3 luxury hotels in 3 different parts of the dream island of Bali
Why go to Bali:
In addition, there are many terrific hotels and a lot of amazing restaurants, and among them many offering value for money! As a result of favorable circumstances, we will go to Bali once again later this year, but more to it later, I am still in the planning stage.
 |
| South Bali |
Where to go in Bali as a first-timer
When visiting Bali for the first time, my husband and I had ten days to spend here. This is definitely not long enough to see all the beauties of this island, but certainly long enough to tick off its highlights. We had decided to visit three different parts of the island.
Our trip started in the south, in the Central Highlands. Afterwards, we went to the north coast and, as last stop, we came back to the south. This time it went to a beach destination. We completely left away west Bali. It is said to be little visited and with no spectacular sights. As to Bali’s east, we got to know some spots when touring the area.
The best way to see Bali’s sights is by hiring a car and a driver. I would not recommend self-driving because there is too much traffic (huge numbers of scooters). It simply is too stressful and too dangerous. We used Balicab for this purpose and were very satisfied with its service.
First stop Ubud
Given the vast selection of first class accommodations onsite, it is not easy to pick the right one for your needs. When choosing ours, we went for an upscale hotel, but not for one of the most expensive ones. This was The Samaya Ubud, in the outskirts of town. It was rated #1 on TripAdvisor when we came here in 2014, at the moment it is ranked #5.
 |
| Hotel The Samaya Ubud, view from restaurant Scene |
Second stop Lovina
After having a very pleasant stay in Ubud, we headed to the north coast, precisely to Lovina. Here you find quiet villages with black sand beaches. And it is a lesser known part of Bali. Whereas you find masses of people in the south, especially on the coast, beaches here are less crowded.
Activities in Lovina include dolphin watching and snorkeling. We chose The Damai as our home far from home, set back from the sea on a hillside overlooking the ocean. It was ranked #1 on TripAdvisor in 2014 and is still today.
 |
| Hotel The Damai, view from hotel room |
Third stop Seminyak
After the tranquility of Lovina and surroundings, a return to the bustle of south Bali was scheduled. Bali’s south coast is a busy place, you have to like its hectic pace. We did not want to stay in Kuta, best known for its scene of surfers and partygoers. As to Nusa Dua, at the southern tip of Bali, we had the impression that it is a bit of a gated community. So, our choice fell on Seminyak. This place is about 15 minutes north of Kuta and can best be described as an upscale beach resort area.
There are a many possibilities for fine dining, boutique shopping and nightlife. But the traffic here is heavy, even in the shoulder season. When it comes to accommodation, we opted again for a Samaya Hotel (as in Ubud). This time it was The Samaya Seminyak, directly on the beach. When we were there in 2014, it was at the top of TripAdvisor recommendations, at the moment it ranks #4.
 |
| Hotel The Samaya Seminyak, view from in front of hotel room |
Where to go in Bali as a return visitor
I am pondering about this because – as mentioned at the beginning – we will return to Bali later this year. My husband and I agreed that we wanted to go to Ubud again (as first stop). Yet this time we would like to be at a different hotel. While we were satisfied with the one of our last stay, we seek to get to know another one.
After visiting Bali, we have already booked a stay in Lombok, the nearby neighboring island. Here we will be at the The Lombok Lodge. That is the only hotel we have already fixed, all the rest is open. Let us see where we will strand!
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
This comment has been removed by the author.