Bali has firmly established itself as a luxury beach destination, offering a range of luxury resorts on some of the Far East’s most stunning stretches of sand. However, the island has so much more to offer than just beaches and has been a favourite destination for backpackers for years, due to its diverse landscapes, rich culture and its island traditions. Bali has been intriguing its visitors for decades with its spiritual music, religious ceremonies, and its colourful petal decorations.
Explore its mountains and valleys, volcanos and rice terraces. Head to the town of Ubud, the island’s cultural heart, or take a boat to the remote Gili Islands. Whatever you decide to do when you visit Bali, it’s sure to be an adventure.
Although the island is easy to explore, choosing the best place to stay on the island is crucial, as each area is quite different. So, to help you get the most out of your trip, we’ve given you the low down of each of its most popular areas below:
Ubud – The island’s cultural heart.
We wouldn’t recommend staying for your whole trip, because it’s inland, away from the beaches, however, spending 3-5 nights here and doing an Ubud and Bali Beach twin centre is an experience you’ll never forget. Explore the town’s art market, discover the famous temples, shrines and archaeological sites. Also, a visit to the Sacred Monkey Forest is a must as it’s home to the grey long-tailed macaque.
Ideal for: Anyone that enjoys wildlife and culture.
Kuta – A great beach and the place to party.
This area is the original backpacker resort and is home to most of the island’s nightclubs. However, it’s not just for nightlife that people head to this resort, because it’s filled with shops, bars and restaurants, there´s a stunning beach and it’s where you’ll find the best deals on hotels. It is worth noting that it peak times it can get extremely busy.
Ideal for: Anyone that loves a busy resort, with lively nightlife and plenty going on.
Seminyak – A busy, great all-round resort.
Located north of Kuta, Seminyak offers visitors a more upmarket resort away from the craziness of Kuta, but still offering plenty in the way of shops, bars, restaurants and nightlife. Relax in the day and soak up its laid-back vibes and then either enjoy a peaceful meal in the evening or party all night – in Seminyak your evenings can be as relaxed or as lively as you’d like, which is why Seminyak is the island’s most popular resort.
Ideal for: Anyone that wants a wide range of bars and restaurants, with plenty going on.
Legian – A stretch of beach between Kuta and Seminyak
This resort is nestled between Seminyak and Kuta and is ideal if you want to be near all the action of these two resorts but set slightly away from all the action.
Ideal for: Anyone wanting to be close to nightlife, but not in the heart of it all.
Nusa Dua – An exclusive resort in a stunning setting.
Think of paradise and you’re getting close. This resort is made up of a range of luxury 5-star resorts, set on stunning powder white sands that are caressed by crystal-clear waters. This is a purpose-built resort of hotels and restaurants, so if you’re craving culture and the real Bali this isn’t for you, but if you’re looking for a hotel-based holiday it’s hard to beat.
Ideal for: Couples and families looking for a luxury hotel-based holiday.
Canggu – Once a sleepy fishing village, now a hip destination.
Relaxed and laid back, with a mix of luxury boutique hotels, slick restaurants and trendy cocktail bars where you can while away your evenings. Just a short 6 miles from Kuta and Seminyak, but worlds apart. This once traditional fishing village with its temples and rich culture, is quickly becoming a Bali hotspot. It’s also popular with surfers and is set on one of the island’s most stunning beaches.
Ideal for: Foodies, lovers of cocktails and people that want a more traditional laid-back resort.
Sanur – The perfect balance of fun and relaxation.
Sleepy Sanur is ideal the ideal destination for a relaxing break and is far from the hustle and bustle of the busier resorts to the west, but still has plenty of restaurants and bars where you can enjoy a fun night out if you want one. Enjoy peaceful days on the beach, stunning sunsets and more traditional hotels.
Ideal for: Anyone wanting a traditional laid-back resort with a mix of bars and restaurants.
Jimbaran – A secluded fishing village in a sheltered bay.
Lined with exclusive hotels but still retaining an authentic feel, Jimbaran offers visitors a luxury yet truly Balinese experience. Spend your days relaxing on the beach and swimming in the sheltered waters, before enjoying sunset cocktails and then dining in an intimate seafood restaurant.
Ideal for: Couples and families with older children, looking to relax in a peaceful resort.
Uluwatu – Exclusive hotels in a unique cliff top setting.
Known for its cliff top setting, Uluwatu offers unrivalled ocean views and a handful of exclusive hotels. This remote and peaceful location is ideal if you’re looking for a truly breath-taking hotel.
Ideal for: Couples wanting luxury, privacy and total relaxation.
Lovina – Dark volcanic sands and traditional coastal towns in the north.
This relaxed beach resort is set in the north of the island. It’s just 15 minutes from Singaraja, the island’s old capital, with plenty of things to explore. Laid back and famed for its dolphin residents… it also offers great value and is a great option if you want to be away from other tourists to truly relax.
Ideal for: Anyone looking for a great value peaceful escape.
More guides you may like
- Beach Guides
- Bali Guides
- Guides by this author
Beach Guides
A collection of Croatia's most popular islands to visit. Exploring Hvar, Korčula, Brač, Vis, Mljet and Krk to name a few.
Read MoreVibrant cities, powdery white beaches, and a fascinating cultural heritage... discover this amazing destination.
Read MoreGreece is home to over 6,000 islands, so let us help you find the most suitable option from the endless possibilities.
Read MoreHere, we're taking a look at the best Greek Islands for a family holiday. Start planning your dream Greek trip today.
Read MoreBali
Bali isn't just pristine beaches and world-class surfing, it goes above and beyond so read on to discover the best bits.
Read MoreIf you are going to make the long journey to Bali, make sure you do it justice by spending at least a few days in Ubud.
Read MoreWhen it comes to picking a place, there are worse reasons for your selection than the type of food you'll get to experience,
Read MoreBali - a favourite spot of backpackers everywhere - is known for being a paradise island, thanks to its warm temperatures.
Read MoreOther Guides from this author
Why choose eShores?
One to One Service
Our experienced personal travel consultants will ensure you find the most suitable holiday, whilst taking care of every last detail. Everything from start to finish will be effortless.
100% Tailor Made
We can use any hotel, in any destination, so we will craft an itinerary to suit your exact needs. Also, as we can provide any itinerary, the only holiday we'll offer, is the one that's right for you.
Fully Protected
Our ATOL bonding provides you with the financial protection you need and as a member of the Travel Trust Association, you'll have 100% financial protection. Covering you for any eventuality.
Competitive Pricing
As a tour operator & travel agent, we'll search the market to ensure that we find you the best price. Also as an online business, we can ensure our prices are as competitive as possible.
-
AlisonFletcher
Brilliant trip organised by Dave, included Helsinki, Tallin, Vilnius and Riga. (4 different countries) Everything ran smoothly. Dave organised hotels, flights, taxis, ferry and coach. Have used this company a few times and can't recommend highly enough they are fab 😀
Posted 2 days ago -
Sandra
As always, Chris was extremely helpful and knowledgeable. He gave me good advice on my travel plans and booked the holiday on my behalf. I've used eshores a number of times, and will continue to do so.
Posted 5 days ago -
Harrison
We haven’t been on our trip yet but based purely on the experience of booking the trip we are pleased with the result. It started with a bit of a hiccup as we spoke to a member of staff who never came back to us but when we reached back out again we were placed in the hands of Andy who has helped us book a 2 week trip to India including the golden triangle and then a few days on the beach. Andy was very patient with us with our changes to our tailor made holiday, even when we asked him to explore different areas only to revert back to the original plan. He also recommended moving the holiday back one week which created a saving of over £700 which meant we could upgrade the room for our beach stay in Goa. Andy was also available on weekends if we wanted to speak and regularly picked up the phone as opposed to keeping it to purely email dialogue. Hopefully the holiday will be amazing but based on the booking experience I would recommend eShores if you’re looking to book a tailor made holiday
Posted 5 days ago -
Wendy
I spoke to Lynette who was extremely helpful in understanding the trip that myself and my sister in law wanted from Thailand. Myself and my sister in law are both 72years young and we are really looking forward to our trip.
Posted 6 days ago -
Dawn
Excellent service from Matt at eShores. So very helpful and nothing was too much trouble. I booked Mya holiday after all his hard work finding me the perfect holiday that I wanted. Superb service and not pushy all all.
Posted 1 week ago -
Amrik
We have booked two big holidays this year for a group of 8 and a group of 10, Rachel has coordinated our holidays with the utmost excellence, during the consultation we changed countires hotels and even flights but it did not phase Rachel one bit. Exceeds customer expectations by helping advising and supporting throughout the holiday. We are off to Thailand and Dubai in August and then followed by India and Thailand in November, I have rang emailed Rachel many times during the booking and I got very prompt responses even on her days off. Rachel is a credit to EShores and EShores is setting standards regarding customer focus.
Posted 1 week ago -
IainWilliam
I can’t praise Lynette at EShores enough. She has organised my trips perfectly to the point that I wouldn’t use anyone else. She listens to what I want or to the problem I have and comes up with a solution. Nothing is too much trouble. Try them out yourselves and I bet you become a repeater too!
Posted 1 week ago -
Kevin
At short notice, I needed a quote to travel through the USA (July the 20th) I emailed eShores with an idea of what I wanted to do, within a short period of time I had a response from Matthew, After several amendments to my holiday which wasn't any trouble to Matthew, Holiday all booked, now looking forward to travelling through the USA Have to say, the service I had through eShores was fantastic, well done Matthew for working through the changes,
Posted 1 week ago -
Marcus
Dealt with Adam who was great, I went back and forth many times, nothing was a problem for him. We got there in the end and Adam arranged a 3 place holiday to Malaysia and Singapore. We go on 5th August, will if update review when we return. EShores so far brilliant hats of to Adam.
Posted 1 week ago -
Jill
We as a family used eShores last year to go to USA, and they were brilliant, my husband and 1 are going to Italy with them this September and we have just booked again to go back to USA with them next May, very efficient and Matt is lovely to deal with
Posted 1 week ago