Where to stay in Bali

The island's first beach resort: a long sandy beach, surf schools for beginners, a shopping mall and noisy bars at night. There is nothing refined about it.

It is the right address for the first and last night, when you land late or leave early, before moving on somewhere quieter.

North of Kuta, on the same beach, a wealthier crowd: polished restaurants, designer boutiques and beach clubs where people stay until sunset.

The streets leading to the beach, such as Jalan Kayu Aya, are narrow and jammed in the evening. Pick a place within walking distance of the sea, so you do not spend your evenings in traffic.

Further north, Canggu grew up among the rice fields, around the beaches of Batu Bolong, Echo Beach and Berawa: surf breaks, speciality coffee, coworking spaces. It is the district of long stays and remote work.

Without a scooter you rely on ride-hailing apps, and the coast road clogs up in the late afternoon: stay near the beach you plan to surf.

In the middle of the island, Ubud is the Bali of temples, workshops and rice fields: the Monkey Forest, the royal palace and its evening dances, the Campuhan ridge walk. The Tegallalang rice terraces are half an hour north.

The centre is commercial and congested. For quiet, sleep a few minutes out, among the fields, and accept a scooter or taxi ride home.

The Bukit peninsula, in the south, ends in cliffs above waves famous among surfers. Uluwatu temple, perched seventy metres up, hosts a kecak dance at sunset; its monkeys snatch glasses and phones, so keep them in your bag.

Below, the coves of Padang Padang and Bingin are reached by long flights of steps.

On the east coast, Sanur is the quietest resort in the south. The reef keeps the water calm for children, and a promenade several kilometres long runs along the beach, on foot or by bike. Sunrise is watched from the sand.

It is also where the fast boats leave for Nusa Lembongan and Nusa Penida.

A gated hotel enclave, with large resorts and well-kept beaches one after another.

People rarely leave the compound: it suits families who want everything on site, not those who want to see the island.