Where to Stay in Bali: An Area-by-Area Guide

Short answer: on a first trip, split your nights between Ubud and one coastal base. Choose that base by what you want from the sea, and don't add a third or fourth area unless you have more than a week. Moving between them costs hours each time.

Ubud, for culture and green views. Temples, dance, rice field walks, cooking classes and a big food scene, but no beach. Central Ubud is walkable and congested. Villas in villages like Penestanan, Sayan or Keliki are quieter, with valley views, but you'll depend on drivers to get anywhere. Our Ubud guide has more.

Seminyak, for restaurants and shopping. The most polished part of the west coast, with boutiques, many of the island's better restaurants and sunset beach clubs. The sea is rough for swimming. It's close enough to the airport to make a comfortable first or last night.

Canggu, for surf and a social scene. Cafés, coworking spaces, surf breaks and late bars, with a young international crowd. The narrow lanes jam for much of the day, and almost everyone gets around by scooter. Great fun, not restful.

Uluwatu, for cliffs and surf. Clifftop hotels with ocean views, world-famous breaks and small white-sand coves. Spread out, so you need transport for everything, and evenings are quieter than in Canggu. Our beaches guide describes the coves.

Sanur, for an easy, calm stay. One of Bali's first resort areas and still one of its most relaxed. Shallow water, a long seafront path, older hotels mixed with newer cafés. Popular with families and older travellers, and the harbour for boats to Nusa Penida is right there.

Nusa Dua, for resort days. A gated enclave of large international hotels with manicured grounds and flat water. Very comfortable, very easy with young children, and quite separate from everyday Balinese life.

Amed or Sidemen, for a slower second week. Amed is a string of fishing villages with dive shops and simple guesthouses. Sidemen is a valley of rice fields inland. Both are two to three hours from the airport, which rules them out for a short trip.

Before you book, check the drive time to the places you want to see, whether the villa's "private pool" is shared, and whether the property is licensed. The provincial rules ask visitors to stay only in registered accommodation, and a licensed place is also the one you can complain to if something goes wrong.