THE PUNCH STORIES
An Insider Look at Bali's
Most Inspiring Businesses
Behind every remarkable business is a story worth understanding.
Explore our curated collection of remarkable hotels, restaurants, wellness destinations, brands and businesses with impact from Bali and beyond. Each has been selected not only for the quality of what it offers, but for the people, ideas and thoughtful decisions behind it.
Through strategic storytelling, we look beyond the experience itself, uncovering the founders, philosophies, craftsmanship and everyday choices that define each business.
By understanding the story behind a place or brand, you'll experience it differently—and remember it long after you've left.
Together, these stories form a growing ecosystem of remarkable businesses driving positive change. By celebrating those leading with quality, integrity and impact, we aim to inspire more thoughtful choices, encourage businesses to raise the standard, and contribute to a future where doing better becomes the expectation rather than the exception.
Stories • Design
Co-founder Budiman Ong on Jia CURATED 2026's move to Pengembak Beach, its "Nature Weave" theme, and building Bali's festival into a gotong royong ecosystem.
Bill Bensley's tented camp in Bali's Keliki Valley, built without felling a single tree, EarthCheck Gold–certified, and deeply tied to its neighboring village community.
Cynthia Hardy's boutique retreat in Ubud's Baung village, built from traditional Javanese Gladaks and bamboo, rooted in permaculture, natural filtration, and deep ties to its local community.
John Hardy's Bali jewelry workshop, where 100% reclaimed silver and gold, hand-woven Balinese craft, and a 650-person community turn ornament into a living, sustainable culture.
Buahan, A Banyan Tree Escape in Payangan, where wall-free pool bales, recycled timber, and regenerative farming turn Tri Hita Karana into Bali's boldest luxury statement.
Tobi Klanner's Altarize, replacing toxic construction materials with recycled glass, sugarcane waste, and lime-clay finishes, building non-toxic homes and fairer livelihoods across Bali.
Titik Dua, Andra Matin's Ubud hotel-turned-creative platform, blending Balinese architecture, art, and an expanding Coca Creative Complex to bridge tradition and Indonesia's contemporary culture.
Alila Villas Uluwatu, WOHA's clifftop resort on the Bukit peninsula, pairing reclaimed materials, EarthCheck Platinum systems, and 40% local staffing to make luxury belong to its landscape.
The Warehouse Hotel, a restored 1895 Singapore River godown, turning spice-trade history, local craft, and quiet conservation into a 37-room monument of understated design.
Wendy Thomas's Kevala Ceramics, a 150-person Bali studio turning recycled clay, glass, and factory waste into handcrafted tableware and coral-reef restoration structures.
Chefs Ray Adriansyah and Eelke Plasmeijer's Locavore NXT in Lodtunduh, an open-kitchen dining lab with a mushroom chamber, rooftop food forest, and overnight stays rooted in Balinese ingredients.
Chef Will Goldfarb's Room4Dessert on Ubud's edge grows into a Miyawaki forest village, blending botanical modernism, zero-waste cooking, and a homegrown academy into one living philosophy.
In Payangan's ravine country, Putu Suryawan's The Kayon Jungle Resort runs on a closed-loop system of maggot-fed farming, plastic-to-fuel power, and a foundation funding local children's education.
Behind Analog are Izzy and Stew, a Norwegian-Kiwi duo whose combined decades across Indonesia and Japan have given them a sharp read on what this island needs and, more importantly, what it has too much of.
Founder Gordon Oldham's REVĪVŌ in Nusa Dua's hills structures wellness around movement, sleep, diagnostics, and Balinese ritual, earning a MICHELIN Key without a hint of theater.
EXPLORE THE PUNCH
Celebrating Remarkable
Businesses with Impact