ONCE EVERY FEW decades, an architect creates such a large body of work that their designs become interwoven with the mantra of the place. For Ubud, the spiritual and creative capital of Bali, that architect is Popo Danes. From the Hanging Gardens of Bali Resort, with its split-level infinity pool that seems to float above the jungle, to Natura, where all 14 treevillas are oriented towards sunset, the Balinese-born, Dutch-trained master draftsman now has eight resorts in Ubud under his belt. The newest, Samsara, opened in September.
Twenty minutes by car north of Ubud on the knife-edge of a jungle gorge riddled with waterfalls, Samsara, like the rest of Danes’s resorts, is all about the views. The foyer, like the entrance to a modern luxury home, is understated, sleek yet…
