Best resorts in Bali: where to stay for every interest

Esme Fox

Esme Fox

Enduringly popular, Bali has long pulled in holidaymakers and travellers from around the globe. Known for its laid back, hedonistic vibe, you'll find a wide range of accommodation, amenities and resort areas for all budgets.

Beach on Nusa Penida, Bali
Beach on Nusa Penida, Bali © Max Kukurudziak - Unsplash

As it's Indonesia's most visited tourist destination, the variety of different resorts can stump first-timers deciding where to stay or visit on a day trip. Let our guide to the main resorts in Bali help you find the perfect place on one of the world's most beloved holiday islands.

Getting to Bali: holiday giant TUI offers great value breaks to Bali* with accommodation to suit everyone.

Sanur

  • Best for: families

The area of Sanur lies just southwest of the capital of Denpasar and is not too far from the airport, so you won't have to spend hours in a taxi with your little ones. It's one of Bali's most relaxed and laid back resort towns, but still offers a great range of accommodation options and restaurants.

There's a beachfront walkway lined with resorts and shops and, further inland, many excellent restaurants, as well as quiet guesthouses if you're looking for something slightly cheaper and low key. It's a popular spot with families and retirees.

Jimbaran

  • Best for: a bit of luxury

Jimbaran is the area located just south of the airport, so it's ideal for those who don't want to travel far or have an early or late flight to catch. This is where you'll find lots of well-known hotels and upscale five-star resorts.

Many of them sit right along Jimbaran Beach, a large sweep of sand which connects the Bukit Peninsula with mainland Bali. At night, the beach comes alive with many al fresco dining venues serving the fresh catch of the day.

Uluwatu

  • Best for: surfers & beach lovers

Uluwatu is the area surrounding the famous Uluwatu Temple, located at the southwestern tip of the Bukit Peninsula, south of the airport. Scattered along the coast north from the temple, you'll find several mid-range hotels and guesthouses, many of which cater for surfers.

Kecak 'monkey chant' dance in a temple courtyard, Bali
Kecak 'monkey chant' dance in a temple courtyard, Bali © Aliaksandr Mazurkevich - Dreamstime.com

Around the temple area itself is a big complex filled with many restaurants. Don't forget to watch the emblematic sunset dance show at Uluwatu Temple if you're nearby. If you plan on staying in this area, it's best to hire your own transport, either a car or a moped, as all the resorts, restaurants and beaches are quite spread out.

Nusa Dua

  • Best for: all inclusive resorts

Nusa Dua lies on the eastern side of Bukit Peninsula and is full of all inclusive resorts as well as a large 18-hole golf course and luxury shopping complex. There's a large curving beachfront, as well as a few cultural attractions nearby, from temples to a local Indonesian art museum. It's ideal for honeymooners and couples, as well as families, as many of the resorts here have kids' clubs.

Kuta

  • Best for: backpackers & night owls

The infamous resort town of Kuta lies just north of the airport and is popular with backpackers and travellers from Australia. It's dotted with budget to mid-range hotels and has the wildest nightlife scene on the island, with pumping clubs that don't stop until dawn.

If you love Thailand's hedonistic full moon parties and plate nights on Bangkok's Kho San Road, you'll probably love it here; if you don't, you probably won't.

Seminyak

  • Best for: couples & honeymooners

If you're in Bali for a romantic break or perhaps your honeymoon, then Seminyak is the place to be. Located just north of Kuta, it's a world away from the party town. Here you'll find a great range of luxury accommodation, chic resorts and a string of upmarket restaurants.

Luxury Hotel in the south of Bali
Luxury Hotel in the south of Bali © Rene Gamper - Adobe Stock Image

Canggu

  • Best for: hipsters & surfers

The area of Canggu is located just past Seminyak. It's a narrow finger of land fronted by Batu Bolong Beach, which offers great surf conditions, plus several hotels, guesthouses and restaurants further inland. You'll find a handful of hip bars and healthy restaurants, as well as a few co-working places where the digital nomads hang out.

Ubud

  • Best for: yogis & nature lovers

Ubud* sits to the north of most of the other major resorts, in the interior of the island. It may not be located on the coast, but it more than makes up for it with bags of culture, delicious cuisine and mesmerising rice terrace views.

Rice terraces on the edge of a forest near Ubud, Bali
Rice terraces on the edge of a forest near Ubud, Bali © Daphnusia - Adobe Stock Image

Ubud has so much going for it in fact, that you won't miss the beach at all. Here you'll find a great range of budget to mid-range guesthouses, many with their own private pool, as well as larger hotels and resorts on the outskirts of the town. There's everything here from yoga and massage centres to Balinese cooking schools, temples, vegan restaurants, shops and bars.

Weather in Bali

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Sitting close to the equator, beautiful Bali is blessed with truly wonderful weather all year-round. It's one seriously hot and sunny destination, which is especially good in July and August. Find out more about the weather in Bali before booking your break to Indonesia.

Fancy basking in the glow of Bali's sunshine? Check out the latest deals on holidays to Bali with TUI, which offers indirect departure points across the UK.

TUI sale: up to £300 off holidays in 2025/2026

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Esme Fox

Esme Fox

Posted on Wednesday 2nd October 2019 in: Asia Beach Summer TUI

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