Best bases in Bali

Where to stay
in Bali?

Where should you stay in Bali?

Which base in Bali should you choose?

As I’ve mentioned many times before, even though Bali is not a large island, getting around is neither the fastest nor the easiest.

Traveling between the most popular destinations usually takes at least two hours. Much of the island is mountainous, and the roads are narrow and often congested. That’s why, when planning your trip, it’s worth taking your accommodation choice very seriously - especially if your stay is not very long.

First of all, I recommend considering whether it will be better for you to change accommodation as you explore different attractions, or to stick to one base.

Which option is better? Of course, it depends - on how much time you have, which parts of the island you want to visit, or maybe you want to see it all? Perhaps you’d like to stay in several different places, or maybe you have a lot of luggage and prefer to stay in one spot for the whole trip and take full-day or multi-day excursions, just like we did.

I won’t give you a single ready-made answer, but below I briefly describe several of the most important places where you can base yourself for a few days or longer so you can choose what suits you best - and there’s a visual bonus at the bottom 😉

Uluwatu “ulu” - „END OF THE LAND” , “watu” - „ROCK"

The beautiful beaches you picture when thinking about Bali are right here. Most beaches on this peninsula are surrounded by cliffs, so getting down to them can be tiring - something to keep in mind, as it’s not for everyone. Another important note; during high tide, some beaches may be closed.

This is a place for surfers - but rather experienced ones - due to the high waves and stronger currents (the Indian Ocean is not among the calmest). It’s also worth remembering that because of its stunning beaches, Uluwatu is quite expensive. There are many great restaurants and hotels, but both food and accommodation prices are much higher than in other popular areas. For a shabby, cramped room you might pay roughly the same as for a two-person villa with pool access in Ubud.

Canggu

A fairly hipster spot. If you want to surf, hang out at beach bars, go clubbing, and eat Western food - this will be a good choice. The town itself is heavily congested, rather unattractive, and not great for walkers (which includes us), mainly due to the lack of sidewalks. The beach is average with dark sand, but on the plus side - the sunsets are beautiful.

This is definitely not a place for those seeking peace and quiet, but rather for people who want to party, meet others (meaning other tourists), grab drinks, and enjoy beach sunsets. A lively town - that’s the gentle summary 😉

Seminyak

Think of it as Canggu for the wealthy 😉 If you’re looking for luxury hotels, upscale parties, elegant shops, and want to splurge a bit - you’ve come to the right place.

Sanur

This town near the airport has the port you’ll use when heading to Nusa Penida, so you’ll likely pass through here. It’s a fairly მშვიდ (calm) destination - somewhat the opposite of the places mentioned above. If you want to rest after arrival or need accommodation before departure, this is a good option..

Kuta

It’s a bit like a typical crowded seaside resort. The city smells of exhaust fumes and has little charm. Kuta Beach is the most crowded beach on the island because it’s long, so don’t expect peace and quiet. Vendors will try to sell you literally everything. On top of that - it’s dirty.

Personally, I’d rather go to the Baltic Sea. This is where most of the ocean trash ends up - something I wrote about on the blog in the post The Dark Side of Bali… The Garbage Tsunami. I wouldn’t want to swim there.

In fact, the only water I went into in Bali deeper than my knees was mountain water at waterfalls and the Batur Natural Hot Springs - highly recommended 🙂 On the plus side, since Kuta is the most popular resort, it has excellent accommodation and entertainment infrastructure. There are plenty of restaurants, shops, markets, and bars, so you definitely won’t be bored.

Ubud

The cultural heart of Bali and a great base for exploring the island in every direction. You’ll find everything you need here - except beaches, of course. A huge variety of restaurants (including many vegetarian options), bars, cafés, massages, shops, markets, boutiques, museums, temples, as well as numerous yoga and meditation centers and many spirituality-related events - from ceremonial cacao drinking to vegan cooking workshops and more.

I’ll say it straight: yoga in Ubud is definitely overpriced, and from what I know, classes are often packed like sardines, so the experience may not be very pleasant. When it comes to accommodation - everyone will find something. There are plenty of hotels, hostels, and villas - from luxury to budget options in very good standard.
Food is very cheap here - arguably the cheapest among Bali’s popular bases. Ubud is lively all the time and traffic can be heavy, but in the center you can easily get around on foot thanks to sidewalks. Walk just one or two kilometers outside town and you’ll find peaceful spots to escape the honking and constant traffic 😉 Nearby you’ll find scenic walking routes, rice terraces, and waterfalls. Ubud is also a good place for digital nomads. It’s a few degrees cooler than coastal towns (when it’s 27°C in Ubud, it can be 30°C in Lovina). The town is quite green - I was especially enchanted by the sight of hanging vines over the road to the center.

Kintamani

A beautiful, green, mountainous region - and it’s even cooler here (especially in the morning), so if you’re heading to the volcano at sunrise, dress warmly 🙂 When we were there at 6:30 AM (and still some distance from the volcanoes), it was 10°C 😅

And if you don’t want to hike (or Bali has permanently banned tourists from mountain trekking), don’t worry - there are plenty of Instagram-worthy cafés where you can eat well, drink great coffee, and admire stunning views of both volcanoes and the lake 🙂 (I mentioned one such cafe in trip #1 and trip #2 - the second one has photos.) I also recommend the hot springs at the foot of Mount Batur, where early in the morning (8:00–9:00) there are not many tourists and you can recharge in the warm water.

Sidemen

A less touristy region - although you’ll still find some tourists here escaping other tourists 😉 (Bali receives more visitors annually than it has residents). It’s very green, with rice terraces and waterfalls.

You won’t find the same level of amenities as in Ubud, but if you want to rent a boutique hotel with a pool overlooking a volcano, look here or around Amed.

Amed

This is where Bali’s most famous Instagram spot is located - the Gate of Heaven (Pura Lempuyang). It’s also a great place for diving enthusiasts - you’ll see coral reefs and a sunken shipwreck here.

Source of the illustrations, author Mila Gerber

And now for some fun tidbits

- with a grain of salt

Bali is quite meme-worthy and, in my opinion, has been heading toward trouble for the past few years. I hope I’m wrong, because it’s a stunning island - still somehow lush and full of beautiful corners where you can find a bit of peace and soak in the amazing atmosphere. A lot of content has emerged poking fun at tourists, digital nomads, and people who decided to settle in Bali for a shorter or longer time. Some of it touches on fairly serious issues, some less so. You can find examples on the Instagram accounts Ubud on Acid or Bali Metaverse Quest, or simply under the hashtag #balimemes.

Rather than going deeper into the topic, feel free to browse and form your own opinion. Below, I’ll show you great illustrations by Mila Gerber, who quite unintentionally started this viral trend of humorously commenting on these behaviors a few years ago.

There’s a grain of truth in every stereotype - and trust me, these drawings contain quite a lot of it. So if you’re a visual person, below is a short take on some of the places mentioned earlier. 😉