Aura House

This is the bamboo house with the giant egg-shaped window you have seen on Instagram — a two-storey, two-bedroom shell above the Ayung River in Abiansemal, countryside roughly 40 minutes from both Ubud and Canggu. The whole front opens to the river gorge, there is a small plunge pool on the deck, and the spiral bamboo staircase and woven roof make the architecture itself the activity. It sleeps four across two floors, though couples book it most. Be realistic about what you are paying for: it is open-air living, so expect humidity, insects around the lights at night, and steep steps down to the house — pack light. The river supplies constant background noise, which most guests love. There is staff for breakfast and cleaning, and drivers are easy to arrange. At $400-plus a night it is a one-or-two-night photo splurge more than a base for exploring.