Beachfront villas, urban retreats, rice paddy hideaways. Whichever you fancy, Bali's best stays are immersions in local culture, cuisine, architecture and aesthetic.

Traveller

Alila Manggis, East Bali

Perfect for: Couples, serenity seekers, Bali explorers, wellness travellers
East Bali’s stunner coastline with Mount Agung volcano rearing up behind is the setting of Alila Manggis. The resort’s secluded vibe is magnified by its generous proportions. Sprawling golf-green manicured lawns are striped with coconut palms and an enticing central pool rivals the oceanfront for attention. Fifty three rooms and two suites are located in four two-storey traditional pavilions with alang alang grass rooftops. Blending traditional Balinese architecture with modern functionality, the rooms - and the excellent Seasalt Indonesian restaurant - are fitted, furnished and fashioned with teak, polished concrete and quality textiles. Spa junkies will be pampered in Surya seafront wellness pavilion or with a mini massage by the pool.
From $178 a night. Desa Buitan, Manggis, Karangasem Regency. Phone: +62 363 41011. See alilahotels.com

Tira Vilagna, Kintamani

Perfect for: Explorers, hikers, couples, honeymooners
Cosied up to a piquant pine forest on a steep hill in the Kintamani highlands of central Bali, Tira Vilagna is a charming, boutique 22-room resort that can feel like a Japanese onsen hotel, a Bhutanese hideaway, even an art gallery depending on your inclination. Traditional century-old Javanese joglo houses have been fully renovated to showcase exposed timber columns, carved wood ceilings and thatched rooftops. Wooden floors, top notch linen, local photography and Sensatia organic toiletries ensure a thumbs up from aesthete travellers. Serala Spa has an outdoor sento (hot pool), which works here given the cooler climes. Dine on modern Australia-style cuisine at Tree Top restaurant with volcanos looming in the distance. The resort's playful landscaping includes winding rock walls, a playful bird-cage shaded amphitheatre and little red Chinese bridge, at the end of which is the yoga studio.
From $130 a night. Jl. Padang Mun, Kec. Kintamani, Kabupaten Bangli. Phone: +62 361 6209977. See tiravilagnabali.com

Andaz Bali, Sanur

Perfect for: Splurging families, couples, flop and drops
Andaz Bali elegantly straddles the line between beach resort and jungle sanctuary with enormous banyan trees and tropical garden occupying a generous stretch of Sanur's waterfront promenade. Its contemporary design, inspired by traditional Balinese compound living, includes 149 balconied guestrooms, most of them arranged around a series of garden courtyards with tranquil swimming pools. Two of the eight villas have wooden Balinese doors opening directly onto the beachfront. At the heart of the property the 'village square', a hot spot for festivals and Balinese ceremonies, has shophouse style accommodation and four restaurants including Wok selling Indonesian favourites. Head to the waterfront for swimming pools and a beach bar or pop next door to neighbouring sister property Hyatt Regency for a spa treatment.
From $500 a night. Jl. Danau Tamblingan No.89A, Sanur, Denpasar Selatan, Kota Denpasar. Phone: +62 361 3201234. See hyatt.com

Ketut's Place, Ubud

Perfect for: Budget travellers, backpackers, small groups, solo travellers, long-term stays
There’s no mistaking you’re in Bali at Ketut’s Place, with its richly decorated traditional Balinese architecture and garden setting. That it’s located in Ubud, Bali’s heart, seals the deal. Four different room and villa categories, and a B&B option at a neighbouring property, mean this place is suited to budget and solo travellers as much as it is couples and families. Simple deluxe rooms have garden views; dial it up a notch with a swimming pool view and balcony; or treat yourself to a royal Balinese villa. All rooms and suites have amenities including bathrooms, air-con, mosquito nets and Wi-Fi plus the luxury of toiletries and bathrobes. Completing the immersion, Pancali Spa offers Balinese massages and Kunti cafe serves traditional local dishes. Rates include breakfast.
From $60 a night. Jl. Suweta No.85, Sambahan, Ubud. Phone : +62 361 980 851. See ketutsplace.business.site

Nirjhara, Tanah Lot

Perfect for: Honeymooners, splurging couples, explorers
Nirjhara means ‘waterfall’ in Sanscrit — surely the only name for a resort with a waterfall pounding into its centre. Opened in 2021, Nirjhara might be located in Tanah Lot near the popular temple, but this secluded tropical oasis is hidden in lush jungle surrounded by rice paddies. Honeymooners take heed. Twenty-five suites and villas include seven treehouse ‘canopy’ suites with rooftop bathtubs and views through the tops of coconut palms to the waterfall. Villas have their own pools and a sustainable-chic aesthetic that includes an earthy blue colour palette, traditional woven furnishings and dark wood furniture. The extras here are impressive given the number of rooms: Ambu is an exquisite Indonesian restaurant in a pavilion overlooking the main pool; The Retreat spa has four treatment rooms; and there’s a dreamy bamboo yoga shala by the river.
From $420 a night. Jl. Nirjhara, Banjar Kedungu, Belalang, Kediri, Tabanan. Phone: +62 361 2095333. See nirjhara.com

Tandjung Sari, Sanur

Perfect for: Bali-ophiles, multi-gen families, couples
Since the 1960s, Tandjung Sari has been the purveyor of immaculate Balinese hospitality in a traditional setting. Age has not wearied it. Owned by the Dutch-Indonesian Wawo-Runtu family, the resort occupies one of Sanur's best waterfront locales with white sand stretching from the bar pavilion and banyan-shaded swimming pool to the water's edge. Accommodation ranges from two-storey sea and garden bungalows to village bungalows with little walled gardens and private day-bed pavilions. A five-bed bungalow with connecting room, and four-bed village bungalows cater well to families. All rooms are sympathetic to a serene Balinese aesthetic with canopied beds, teakwood furniture and fresh flowers. Chef Wirata's Indonesian dishes – served poolside, are some of Bali's best.
From $330 a night. Jl. Danau Tamblingan No.41, Sanur, Denpasar Selatan, Kota Denpasar. Phone: +62 361 288441. See tandjungsarihotel.com

Melia, Nusa Dua

Perfect for: Families, multi-gen travellers, big groups, flop and drops
Mums and dads looking to flop and drop while the kids are entertained should have Melia on their radar. This is a resort hotel, the expansive kind you find on Nusa Dua with sprawling landscaped gardens, a lagoon pool, five restaurants and a calm, white sand, rubbish-free seafront. The rooms are in four-storey courtyard towers some with spacious balconies, others opening onto a communal pool. Balinese tropical architecture reminds you of where you are, even if the cuisine doesn’t delve too deep into the locale. The kids club includes outdoor movie nights, go-carts for cruising the resort, scheduled activities like fencing, badminton, giant chess and, best of all, free fairy floss daily.
From $230 a night. Kawasan Pariwisata ITDC Lot N1, Nusa Dua. Phone: +62 361 771510. See melia.com

Mamaka by Ovolo, Kuta

Perfect for: Digital nomads, young travellers, solo travellers, long-stayers
Beachfront Mamaka by Ovolo is the new kid on the Kuta block with digital nomad coolness coming with it. Its 191 hotel-style rooms and (just four) suites incorporate funky wallpaper, quality linen and cushions and couches that pop with lively colours. Coffee-table mags and bookshelf curios add that interior designer touch. Street 32 on ground level sells Euro-Asian food and coffee. For cocktails, Mamaka Rooftop bar and eatery, next to the pool, overlooks the area’s best surf break. Long-term stayers will appreciate a self-serve laundry, high-speed Wi-Fi, a 24-hour ‘wellness zone’ with TRX gym equipment, boxing bag and balancing surfboard. Quicksilver Bali Surf Academy is based in the lobby.
From $135 a night. Jl. Pantai Kuta No. 32, Kuta, Legian. Phone: +62 361 8496500. See ovolohotels.com

Four Seasons Bali at Sayan, Ubud

Perfect for: Honeymooners, a splurge on luxury, anniversary celebrations, wellness travellers
Whether you cross a dramatic suspension bridge or arrive via the Ayung River on a white water raft, checking in to Four Seasons, Ubud, is to enter a sanctuary where greenery and serenity reign. This is a gift-to-self resort with every need catered to. True to the brand, service, styling and scenery are second-to-none. Choose between family and one-bedroom suites in the central building overlooking the river landscape or exceptional one- and two-bedroom villas that are sunk below entry level for privacy and full immersion in the jungle landscape. Sacred River Spa is known in Bali for its chakra ceremonies and energy healing treatments. So too the Chef’s Table at Sokasi, which takes taste buds on a journey through Balinese ceremonial cuisine.
From $950a night. Jl. Raya Sayan, Sayan, Kecamatan Ubud. Phone: +62 361 977577. See fourseasons.com

Hotel Tugu, Canggu

Perfect for: Wellness travellers, Bali-ophiles, anniversary celebrations
Tugu is the grande dame of Balinese accommodation exuding a grace and charm grounded in its proud Balinese architecture and Indonesian cultural aesthetic. In the central grass-roofed pavilion, guests check-in surrounded by the owner’s private collection of artworks, antiques and historical intrigues from across Asia. Beguiling rooms and suites, some with open-air bathrooms, occupy stand-alone buildings mirroring traditional Balinese compound architecture. Walk through frangipani-scented garden to the lotus lily pad breakfast pagoda, yoga pavilion, swimming pool, spa and lux villa home to artworks by famed Belgian artist and Bali resident Adrien-Jean Le Mayeau. Ji, a Japanese rooftop restaurant, has impeccable sunsets over Batu Balong beach, just 50 metres away.
From $430 a night. Jl. Pantai Batu Bolong, Canggu Beach. Phone: +62 361 4731701. See tuguhotels.com

Potato Head Studios, Seminyak

Perfect for: Digital nomads, solo travellers, party people, long stayers
Potato Head Studios is the latest addition to the Desa Potato Head creative village that includes neighbouring Potato Head day club and boutique Potato Head Suites (formerly Katamama). All three occupy a vast interactive open space stretching along Seminyak’s popular Petitenget Beach. The 168-room hotel was designed for longer-stay digital nomads as much as short-term guests, with open-plan rooms catering to lounging (hammock, modular cocktail bar-cum-coffee table) and working (desk) as much as sleeping (king sized bed). Similarly, with a library and co-working space, recording studio, 95-metre pool, Sanctuary spa and rooftop yoga and meditation classes, who’d leave? With sustainable luxury as a focus, seafood eatery Ijen, one of five in-house F&B establishments, boasts a ‘no-leftovers’ kitchen.
From $320 a night. Jl. Petitenget no. 51B, Seminyak Kuta Utara, Kabupaten Badung. Phone: +62 361 4737979. See seminyak.potatohead.co

Subak Tabola Villa, Sideman

Perfect for: Wellness travellers, serenity seekers, explorers
Formerly the property of the province’s royal family, Subak Tabola Villa rests on a glorious rural hillside overlooking tiered crops of rice, banana and coconut palms. In the distance is the ocean and, when the clouds allow, Mt Agung rises in the background. Co-owner and host Mama Arti ensures an intimate and meditative home-away-from-home experience. The resort’s 14 suites, with ensuites and petal-filled baths, occupy traditional Balinese villas with front balconies, perfect for contemplating the view. They’re spaced throughout a rambling organic herb garden complete with koi pond and roman-bath style swimming pool. Massage therapists and yoga teachers are on-call from the local village. The restaurant, serving Indonesian and Thai cuisine, doubles as a sunset bar, with Arak-based cocktails a speciality.
From $125 a night. Jl. Raya Tebola No.80864, Telaga Tawang, Kec. Sidemen. Phone: +62 812 3829 936.