Honestly if you do ONE thing during your trip to Bali, I cannot recommend this enough!

Our Highlights

Other than the activities mentioned above (and the stunning location and VERY helpful Ubud shuttle service as mentioned above!), other highlights worth mentioning during our stay at Komaneka Tanggayuda included:

• Tasty local dishes in the restaurant
  We ate at the hotel restaurant a few times during our stay and the menu had a good variety for us to choose something different each time too! The Nasi Goreng and the Beef Rendang were my favourites.
• A gorgeous floating breakfast brought to our room
  One morning, we decided to order the classic ‘Bali floating breakfast’ to the pool in our room and this was such a fun experience! Sure, eating breakfast off a tray while floating in a swimming pool isn’t the MOST practical way of eating, but it looked beautiful and we were giggling the whole time. 
• Wonderful service
  Overall the people at Komaneka Tanggayuda were all really friendly and helpful, and it felt like such a boutique, luxury experience. I wouldn’t hesitate to go back some day!

Is Ubud on your Bali bucket list?

(Huge thanks to our wonderful travel agent, Kate from Not Just Travel, who organised our whole Bali trip for us and found this wonderful gem! We’ve booked several trips through her now and can’t recommend her enough.)