9.0
Bali · €€€€
Alila Villas Uluwatu
Limestone pavilions by WOHA on the edge of the Bukit cliffs
Design hotelsPanorama viewPrivate poolSustainableSpa and wellnessOwn transfer
Indonesia · 2 hotels
Bali
Rice terraces, cliff edges and the art of the private villa
Best months
SeasonDry and warm from April to October, with a wet season from November to March that brings heavy but usually short afternoon rain.
AirportsNgurah Rai International Airport near Denpasar is the only gateway, with direct flights from most Asian hubs, Australia and the Gulf.
Bali built its reputation on the private pool villa, and no other island does it with the same conviction. The clifftop estates of Uluwatu, the beach clubs and design hotels of Seminyak and Canggu, and the jungle retreats above the Ayung River near Ubud all work from the same idea: a walled compound, an open pavilion, water in the middle. Families are well served by the resort belt of Nusa Dua, and the island has more adults only houses than any of its neighbours. Wellness runs deep here, from yoga decks in Ubud to serious spa hotels on the west coast.
The dry season lasts from April to October, with July and August the busiest and driest. Regulars come in May or September, stay north of Canggu or east around Sidemen and Amed for quiet, and treat the south as a day trip rather than a base.
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