Bali Holidays

Bali holidays deliver jungle, beach, culture and pure relaxation all on the same island in Indonesia - and for less than you'd spend on a week in Lanzarote. Rice terraces, clifftop temples, beach clubs and some of the best value spa days on earth: this is why everyone keeps going back.

Holidays to Bali highlights

• Beach-hopping variety - Kuta's surf schools and sunset bars, Seminyak's beach clubs, Nusa Dua's calm family sands and Uluwatu's jaw-dropping clifftop coves, all within a short drive

• Temples and ceremony - Uluwatu on its cliff edge at sunset, Tanah Lot out on a sea rock, Besakih up the flank of Mount Agung, and the daily offerings on every pavement

• Ubud and the rice terraces - the island's cultural and spiritual heart, jungle villas, yoga, art markets, and the Tegallalang terraces stepping down the valley

• Mount Batur sunrise - the two-hour pre-dawn climb that ends with sunrise, a boiled-egg-in-steam breakfast and a view over Lake Batur

• Proper wellness - Balinese massage is genuinely good and genuinely cheap, full-hour treatments in Ubud from about £10

• Warung food - nasi goreng, mie goreng, satay, bebek betutu and babi guling from roadside kitchens for a few quid, alongside some of Asia's best high-end dining

Good to Know

• Sunny year-round - 27 to 31°C whatever month you visit, with April to October the drier stretch and November to March bringing short tropical downpours in between the sunshine

• Properly cheap - a Bintang beer is £2 to £3, a warung meal £2 to £4, and an hour-long Balinese massage from about £10; Bali is one of the best-value long-haul destinations on earth

• Nyepi, the Day of Silence - once a year, in March, Bali shuts down; it's called Nyepi, and the idea is that total silence and stillness will trick evil spirits into thinking the island is deserted so they move on. The WHOLE island closes, the airport shuts down, everything. The night before is the opposite energy; huge Ogoh-Ogoh demon-effigy parades through every town.

Bali is perfect for you if...

• You want more than one kind of holiday in one trip - beach in the south, jungle and culture in the hills, surf in Canggu, wellness in Ubud - most people do at least two bases in a fortnight and come back feeling like they've had three holidays.

• You're travelling as a couple - private pool villas, clifftop sundowners, couple's spa days for the price of a London pub lunch - romantic Bali holidays are seriously underrated.

• You're bringing the family - Nusa Dua's calm beaches and resort infrastructure, Waterbom waterpark, the Sacred Monkey Forest, the Bali Safari - the kiddos are sorted from day one.

• You want spiritual and cultural depth - daily temple offerings, the silence of Nyepi, the fire-dance ceremony at Uluwatu, the rice-paddy walks of Ubud - Bali's Hindu culture is woven into everyday life in a way that doesn't feel like a tourist attraction.

• You're after a wellness reset - Ubud has world-class yoga retreats, traditional healers, holistic spa programmes and a jungle-villa calm that makes it one of the best wellness destinations in Asia. Eat Pray Love was filmed here for a reason.

• You want to surf - Kuta is where most people learn, Canggu is where the serious surfers go, and Uluwatu is where you watch in awe. Bali's surf culture is the real deal, and the lessons are some of the cheapest anywhere.

What are the top Hotels to stay at on your holidays to Bali?

Bali's stock with us covers every style of stay, beachfront family resorts in Nusa Dua, surf-base basics in Kuta and Legian, glossy villas in Seminyak, jungle hideouts in Ubud and full five-star clifftop numbers on the Bukit Peninsula. Each pick has its own flavour, so you can match the area to how you actually want to spend your week. See all hotels in Bali or browse our top picks below.

Families

• SOL by Melia Benoa Bali All-Inclusive - a popular all-inclusive. Private beach with loungers on Tanjung Benoa, a proper kids' splash zone, swim-up bar for the grown-ups, and watersports next door. If you want Bali without the mental maths on every meal bill, this is the one.

• Merusaka Nusa Dua - three-tier infinity pools, private villas with plunge pools, and the calm Nusa Dua beach a few steps away, the swimmable-for-kids stretch rather than the surf breaks up north. A guest favourite and consistently well reviewed.

• Bali Tropic Resort & Spa - straight onto Nusa Dua's sandy stretch, a dedicated kids' pool, proper gardens and more activities than the kids can get through in a week: jet skiing, diving, beach volleyball, mini golf. Cracking value for a family week in the sun.

• Novotel Bali Benoa - beachfront, three pools with dedicated family and adult areas, and the Novotel family-room layout that actually works when the kids are younger. Low-key but gets the job done without fuss.

Couples

• Avani Seminyak Bali Resort - villas with private pools, sundecks and lush gardens, a free shuttle to Seminyak Beach and the beach-club circuit on your doorstep. Ideal if you want a couple of nights tucked away followed by a blowout sunset at Potato Head.

• The Seminyak Beach Resort and Spa - beachfront in Seminyak's buzziest stretch, private beach access, a serious spa and sunset dinners on the sand. One of the best-positioned romantic bases on the south coast.

• The Royal Purnama Adults Only - kid-free, all art suites and villas, and a genuine guest favourite, one of the best-reviewed adults-only properties on the island. Worth the quieter location if you're after proper downtime.

Luxury

• Karma Kandara - perched on the Bukit Peninsula cliffs above a private sandy cove you reach by funicular. Clifftop yoga, in-villa cooking classes and sunsets that ruin every other sunset. A genuine bucket-list stay.

• The Pavilions Bali - private villas with their own gardens, personalised yoga sessions and in-villa candlelit dinners, consistently one of the best-reviewed properties on the island.

• Hard Rock Hotel Bali - bang on Kuta Beach, Bali's largest free-form pool, an on-site recording studio and a Jamie Oliver Kitchen restaurant. Not subtle, not trying to be, and a brilliant choice if you want action, music and surf-school energy.

• Ayodya Resort Bali - beachfront on Nusa Dua, 29 acres of gardens designed to look like a water palace, lagoon-style pools and five restaurants. One of the island's grande-dame luxury resorts.

Ubud jungle retreats

• Kamandalu Ubud - private villas strung along a river valley in the rice fields outside Ubud, some with their own pools, a proper spa and the island's cultural heart a short drive away.

• Visesa Ubud Resort - five hectares of landscaped grounds designed as a Balinese village, rice-field views, a top-notch spa and five minutes from Ubud centre. A genuine taste of the real Bali behind the Instagram version.

• Como Uma Ubud - valley views, infinity-edge pool suites, and Como's signature wellness programme. Twenty minutes' walk or five minutes' drive into Ubud itself.

• FuramaXclusive Resort & Villas Ubud - private plunge pools in each villa, views across to Mount Batur and a spa centre that gets serious. Strong guest reviews too.

Value

• Sun Island Hotel & Spa Legian - swim-up bar, multiple freshwater pools and a kids' pool, walking distance to Legian and Kuta Beach. Proper Bali-holiday basics done well at a fair price.

• Solia Legian Bali - mega outdoor pool, on-site nightclub, surf lessons on tap, one of the best-reviewed value stays on the south coast.

• Candi Beach Resort & Spa - east-coast Candidasa, swim-up bar, serene spa and a quieter side of Bali if you want to dodge the Kuta crowds entirely.

👉 All hotels in Bali

Where to Stay on your Bali holidays

Bali isn't a single resort - it's an island with distinct neighbourhoods that each come with their own character, crowd and pace of life. Here's how to pick the right base for your trip.

Kuta and Legian - best for first-timers and groups

• The original Bali beach strip and still the most convenient base for a first visit. Kuta is busy, walkable, packed with surf schools, bars and cheap eats, and the two-mile beach that put the island on the map. Legian, just north, is a fraction quieter with a slightly older crowd and a bit more breathing room. If you want to be in the middle of everything without needing a driver to reach it, this is your base.

Seminyak and Canggu - best for couples and style-conscious travellers

• Kuta grown up. Seminyak is where the beach clubs are, the boutique villas are, the decent restaurants are and the best sunset scene on the island is. Potato Head and Ku De Ta draw the crowds at golden hour, the shopping is genuinely good and the whole area has a polish that sets it apart from the busier strips to the south. Canggu, a little further north, is the cool cousin - surf breaks, cafés full of digital nomads and a weekend nightlife circuit that goes well into the early hours. Both suit couples and groups who want style over straightforward beach-resort rhythm.

Nusa Dua and Tanjung Benoa - best for families

• The purpose-built resort strip on the south-east coast is calm, clean and designed to make family holidays easy. The beaches here are protected by a reef, which means the water is swimmable even for younger kids, and the resort hotels are properly kitted out with kids' clubs, multiple pools and watersports on the doorstep. It's not the most characterful part of the island, but for a family week it takes a significant amount of stress off the table.

Ubud - best for culture, wellness and couples

• Up in the hills, twenty minutes from the coast and a completely different world. Ubud is jungle villas, rice-terrace views, temple ceremonies, yoga shalas, art markets and the kind of pace of life that makes you realise how loud everywhere else is. Most people do three or four nights here paired with a beach base - it's the combination that makes a Bali fortnight feel genuinely complete rather than just another beach trip.

Best Beaches to visit on your Bali holidays

Bali's coastline stretches across two very different experiences depending on where you are - the sheltered, family-friendly resort beaches of the south-east and the dramatic, surf-battered Atlantic-facing cliffs of the Bukit Peninsula. Here's what to expect from each:

• Kuta Beach - the one that started it all. Two miles of golden sand, consistent surf breaks and a promenade of surf schools, bars and warungs running the length of it. Busy, colourful and brilliant for people-watching. The sunsets here are genuinely top-tier.

• Seminyak Beach - a stretch north of Kuta with a more upscale feel, beach clubs replacing the surf schools and a crowd that's come to lounge rather than learn to surf. Potato Head's bean bags at sunset are one of Bali's most-Instagrammed moments for a reason.

• Nusa Dua Beach - the calm one. Protected by a reef, swimmable all day, lined with resort hotels and watersports operators. This is where the families are, and rightly so - it's gorgeous without being intense.

• Padang Padang Beach - down on the Bukit Peninsula, reached by a narrow staircase through the cliff. A tiny, dramatic cove with clear water and reef surf just offshore. Famous partly because it appeared in Eat Pray Love and looks exactly like the photos.

• Bingin Beach - a short, steep walk down from the cliff road to a white sand cove with a left-hand reef break, a handful of bamboo warung cafés and views across to Uluwatu. One of Bali's most beautiful beaches and still quiet enough to feel like a find.

• Balangan Beach - another Bukit Peninsula gem, longer and slightly wilder than Bingin, with a reef break for surfers and a palm-fringed stretch without the resort infrastructure of the north. The drive out is half the experience.

• Nusa Penida beaches - technically a separate island a short boat ride from Sanur, but the beaches here - Kelingking, Crystal Bay, Atuh - are in a completely different league visually. Dramatic, photogenic and genuinely stunning. Worth a day trip for anyone who wants a different Bali entirely.

Local Lingo

Bahasa Indonesia is the national language, and it's famously easy: no tenses, no genders, no tonal traps. Balinese is what locals actually use among themselves, but everyone switches to Bahasa for visitors. English is widely spoken in tourist areas, and any attempt at Bahasa gets rewarded with a proper grin. A few to try:

• Halo - Hello

• Terima kasih - thank you (often shortened to makasih in casual chat)

• Selamat pagi - good morning

• Sama-sama - you're welcome

• Enak! - delicious (useful after every warung meal, gets a smile every time)

Travel Guide for your Holidays to Bali 2026 / 2027

Things to do for families

• Waterbom Bali - genuinely one of Asia's best waterparks, right in the middle of Kuta. Book direct online; it's cheaper than on the door, and allow a full day

• Sacred Monkey Forest, Ubud - hundreds of macaques roaming free through a jungle temple complex. Younger kids love it; just don't take food in - the monkeys are opportunists

• Bali Safari & Marine Park - full-day out near Gianyar, safari rides, feeding sessions, plus a decent waterpark if you've got the energy

• Bali Treetop Adventure Park - zip lines and obstacle courses up in the Bedugul rainforest canopy, better for ages 8+

• Snorkel off Nusa Penida - traditional Jukung boat from Sanur, tropical fish practically swim into your mask, makes a brilliant half-day

Things to do for couples

• Sunrise hike up Mount Batur - active volcano, 2am pickup, breakfast cooked in the ground steam at the summit and views over Lake Batur as the sun comes up

• Jungle villa stay in Ubud - private pool, rice-field views, hour-long couple's massages for £10 a head. Pair with a beach stretch on the south coast for the classic Bali fortnight

• Uluwatu at sunset with the Kecak fire dance - the island's most cinematic evening out, clifftop temple, torchlit chanting, sea crashing 70m below

• Jimbaran fish-market-to-beach seafood grills - plastic chairs on the sand, fresh catch, sunset, bill well under £30 for two. A proper Bali ritual

• Yoga and wellness retreat day - full-day packages with group classes, treatments and lunch from about £40 a head in Ubud

Things to do for groups

• Beach clubs in Seminyak - Potato Head and Finns are the two big names, day passes, sunset the headline slot, but lunch-and-lounger is the proper move for a whole day

• Surf lessons in Kuta or Canggu - about £15 for a two-hour group class with the board included; instructors will have you standing up by the end

• Private villa with a chef - six or eight mates in a villa with a pool and a cook often works out cheaper per head than hotel rooms, and the group dinners become the trip

• White-water rafting the Ayung River - half-day out near Ubud, grade 2-3 rapids, fine for beginners and a guaranteed group bonding moment

• Hire a driver for a temple-and-waterfall run - £35 to £50 for a full day including petrol, stops at three or four spots through the interior, cheaper split between five or six

More Destinations

• Thailand - one of the most popular long-haul Asian destinations for good reason: incredible beaches, a welcoming culture, amazing food at even more amazing prices, and world-class parties

• Phuket - Thailand's biggest island, powder-sand beaches, clear Andaman Sea for swimming and snorkelling, and a nightlife scene in Patong that runs well past sunrise

• Maldives - the desert-island fantasy made real, private over-water villas on individual atolls, some of the best snorkelling and diving on earth, and the kind of white sand and turquoise water that you'll dream about for years to come

• Dubai - year-round sunshine, seven-star hotels, world-class shopping and dining, and the kind of beach-and-city combo that feels like the way life was supposed to be lived

• Indonesia - 17,000-plus islands to explore beyond Bali itself, Lombok for quieter beaches, the Gilis for car-free island-hopping, and Komodo for actual dragons