Resorts Where You Can Stay in a Bungalow in the Heart of the Jungle

At some resorts, your hotel is simply a place to sleep. At others, the accommodation itself becomes one of the reasons to travel. Small bungalows surrounded by tropical greenery belong firmly in the second category. They may stand on a hillside, by the water or right among the trees, sometimes with a considerable distance between neighbouring buildings.

From the outside, they can look almost understated: wooden walls, a small veranda and a path to the entrance. Inside, though, there is often air conditioning, a proper shower, a large bed and everything else that keeps a modern holiday comfortable. Only instead of a car park or another hotel building outside the window, there is greenery.

Bali

The area around Ubud is particularly well suited to this type of stay. Here, tourist areas gradually give way to rice fields, villages and dense vegetation, so small villas often end up right in the middle of it all.

Mornings are usually peaceful. Birds can be heard in the distance, while a light mist hangs over the rice fields. In more upscale properties, you may also find an open terrace and a private pool.

At the same time, Ubud is not as remote as it may look in photographs. A restaurant or shop is usually close by. You can spend a few hours in complete peace, then quickly return to cafés, markets and the bustle of visitors.

Thailand

Thailand has even more accommodation like this. On the islands, small buildings are often set close to the sea, while near national parks they are tucked among the vegetation.

Some resorts are linked by wooden walkways. Walk along one in the evening and, once darkness falls, there always seems to be something rustling in the leaves. There is nothing alarming about it; it simply takes time to get used to so many sounds after city life.

The atmosphere changes completely after a downpour. Water runs off the roofs, leaves turn almost black with moisture, and the heavy air is filled with the scent of plants. After a while, the rain stops and everything comes alive again.

Some places can only be reached by boat. There, everyday practicalities need a little more planning. If you run out of water or want a snack, there will not be a shop just around the corner. In return, there is no noise from a large tourist area nearby.

Costa Rica

Costa Rica offers something different. Here, this type of accommodation often sits alongside real forests and national parks.

That is why a monkey in a nearby tree or a loud bird in the morning does not surprise anyone. Sometimes you may spot an animal right beside the path; other times, several days can pass without anything happening at all.

That is perhaps the clearest difference between this kind of holiday and a standard hotel stay. No one switches nature on according to a schedule. It is simply there, all around you.

One morning may be perfectly quiet, while the next begins at dawn with such a chorus in the trees that you will not need an alarm clock.

There Are Downsides Too

The tropics are beautiful, but not always convenient. It is humid, puddles appear after rain, and there are far more insects than in a city hotel.

Well-run properties prepare for this. Windows have screens, mosquito nets may hang over the beds, and air conditioning works indoors. In upscale resorts, it can be hard to tell that there is a forest just outside.

Still, it is impossible to shut it out completely.

Leaves may rustle at night. A bird may land on the roof. After heavy rain, water can keep dripping for another twenty minutes. For some, these are minor inconveniences; for others, they are exactly the moments that remain memorable.

Why Choose This Kind of Stay?

In a conventional hotel, everything is fairly predictable: corridor, room, lift, restaurant, pool. After a few days, it can be difficult to remember what made one building different from another.

With a bungalow surrounded by greenery, it is different. The accommodation itself becomes part of the journey.

And that does not mean staying in a basic hut without modern comforts. Today, there are spacious villas with large windows, terraces and private pools. They are almost hidden by vegetation from the outside, yet conditions inside can be excellent.

During the day, you can go on excursions, explore the area or spend time by the sea. In the evening, return to a place where it is dark and quiet all around.

That is why this kind of holiday appeals not only to lovers of the exotic. After a few days in such surroundings, even ordinary silence begins to feel different.

You remember more than beautiful photographs. Sometimes what stays with you most is rain on the roof, the smell of wet earth, morning mist or an unfamiliar sound from the trees that you never managed to identify. For a resort holiday, it is a rather unusual experience.