The Daily Telegraph - Saturday - Travel
Find peace, perfection and warming winter sun in Bali
From multi-tiered infinity pools carved into lush gardens to private beaches and butlers, these resorts have everything to make you truly relax, says Narina Exelby Raffles, Jimbaran Ubud Uluwatu
When it comes to dreamy tropical locales, meticulous hospitality and peak luxury, Bali is hard to beat. The island’s hotels and resorts have fine-tuned the elements that make a once-in-a-lifetime holiday – from romantic beach dinners and seriously Instagrammable infinity pools to vibey beach bars and indulgent spas. Add to this offering gorgeous views, actionpacked kids’ clubs and balmy tropical weather, and you have all that’s needed for a very special winter-sun holiday.
Most resorts offer a range of activities that show off the island’s unique culture, and experiences such as watching Balinese dance, or learning to make the intricate offerings prepared daily for the gods and spirits of the island, deepen one’s connection with it. Yoga classes, surf lessons and three-hour wellness rituals lure many holidaymakers. Here is our pick of the best.
Mandapa, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve, Ubud
Mandapa, hidden in the lush, peaceful valley of the Ayung river, is a true tropical escape that pays homage to Balinese culture and traditions. The visual focal point of the resort is the terrace of rice paddies overlooked by the swimming pool and library. Villas are snuggled away in private gardens and the suites are stacked in imposing multi-storey buildings that overlook the rest of the resort, but verdant landscaping cleverly conceals most of them. Guests are appointed their own patih (assistant to a Balinese king), who acts like a butler, and there is a children’s camp programme, too.
Rooms from £953 per night (0062 361 4792777; ritzcarlton.com)
Amankila, Manggis
One of Bali’s longest-established luxury resorts, Amankila stands sentry on a hillside overlooking the Lombok Strait on the east coast of Bali. From the imperious main building – all blonde stone, wide ocean views and occasional puffs of white bougainvillea – to its shimmering black-sand beach with linen-clad attendants, Amankila exudes a refined Balinese charm. Taking centre stage is a spectacular three-tiered swimming pool, which steps down the hillside, echoing Bali’s cascading rice fields. Wind your way downhill from here and you will find a fourth fabulous pool at ground level, as well as a ribbon of volcanic-sand beach.
Rooms from £1,623 per night (0062 363 41333; aman.com)
Soori Bali, Kerambitan
This elegant, eco-friendly retreat is one of Bali’s loveliest beach resorts. It was beautifully planned to exude a sense of tranquillity, and seamlessly combines the natural environment with bold contemporary living spaces. Horizontal and vertical lines, natural textures and shades of grey, plus stone and water dominate the design; gardens have been landscaped to maximise the flow of cool air through the resort; and water pools around the property add to the sense of calm and coolness. Every villa has its own outdoor lounge/dining area and private pool, but there is also a communal beachfront pool. There are two restaurants, a gym and a spa. Rooms from £955 per night (0062 361 8946388; sooribali.com)
Raffles Bali revels in a true sense of peace and privacy, due largely to the generous amount of space that the resort enjoys. The 32 contemporary Balinese-style pool villas are set on 57 acres (23 hectares) of land, and the property, which has a magnificent ocean view, is laced with flourishing tropical gardens. Prior to arrival, guests are assigned their own butler, who will ensure that their preferences are fulfilled. Facilities include a beachfront infinity pool, two restaurants, Raffles’ signature Writers Bar and library, a spa, meditation terrace, fitness centre, yoga space, gift store and two tennis courts. Unique to the property is a small limestone cave, used for meditation sessions and private dinners.
Rooms from £834 per night (0062 361 2015800; raffles.com)
Puri Dajuma, Pekutatan
Along the quiet west coast of Bali, Puri Dajuma is a peaceful beachfront resort surrounded by palm groves, rice paddies and banana plantations. It is a wonderful escape from the tourist hotspots of the island; a luxurious yet down-to-earth offering in “the real Bali”. Puri Dajuma has 18 comfortable cottages, two suites and five villas, and it has been landscaped and designed in such a way that the eco-resort feels like an intimate boutique hotel. The gardens give different areas a sense of seclusion;
a wonderful sense of place. The intimate yoga shala at Nirjhara is reason enough to book a stay here: the bamboo structure has been built over the rocks beside the waterfall, and it really is a special place to practise.
Rooms from £253 per night (0062 361 209 5333; nirjhara.com)
Como is a key player globally when it comes to destination spas; few places do it better. The setting here is knockout, the yoga top-notch and the fitness classes double as glorious sightseeing tours, incorporating cycle rides through the paddy fields and treks up smoking volcanoes. There are overflowing infinity pools seemingly everywhere, as well as gushing waterfalls and rivers, plus treatment rooms where you can dabble in everything from acupuncture and Ayurveda to hot stone massages and reflexology. Bedrooms are upscale Indonesian, with the best beds and linens, and bathrooms that encourage you to let go and wallow.
Rooms from £512 per night (0062 361 978888; comohotels.com)
The Laguna,
Built around a network of lagoon-style swimming pools and carefully tended gardens, the Laguna offers an idyllic island-style holiday. Every suite is a sophisticated sanctuary and the resort, which is set on a stunning whitesand beach, is slotted among other high-end properties in the manicured resort enclave of Nusa Dua. Central to the Laguna are seven pools that feature tumbling waterfalls and palm-treed peninsulas; the large gym looks through a waterfall and the restorative spa also overlooks one of the pools. There are five restaurants and bars at the Laguna, including an elegant openair cocktail bar and the beachfront Arwana seafood restaurant.
Rooms from £184 per night (0062 361 771327; marriott.com)
With streamlined, contemporary architecture, one of the island’s most-photographed infinity pools, villas so slick you will feel as though you have stepped into an Instagram feed, and a location overlooking the Indian Ocean, this may be one of Bali’s most visually stunning resorts. In addition to the famous pool, there is a swish spa with huge treatment rooms, a 24-hour gym, a yoga pavilion, an organic garden, and a stretch of beach reached by a cliffhugging stairway. The 65 minimalist villas have one to three bedrooms, and most also have ocean views (though some are distant). Butler service is provided. Rooms from £687 per night (0062 361 8482166; alilahotels.com)
Four Seasons Resort Bali at Sayan,
With a glowing infinity pool cleaved into the hillside, three-hour spa rituals, beautiful architecture (including a show-stopping sky bridge skimming across the valley), a raft of daily complimentary activities, and spacious suites and villas scattered around the sprawling grounds, the Four Seasons Sayan impresses on all levels. Paid activities cover everything from water purification rituals with a Hindu high priestess to Indonesian cookery classes and river rafting around volcanoes. The hotel has two restaurants: Ayung Terrace, where peppy Indonesian dishes are served by batik-wearing staff; and the Mediterranean-influenced
Riverside Café, a more intimate space above the pool.
Rooms from £680 per night (0062 361 977577; fourseasons.com)
The Bulgari Resort Bali,
This decadent destination on Bali’s south-western shore is home to butler-serviced thatched villas, each with gasp-worthy Indian Ocean views, a sparkling infinity pool with ethereally draped cabanas, a secluded spa with another outdoor pool, plus a yoga pavilion, a salon and a fitness centre. And let’s not forget the private beach. The hotel’s blend of Balinese architecture and contemporary Italian design might sound like an odd combination, but it works surprisingly well, exuding a Milan-meets-garden-of-Eden vibe. Rooms from £1,014 per night (0062 361 8471000; bulgarihotels.com)
Hanging Gardens of Bali,
This Ubud hotel legend is hunkered into a lush hillside teeming with orchids, bamboo and coffee trees, with views stretching down to the Ayung river below and across the valley to the Indiana Jones-esque Dalem Segara temple. The hotel is renowned for its inventive architecture; traditional alang-alang thatched roof buildings are dotted amid fairy-tale gardens, creating a utopitan atmosphere that feels lost in time. Leaving the pool – one of the world’s most spectacular – is challenging, but a romantic restaurant, superb riverside spa and an array of activities do tempt. Rooms from £506 per night (0062 811 3800 988; hanginggardensofbali.com)
Wapa di Ume Sidemen,
Step outside this boutique bolthole and you are in the remote and utterly bewitchingly set mountain village of Sidemen, which has the feel of Ubud about 20 years ago. The local staff have a real passion for the village and resort, which comes across in their insider tips and a determination that you not only enjoy your stay but tell others about it. Onsite, private pools star alongside a glorious two-tier infinity pool with sweeping views out to the rice paddies, and there is a superb spa and a great restaurant. The look manages to merge into the rich paddy-clad hillside, while well-chosen Balinese art, local stone and hardwoods feature throughout the public spaces.
Rooms from £114 per night (0062 366 5437600; samanvaya-bali.com)
Four Seasons Resort Bali at
Tumbling down the hillside, this 147villa resort has been designed to echo a traditional Balinese village, albeit a fancy one with swimming pools and sunloungers. It has a great perch at the end of Jimbaran Bay, a beachside town known for its golden sands lined with brilliant barbecue seafood restaurants. The volcanic stone architecture blends beautifully into colourful tropical gardens; twisting stone paths lead to emerald lawns and thatch-roofed bales staring out to sea; and a grand infinity pool surveys the beach. Don’t miss the Spa Village – one of the island’s finest. Rooms from £523 per night (0062 361 701010; fourseasons.com)
Contributions by Lee Cobaj, Leslie Patrick Moore and Robin McKelvie. For more Bali hotel reviews see telegraph. co.uk/tt-balihotels