Hotel Accommodation - Area Descriptions

Candidasa
This is the gateway to eastern Bali and is developing as a popular tourist destination. The beach had once been washed away due to coral picking but this has now stopped, and the coral is returning.
This peaceful tourist village has plenty of accommodation and entertainment although all diving is from boats based in Padang Bai, 30 mins south. The diving here is drift-diving and, due to the sometimes fierce currents, is for advanced divers. All the reefs are extremely healthy with great diversity of invertebrate and fish life. Tepekong's Canyon has dramatic underwater structure and is usually full of fish; Mimpang is the best place in Bali to see shark and Biaha has rich wall and slope dives.

Canggu
Canggu is another attractive site for surfers in the southern part of Bali. It's surrounded by rice field, quite and calm area. Located about 40 minutes drive from airport and 15 minutes drive to Seminyak and Kerobokan area.

East Bali
Amed and Tulamben are alternative destinations in east Bali. Amed is a quiet resort town which offers a couple of small hotels and good snorkeling. Tulamben is even quieter and popular with local divers. A shipwreck and a drop-off accessible from the beach offer easy access to a colourful underwater world. Diving courses are also available.

Gili Islands
Gili in the Sasak language means island. The three Gili islands, Gili Air, Gili Trawangan and Gili Meno are idyllic islets just off the northern coast. A favourite with back-packers, the islands abound with coral gardens. Gili Air, the nearest island, can be reached in 10 to 15 minutes by boat fro the mainland.

Jimbaran
Jimbaran is a sleepy cove where fleets of fishing boats colour the scene. Since the opening of the Four Seasons Resort and Bali Inter-Continental Resort, this once-quiet area has now become a popular resort. Local families and tourists are drawn by its beauty, and to enjoy the food of the superb seafood restaurants along the beach. Jimbaran's grey sand and calm waters attract many people. It is a very popular spot for windsurfing and small sailing craft, which are available for rent.

Kerobokan
Just south of Cangu, and to the north of Seminyak, this is another area being developed by resort companies to attract visitors from the overflowing Kuta / Legian strip. Like Cangu, it's a bit too far from the nightlife scene but would suit those who wish to spend some quiet days relaxing by the pool or on the beach.

Kuta
This belt is by far the most popular and whitest beach in Bali, attracting all ages and nationalities. The beach extends from Canggu to the airport in Tuban. It is ideal for those wishing to combine a beach holiday with testing their surfing skills. Kuta beach continues to grow in popularity and is a fantastic place to soak up the warm sun.

Kuta is Bali's busiest region and a trip into the shopping and nightlife areas is a must for all age groups. There is a great selection of restaurants and bars and whether it be day or night you will always find something to see and do in Kuta. The nightlife is many and varied and goes on long into the night.

Legian
Legian beach has been called the United Nations of beaches where locals, expatriates and tourists mingle, bargain, play football, indulge in a massage, catch up on reading, meditate or exercise. Sunset at Legian is when the beach bars fill up, the football field is at busiest and the locals finish their work and wade fully clothed, skirts swirling, into the waves.

Lembongan
Nusa Penida is an island located in the southeast of Bali, across the Badung Strait. To the northwest lie two smaller islands, Nusa Ceningan and Nusa Lembongan. The islands can be reached by boat in approx. an hour from Padang Bai. Most dives are made to the northwest around Ceningan and in the channel between Ceningan and Nusa Penida. These dives are not for beginners! There are often very strong and unpredictable currents and undertows and cold water sometimes wells up to the shallow areas, resulting in water temperatures of 23 degrees or less. Good visibility.

Lembonang island lies north west of Ceningan island but is larger one with shallow areas in the north. The three dive sites, Blue Corner, Mangrove Point and Jangka Point (in the front of some seaweed farms) are all located at the northern corner of the island.

Accommodation Guide for all areas - click here
 

Lombok Island
Lombok means 'Chilli Paper' in Javanese language, it is a small island, slightly smaller than Bali with its white virgin beaches, cool mountains, wide savannas and old aged tradition. Lombok separated by a merely narrow strait and easy accessible by ferry or air from Bali. Like Bali, Lombok has a chain of volcanic mountains in the Northern half of the island and the same climate and soil for its variety of crops. Mt. Rinjani is one of the highest mountain in Indonesia, which rises to 3276 metres from a high plateau area with its large lake Segara Anak on the top of the mountain.

North Bali
Between Singaraja and Seririt on Bali's wild north coast is a busy stretch of hotels, and the low sea makes this area by far from the most inspiring beach in Bali. The coastline has a number of tranquil coves, Lovina being on of them. Early morning dolphin watching tours are a popular option, and hikes in the mountains to the south reveal some of Bali's finest scenery and waterfall.

The diving off Pulau Menjangan, part of West Bali National Park, is generally regarded as the best in Bali. Boats are available to take divers over to the inhabited island. Pemuteran is the perfect choice for those who would like to visit The Menjangan Island.

Nusa Dua
Nusa Dua was designed with luxury in mind. Bali's premier resort location and the internationally acclaimed hotels that are located here attract visitors from all over the world. Most hotels are first class and above, and the facilities that they all offer for both individuals as well as families make this one of Bali's best holiday resort areas. Numerous five star chain hotels line the beautiful sandy beaches which offer excellent swimming in a protected lagoon. Some resorts have private beaches; however, most are accessible.

Sanur
Sanur is a well established favourite for all holiday makers to Bali. Sanur is a thirty minute drive from Kuta and is very popular with water sports enthusiasts and families as the beach is protected by a reef and the lagoon offers safe swimming all year round. The hotels are many and varied from boutique to five star. The shopping and restaurants in this village make Sanur an area where you can walk in peace and see a side of Bali that many never see.

A calm, quiet lagoon area, Sanur Beach offers great conditions for windsurfing, parasailing, and other recreational activities. The chic address of many of Bali's rich and famous since the 1930's Sanur has a lively history and is still cherished by many. The stretch from the Grand Bali Beach Hotel to beyond the Bali Hyatt is served by a beach path, making it possible to enjoy the many hotels and restaurants along the strip. The calm waters of Sanur beach make it very popular with families.

Seminyak
Some of the best restaurants and most popular nightspots are here, but you don't want to walk around looking a cheap place to stay. There is some goods mid-range accommodation. There are also houses and bungalows to rent by the week or month.

Tanjung Benoa
Strecthing northward from Nusa Dua is Tanjung Benoa, a promontory with an excellent beach. A few restaurants and four-star hotels are found here, and the sea is suitable for all kinds of water sports.

Tuban
Between Kuta and the airport, Tuban Beach is lined with big hotels. Less frantic than Kuta, it is a wonderful place to simply grab a lounger, a good book and relax. It is safe to swim here, thanks to the hotel lifeguards.

Tabanan
This regency is very famous for Tanah Lot temple. The regency also has a lot of tourism resorts such as Bedugul [lake of Beratan] with its cold temperature. Tabanan also has other tourist attractions such as Alas Kedaton, Jatiluwih terraced rice-fields, Pacung village or Soka Beach.

Ubud
Ubud is one hour from Denpasar and is lovely alternative to the hustle and bustle of the downtown beach areas. Ubud is located in the cooler hills are north of Denpasar and is the artistic heart of Bali. Well known for it's celebrated sculptors and artists Ubud is an enjoyable break away from the sun and the surf. The shopping is excellent and the selection of unique goods is often better than int the beach areas.

West Bali
This stretch of Bali is very beautiful and wild. Some surfing is done in this area but it is not recommended for beginners as the roaring sea is filled with treacherous rips. The beach around Tanah Lot is fantastic for horse-riding, watching dramatic sunsets but not really safe for swimming.

Accommodation Guide for all areas - click here