Where we stayed in Bali, Indonesia

Bali is the home of some incredible accommodation, including stunning villas, wonderous hotels, cute guesthouses and lots of excellent budget friendly options. We have listed where we stayed during an amazing 2 week stay, along with recommending some accommodation that we almost booked and think is worth you checking out! As always, we love other recommendations, so if you have stayed somewhere you loved, comment below so we can check it out next time!

Please note. These links are all places we have researched ourselves, including many we stayed at and loved! We would never recommend anything we didn’t think was a great place to stay! This post may contain some affiliate links, meaning that if you purchase or book anything using these links, we get a small percentage of the sale, at not extra expense to you. This helps us to run the site.

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Things to consider when choosing your accommodation:

• Where should you stay? Bali is larger than you think, and there’s so many great spots. We encourage you do decide what kind of holiday you’re looking to have. Each destination will have different pros/cons. We have listed a few of the popular destinations below, but there definitely aren’t all of the places to stay in Bali.
  – Uluwatu: a coastal region popular with surfers, digital nomads and active travellers. We loved our stay here and recommend it to all.
  – Seminyak: one of the busiest and most popular locations. Tourist heavy, lots of bars, shops and markets. Perfect for some and a bit ‘too much’ for others.
  – Canggu: home to those ‘insta famous’ beach bars you see on your feed. This region is what Seminyak used to be before the tourists. A good spot if you’re looking to party.
  – Ubud: in the tropical jungle, close to waterfalls, rice terraces and lots of adventure. A good spot if you want a variety of experiences, or to relax. Lots of amazing accommodation options. We enjoyed our stay here.
  – The ‘Nusa Islands’: our pick if Nusa Lembongan, and we think it’s a top destination for those looking to relax by the beach. Also great surfing and snorkelling. We loved our visit here!
  – The ‘Gili Islands’: great for snorkelling, beaches, and either relaxing or partying depending on what island you choose.
  – Kuta: Close to the airport, apparently pretty chaotic, and overall we would probably not recommend.
• Location – many of the ‘insta-famous’ hotels and resorts aren’t in the heart of the towns. For example, some of the bamboo villas and hotels with pools over rice terraces are located over 10kms away from Ubud (or town centres). This might be no issue for you if you’re planning on spending most of the time at the villa, however, it can mean getting in or out of the towns can take awhile (especially in Bali traffic).
• Price point – Bali is a destination where you have multiple price points, and many great options. Firstly, you have the ‘high end’, and in Bali this is crazy expensive (think over $1000 for resorts like the Four Seasons). You then have the middle bracket (around $150-300+ AUD) with a plethora of truly amazing options. This price point is the biggest difference to other destinations, where these kinds of accommodation options will often cost you double the price e.g. in Europe. Finally, you have the budget options. Bali does the budget options remarkably well. There are a lot of great <$100 per night (AUD) options to choose between. Think in advance about your price point and enjoy the range of options.
• When you visit – Generally, like most destinations, prices are higher in peak season. This is typically between June-August.

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Where we stayed when visiting Bali

Uluwatu:

Uluwatu has less of a ‘city centre’ and more a few main streets spread over 1-2kms. Additionally, many of the accommodation options are situated along the coast. We reccommend either staying near where we stayed at Segredo Uluwatu, or near Bingin Beach, howevere there’s heaps of great options.

We did a lot of research, and decided upon a stay in Segredo Uluwatu, located in the heart of the action along the best part of the main street. This boutique hotel was recently built in 2022, and has a distinct Moroccan feel, reminiscent of a Moroccan riad (throwback to our 2022 Moroccan trabels). Segredo offers an excellent location, good price, beautiful exotic feel and great spaces including a pool to relax. We found this to be one of our favourite stays yet! Take a look at Segredo Uluwatu here!

We also considered some of the options below:

• Terra Cottages Bali – We very nearly stayed at these beautiful cottages that were well located in Uluwatu.
• Village Bali – Beautiful guesthouses well located in Uluwatu!
• Padang-Padang Inn: This is a budget friendly option in good location. Worth considering.
• Legends Beachfront Resort – Stay in a studio apartment on the beach with beautiful views.

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Nusa Lembongan:

We decided to stay near Jungutbatu beach and main street as this was closer to the action. However there are numerous other locations including on the hill, near mushroom bay, or around the other side of the island near some of the picturesque smaller beaches.

We stayed at Helly’s Secret Garden Cottages, which are located just a short walk inland from the main street and they really are a secret slice of paradise in amongst the Balinese wilderness. The accommodation hosts five garden cottages, each containing an air conditioned room with a queen sized bed, day bed, private bathroom and private balcony. Helly’s place was clean, comfortable, set just off the main road for less noise in the evenings and excellent value for money. Of course, the biggest draw card of this place however has to be the host and owner Helly himself. We found Helly one of our favourite accommodation hosts to date! Take a look at Helly’s Secret Garden Cottages here!

We also considered staying at the following options:

• Ohana’s – This beach club and ‘on the beach’ accommodation is a little more expensive, but is a good option to consider.
• Tigerlilly’s Boutinque Hotel – Excellently located in a beautiful setting. Worth considering if happy to spent a little more!
• The Shacks at Sandy Beach – Located a little away from Jungutbatu main street/beach, this accommodation is worth considering.
• Bungalow n 7 – Located right on the beach and at a budget friendly pricepoint.
• Paus Putih Hotel – Located with great views but slightly away from the centre, this is another good consideration.
• Lembongan Harmony Villas – Consider hiring one of these villas with views!
• Coconut Village Guesthouse – A great budget friendly option near a quiet beach.

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Ubud:

Ubud has so many incredible options. A word of warning however, many will be located a fair distance from the city centre (e.g. 7-15kms), be very expensive or book out well in advance. We did a fair bit of research, and loved where we stayed. We have also listed a whole bunch of options where we almost booked below!

We stayed in the stunning Villa Tanah Shanti (see here). The villa has a delightful infinity pool overlooking the rainforest, beautifully furnished large rooms, and a huge communal living area. You can hire the entire villa, or just a room (like we did). It was located around 10 minutes from the heart of Ubud walking, and the staff were so hospitable and friendly.

Not keen to stay in the beautiful villa? Check out some more great options by clicking here or take a look below:

• Casa Avana – This is a whole villa located right on the rice terraces! The perfect spot to go with a family or small group. We very nearly booked this place despite not needing the space!
• The Rice Joglo – Another beautiful villa located right on the rice terraces. This is also a place we strongly considered!
• Beehouse Dijiwa Ubud – Beautiful boutique guesthouses with incredible views. If you’re willing to stay a little further out (30 minute walk), this is a great option in Ubud!
• Calma Ubud Suite & Villas – A beautiful pool view was almost enough to get us over the line. Comes well recommended.
• Suara Alam Hotel Ubud – Another beautiful villa located on the fringes of Ubud!
• Three Dewi’s Guesthouse – A great budget option in a good location!

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The one that got away: Gili Meno

We had planned to visit the tiny Gili island of Gili Meno for a few days to snorkel and relax. However, a few days before the weather forecast changed and became overcast and raining, so we regrettably pulled the pin. However, we will endeavour to return in the future, and the accommodation we were going to stay at was incredible. Seri Resort Gili Meno was recommended by Ky’s brother, and sits literally on the beach. Don’t believe us? Check out the link below. Amazingly priced, located perfectly near snorkelling spots and the beach.. it’s worth considering if you want an island getaway. Take a look at Seri Resort Gili Meno here!

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Have we missed any of your favourites? Please comment any amazing Bali villa or accommodation recommendations below!

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Check out highlights from our time in the Europe! Take a look!

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Note: this post contains affiliate links. This means that if you purchase or book anything using these links, we get a small percentage of the sale, at not extra expense to you. This helps us to run the site.