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.

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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

Remote west Bali — the national park, world-class diving off Menjangan island and the coral of Pemuteran, with long empty roads and little development.