Bali areas: where to stay

Bali's hip beach town — black-sand surf breaks, brunch cafés and a young digital-nomad crowd, with rice paddies still edging the streets between the beach clubs.

Polished and central: designer boutiques, sunset beach clubs and Bali's best restaurant scene, all a short hop from the airport. An easy, comfortable first base.

The original tourist strip — a long surf beach, budget stays and bars, and the airport on the doorstep. Busy and unpretentious, best for a first-night landing or beginner surf.

Bali's working capital — markets, the state museum and the best-value food on the island, with none of the resort polish. Central for getting anywhere else.

The rice-terrace coast west of Canggu, anchored by the sea temple of Tanah Lot — sunsets, clifftop views and a quieter, more scenic stretch of shoreline.

Bali's rice bowl, inland from the west coast — the UNESCO terraces at Jatiluwih, Batukaru's cloud forest and subak irrigation villages that still run on temple law.

A black-sand river mouth on the west coast — a dependable surf break, a handful of low-key surf stays and very little else. The Bali people mean by "before".

One long, slow left-hand point break on the west coast, and a village that exists around it. Surf stays, warungs, and a two-hour drive from anything busy.

Bali's far west — the Jembrana heartland, famous for its makepung buffalo races, with the national park north and empty surf coast south.

Dramatic limestone cliffs on the southern Bukit Peninsula — world-class surf, hidden coves, clifftop bars and the fire-dance temple at sunset.

A calm crescent bay on the Bukit — famous for grilled-seafood dinners on the sand at sunset, with smart resorts a short hop from the airport.

Bali's manicured resort enclave — gated five-stars, gentle reef-protected beaches and a family-friendly calm, on the east side of the Bukit.

Bali's cultural heart, inland among jungle and rice terraces — temples, art and wellness, the monkey forest, and waterfall day trips in every direction.

The rice-terrace country north of Ubud — carved valley steps, jungle swings and the Tukad Pakerisan gorges, with river-view villas strung along the ridge roads.

Deep river gorges north-west of Ubud, where the luxury jungle resorts hide — infinity pools over the Ayung valley, rafting put-ins and almost no through traffic.

Gianyar's black-sand surf coast — a world-tour-grade right-hander at Keramas, beach clubs on the sand and quiet village stays between Sanur and the east.

A cool highland town below Kintamani — Pura Kehen's terraced courtyards, bamboo forest and a regency that runs from Batur's crater to the rice country.

The volcano highlands around Mount Batur — pre-dawn summit treks for sunrise above the clouds, a caldera lake and cool, misty air. Bring a warm layer.

Central lake country — the photogenic Ulun Danu Beratan temple on the water, botanical gardens and strawberry farms, all in cool mountain air.

The laid-back east coast — a gentle beachfront boardwalk, sunrise over the water, and the easiest jump-off for the Nusa islands. Unhurried and family-friendly.

The old royal capital at Semarapura — the painted ceilings of the Kerta Gosa court, the island's most serious textile market, and the jumping-off point for Penida.

A tranquil rice-terrace valley in the east, under Mount Agung — homestays, weaving villages and the Bali of a generation ago, with barely a crowd in sight.

The ferry port for Lombok and the Gilis, set in a horseshoe bay — dive schools, a blue lagoon beach around the headland, and boats leaving all day.

A quiet east-coast strip along a lotus lagoon — calm swimming, dive boats to the Gili islands off Karangasem and the old villages of Tenganan just inland.

The east's royal seat — the water palaces of Tirta Gangga and Ujung, with the Jasri coast below and Mount Agung filling the sky behind.

A string of quiet black-sand fishing bays on the far east coast — Bali's diving and snorkelling capital, with a shipwreck at nearby Tulamben and a slow, low-key pace.

The wreck of the USAT Liberty lies in shore-entry depth off a black-pebble beach — Bali's most dived site, with the volcanic north-east coast wrapped around it.

A rugged island off the southeast coast — jaw-dropping cliffs like Kelingking Beach, snorkelling with manta rays, and a wilder, less-developed feel. A classic day trip.

A small, easygoing island between Bali and Penida — turquoise bays, mangroves and surf breaks, reached by a short fast-boat from Sanur. Bike-and-snorkel pace.

Cool mountain highlands in the north — clove and coffee plantations, misty crater lakes and a string of jungle waterfalls. Bring a layer for the evenings.

Bali's old Dutch port city and northern capital — colonial waterfront, the royal library of lontar manuscripts, and the island's least touristed high street.

The calm north coast — black-sand beaches, dawn dolphin-watching trips and hot springs, well away from the southern crowds.

The quiet north-west coast beyond Lovina — hot springs, dive sites and long black-sand stretches where a beachfront room costs a fraction of the south.

Bali's dive coast, at the far north-west end of the island — the coral gardens of Pemuteran, world-class diving off Menjangan, and the national park behind it. Long empty roads and very little development.