Best Places to Stay in Bali 2026 (Where to Stay in Bali for Every Budget!)

What's going on everybody this is Island Hopper TV and today we're coming to you from Bali, Indonesia. With the 10 best areas to stay in Bali we're going to go all across the island. This is a countdown from 10 to 1 so you're going to want to watch till the end for our very best one. Depending on if you're looking for views, luxury, peace and quiet, honeymoon or family friendly. So let's begin here at Jimbaran. This is a crescent-shaped bay that's located in between Kuta and Uluwatu. It's one of the safest beach areas in Bali for swimming and it's great for families. I consider this to be a more relaxed convenient location really nearby the airport. Also right next to the Visnu Garuda Kinkana Cultural Park. So this area you can do some shopping, go up here, walk around, get some pictures and check out a big statue of the Visnu god riding the Garuda. So lots to see out here, beautiful place. They've got lots of sunset seafood dining options down here. This is actually probably one of the most famous places on the island for seafood. You'll find grilled fish and you can sit at some tables right there on the sand. And the area here in Jimbaran along the cliffs has some great views and they have the rock bar which is one of the best bars you can go if you're looking to go for some sunset views in the evening, get some drinks, good food. A little bit pricey for Bali standards but I mean this is world-class views I'll tell you what. A place like Jimbaran gives you convenience to Uluwatu, Kuta, the airport and the whole south side of the island. I actually stayed near here at the Sheraton by four points maybe consider checking that one out. Now let's go north a bit. Another great place to stay is Seminyak. They got good beaches, villas all around here, some nice hotels. So let's check out Seminyak. This is a trendy beach area just north of Kuta south of Canggu and it's on the Bali southwest coast side. It's more of an upscale less chaotic version of Kuta a bit newer as well. Here you're gonna find some beach clubs they've got as well as some nice hotels. Again we stayed at the Sheraton by four points here as well. Good location but I didn't really like the bed as much as I liked in other hotels. They've got the Potato Head Club, Kudeta, so many different beach clubs on this of the island actually. We'll talk about those up in Canggu as well and you've got infinity pools, DJs. I would say the vibe down here is more younger probably not necessarily college crowd but just above a college crowd. So late 20s early 30s seems to gravitate towards Seminyak. Traffic in this area can be a bit of a problem in my opinion and if you're one of those types of people who plan to get around the island. Now traffic here in the late afternoon early evening time can be a bit congested and that's a little frustrating. It is a good location it's closer to Ubud but that traffic can really bog you down. If I just want to go from one place on the beach to the other I'll just avoid scooter or a car and I'll just walk the beach from Seminyak to Kuta or from Seminyak to Canggu. If it's a close enough walk pretty easy to do there at sunset. It's a nice reason to actually walk the beach too. It's not as much driftwood or pollution that you're going to get in some place like Kuta. Also they got lots of surfing going on around Seminyak area. I just found that Sheraton Four Points to be a convenient location. I just wish that bed was a little bit more comfortable. Hopefully they're going to change that by the time you get there anyway. If you don't mind paying a little bit more they also have a courtyard by Marriott or maybe consider the W by Marriott. Now we're headed to the far northeast part of the island. This is Ahmed Beach known for diving but also it's incredible views of the volcano that you get here which is Mount Agung. Now I was in the water here swimming around saw some turtles and like I said they got dive sites. It's one of Bali's best actually. Just a few meters from the shore so you just swim out there or in our case we actually took a boat. They have a Japanese shipwreck nearby and as far as accommodation goes it doesn't feel like the rest of Bali. It's not trendy, it's not modern. Most of the hotels up here are like hostels or maybe guest houses, maybe some like bungalows but nothing modern like you're going to find in Seminyak or Nusa Dua or any of those areas. So when you're coming up here lower your expectations for the accommodation and you'll enjoy it. People who come up here they get up here and they're just happy to be away from the hustle and bustle of Kuta or Lagian or some other place. But it's really known for its incredible sunset and sunrise with those views overlooking Mount Agung. Oh my gosh you got to get out there and check that out at some point in your trip. Up here you're going to be really far away from Kuta, Lagian, all of those party spots. This is more of the laid-back Bali experience. You're probably an hour and a half to two hours away minimum. So if you're going to stay up here just don't expect modern convenience or infrastructure at all. The food is good, the vibes are chill, it's laid-back. So come up here if you're looking to relax. Now we're back down to the hustle and bustle of Kuta beach. This is where the party is going to be happening mostly. I consider Kuta to be the most convenient location. Yeah if you're really looking to do some surf come check out Bensurf. Best in town. Again if you're looking to learn surfing Kuta, Seminyak, Canggu, good places for surf practice, surf lessons. The difference is the closer you are to Kuta the more driftwood you're going to get on certain days. It's not every day and they do clean it up but they do get that southern monsoon that pushes all that driftwood and pollution down here to Bali. Now this is my fourth time to Bali and I will admit I did stay a little bit over half of my time here in Kuta. Most people would say why would you stay in Kuta if you're going to Bali because it's like a big city. It's because of the convenience to the airport. Also in the areas lots of restaurants, nightlife and it's really easily accessible to anywhere on the island and yes believe it or not we ended up staying at the Sheraton Four Points Hotel in Kuta as well and no this is not sponsored and it wasn't intended to be like that. It's just the price point is good, the comfort is there especially here at the Kuta location. This one's just a good location, good comfort, good pool, rooftop pool as well. You could almost say it's Lagian but it's not. I mean Lagian is just north of here. Actually the beach path in Kuta got tore up by high swells so the real place with the beach path still intact is Lagian. We'll show you that in a moment. Just in case you're wondering about the nightlife here, it is known for budget nightlife, party scene. Some people would say this is where the Aussies go. Now Aussies probably don't want to hear that but then again some Aussies also know Kuta is where the Aussies go. It's not the younger Aussies mostly, it's the middle-aged Aussies and there's a few different Aussie bars and they're real friendly and it's a good vibe. I like hanging out with Aussies but it's a budget-friendly place. You're going to be able to stretch your money a little bit further if you're staying in a place like this. They got that long black sand beach with beautiful sunsets so pretty chill out here. Now we're actually headed over the other side of the island. This is Sanur Beach. Alright guys, we're here at Sanur Beach. This is where you're going to find a bit more of a mature crowd. They've got the Icon Bali here. They've got a beautiful walking path, plenty of restaurants, lots of pools, good vibes. And you're going to get the sunrise here facing out towards the other islands in the direction of Lombok. Now the thing about this place, many different hotels right along the waterfront, very laid back. This is what I would say is that Balinese beach vibe that you probably have been looking for. You can find that in other places but Sanur really encapsulates that and that beach path with the cafes, the restaurants. You're not going to find much party going on here. If you walk around the streets, you'll find more massage, restaurants, more convenient. But that beach path is really what people come down here for and the beach doesn't have much waves either so you're not going to be doing any surfing over here. Some people, they like to go get a jet ski or do some wind sailing, parasailing out here. Although when I was out here, none of that was going on because the water was just completely flat and calm compared to the other side of the island. Isn't that wild how that happens, right? But yeah, I mean just beautiful beach hotels, probably over 30 of them right along the coastline like that. And I would say generally speaking, the prices are very reasonable. Bali's a place where you have to pay attention to the seasonality. So during peak season, prices in Bali can go way up. But in off-season, like when we were here in March-April, still considered rainy season. Not too expensive. February was even more rainy. Thank goodness we weren't there during that rain season. But people don't come here during the rainy season because who wants to come to Bali and have 10 days straight of torrential rains, you know? But some people do and they come here because they want the cheap prices. They just want to be in Bali, rain or shine. You know, while you're staying in Samar, you can also come check out the Turtle Conservation Center. And most people like to know about that because they love supporting the turtle conservation. You don't really see too many turtles coming up on the beach, but you do see them in Ahmed, I would say. Just not so much in Samar or in the southern part of Bali. They've probably all been scared off. There's not much wildlife down here except for maybe some birds. I don't even really see reptiles or mammals on Bali, but there is lots of monkeys. Some hotels down here would be the Intercontinental Holiday Inn or the Hyatt Regency. And this is a look at that big mall I was telling you about called Icon Bali. If you've been to Thailand and the Bangkok, you know about Icon Siam. Well, same kind of hotel concept, big modern mall. And this one's here in Sanur, so that has some appeal to it. It is far away from the hotels, thankfully, so you don't have to deal with too much of the hustle and bustle that usually something like that would draw in. Now we'll head just south of Sanur, about 20 minutes by car. Another great place to stay is Nusa Dua. This is where the five-star resorts are like Hilton, St. Regis, Grand Hyatt, so many more. Also No Patel, a beautiful beach right here. Yeah, Nusa Dua is known for its nice beaches, luxury resorts, high-end area. You've got family-friendly. You've also got honeymoon-friendly. Just depends on what resort you're going to stay at, whether it's the St. Regis, the Hilton, the Kempinski. I mean, there's so many different options here. I've actually stayed at the Grand Hyatt. By the way, if you guys come over to our other channel, Island Hopper TV Hotels, I've got a whole playlist on that channel for Bali where I reviewed all of these hotels that I've talked about in detail, if you guys want to see that. But down here in Nusa Dua, this is even where they did like the G20 Summit, and it's just really another world over here in Nusa Dua. Not much party or action for you nightlife people, but if you're looking for that five-star experience, that's here in Nusa Dua. Essentially, when Indonesia wants to put on a large summit for world leaders or really show its bright side, this is where they do it. They don't go to Jakarta. They might go to Kalimantan in the future, but as of right now, this is the highlight of Indonesia's luxury, so now you know. The beach path is convenient and in good shape. It's a little bit better than you're going to get in even Sener in terms of options for activities if you're someone who wants to do physical activity. Also, it's a lot safer over here than anywhere else on Bali. I'm not saying Bali is unsafe, but this place is pretty much absolutely safe. Very good security here. But I stayed here at the Grand Hyatt, the Hilton. You can see these rooms right here. Beautiful views over here. I personally would say the Grand Hyatt's in a great location. It's an older hotel, whereas the Hilton was a nicer hotel with better comfort just further away from everything. It just depends on the convenience. But either way, they have a nice expressway that'll take you right into the airport or into Kuta and Lagian, which is where I'm at right now. So as you can see, it's high up on the list, and that's just because it's got pretty much everything you could possibly want out of Bali. Convenience, options for food, it's got nightlife, it's got the vibes. If you're looking for that one-stop shop, you can even get nice hotels that have that Balinese feel to it. Kind of tucked away, but you're inside of the city or inside of the area around Lagian, Kuta. I would almost say it's all part of Denpasar, right? But Lagian, it is known for its nightlife, I would say. But the beach here, the beach path is also intact, sunset, it's convenient to walk to Seminyak or some of the other. Seems like the thing to do is take a stroll along that path in the morning time or in the evening just before sunset. So that's why Lagian is in our top five. Now we're actually headed to the far south. Yeah, let's talk about another place to stay when you come out here to Bali. This is Uluwatu, we're here at Pandawa Beach, but they've got a lot of places down here in the southern part of the island. Now this is where the world-class surfing began. Uluwatu is legendary in the surf world because of the powerful reef breaks, long fast waves. It's considered one of the best places for experienced surfers, not beginners. I mean, the weather does get pumping down here and these waves can get going. You got rip currents, people get swept out and never return. So make sure if you're going to go out surfing there, you're ready, especially on a high wave day. But they've also got awesome views, cliffs at the Uluwatu temple, but all along that whole coastline on the west side are these cliffs. It's like 70 meters, 230 feet tall cliffs above the ocean. It's one of the most dramatic and spiritual locations in Bali, according to the locals. They also do a famous fire dance here, so you can see that at sunset. It's one of the most unique cultural experiences you'll find. But overall, I would say some of the best sunsets. They've also got some incredible bars, like these rock bar kind of experiences. But as you go up the coastline here, or in this case south down the coastline, you get bars, restaurants right there along the cliffs. Just spectacular. I mean, I can count them on more than one hand, so plenty to choose from. Some of them have covered charges, some of them are more expensive, some of them have minimum drink charges. It just depends on how high up the food chain you want to go. But the infinity pools are amazing. As you can see, Uluwatu is our number three pick, so we're getting closer to the top two. I mean, any of these can work for various different reasons. I mean, it just really depends on your mood. I mean, on average, everyone agrees Uluwatu is great. The only downside is the traffic. It can get very congested, especially after 4 p.m. to about 8 p.m. You can be stuck in gridlock traffic down here in Uluwatu. Now let's head north into the high country. Another place to stay in Bali is going to be Ubu. This is the cultural and spiritual hub up here in the hills, so we're far away from the beach here. So up here you've got some art galleries, plenty of temples and rituals, lots of monkeys, you got traditional dance. No beaches up here, so it's more about heritage and spirituality. You're surrounded by the jungle, plenty of rice terraces like Tagalong Rice Terrace, which is absolutely beautiful. It's very bright green rice fields, great for drone shots if you're someone with a drone. Nearby the monkey forest, which I don't really go there. I've been there a couple times and I'm not in a hurry to go back there. Monkeys can grab your phone, your sunglasses, your bag, or even attack you. I'm not a big fan of getting too close to monkeys, I'll be honest with you. They like to get close to you and sometimes they even try to, you know, barter with you and make a trade. You give them something and they'll give you your phone back, you know. But either way, Ubud is a top yoga destination. You've got meditation retreats, detox programs, holistic healing, and that's a big thing for the wellness out here in Ubud. If you're looking for hotels up here, there are some hotels, but it seems like you're going to get more of these like guest houses. And as you go around Ubud, you'll see they're kind of just tucked away in these little corner alleyways and that's really the experience. It's like you're going to be living with the locals. In fact, sometimes you'll be in a guest house and you'll be walking backwards and someone will be like, oh this is our house. You know, it's like that kind of community. You're really intertwined with the locals up here in Ubud, pretty much wherever you're at. I mean, as you go out into the jungle, you might find some more like exotic hotels or five-star hotels for honeymooners with infinity pools overlooking the jungle. Those are really famous. I mean, that's the stuff you'll see on Instagram. I think they have like a four seasons up here that's just absolutely spectacular. But for the most part, people come up here to really just kind of chill. Based on what I've discovered about people who choose to stay in Ubud, it's kind of like a portal or a hole. People come here, they think they're going to stay for three or four days. The next thing you know, they're ended up staying for seven days or a month. It's one of those kind of places. The longer you stay, the more you feel like you're just kind of there and it just extends over time. Here you can do the rope swings obviously, but right there they have some cabins available you can book and stay inside the rice terraces for a night. Wow. And since we're talking like this about being in the jungle and some cabins, some other areas that I didn't highlight in this one, but I want to mention right now, Kintamani. Kintamani is really close to Ubud. It's a bit further north. It's nearby the Batur volcano. Great views. Also has some, you know, rice terraces out there. And then there's another one called Sidiman. That's another great side of the island. That's actually more towards the Sanur area. Now we're headed south to our number one place. All right, my friends, we're here in Canggu. This is an up-and-coming area, really popular with young people. It's kind of a newer area known for busy traffic. Today we've got a bit of rain that's typical in Bali, but let's show you around Canggu. I know this one's going to be a controversial pick because a lot of people are going to have their opinions about which one they think is the best. The reason I picked Canggu is because it's got everything that I'm really looking for. Peace and quiet. It does get a little bit crowded out here, but it's got all the modern amenities that you could possibly need, including restaurants. Lots of beach clubs are near here. They're not all directly in Canggu, but it's within proximity to some of the best beach clubs you'll see anywhere on the island. Even if you go up towards Tanah Lot, you're pretty close here. It's not quite Canggu, but it's close enough. That's the Luna Beach Club in Tabanon, and that's a really amazing area to go check out. In this amazing place called Nuwano. So that's nearby Canggu, but not quite Canggu. But either way, plenty of beach clubs in Canggu to hang out at. Just right there in the actual town of Canggu. But like I said, I mean it's up and coming. It feels like a more evolved modern area of Bali. We're staying at the Holiday Inn, but right here is Hotel Tugo. Right next to it is the Aston. So you got the Holiday Inn, the Aston Hotel Tugo. This one probably looks the oldest, most Balinese style. Look at how beautiful it is around here. You have to remember Canggu is the newer part. Most of Bali is developing in that direction. It's like a northwest direction up the coastline. So that's why you're getting more and more of these new places kind of popping up. The value of all the lots is going up. People are selling their lots to all these developers. And unfortunately for Bali, a lot of the rice fields and the charm of Bali is going away because it is developing. But in the same tone, you know, it is happening. So let's make the most of it and let's appreciate the best parts of that development so that more of that comes. But Canggu is one of those places they can learn from the mistakes made of older developments and kind of have a more evolved kind of setting. Hopefully less traffic eventually. I don't know how they're ever going to get rid of all of that traffic gridlock, especially as the population continues to grow. I think Bali is now over 4 to 4.5 million people at this point. This is a look at some of those beaches or just beach restaurants right there along Canggu's coastline. You can see a lot less driftwood. That's another reason why I prefer it over here. I feel like the beach is just cleaner than what they get down in Kuta or Legien nearby that airport. I mean, you guys can make a comment below letting me know what you think is your favorite place to stay in Bali if you've ever been there. But for me, I feel as though Canggu kind of checks off all the blocks for a longer stay. That's probably the place I would aim towards. I thought about it a little bit more. I thought maybe Sanur could come up, or I said maybe Kuta. I think Kuta, Legien is fine for like three or four days. But if we're talking longer stay, I guess maybe Ubud. But Ubud feels so far up in the hills to really just chill. Seminyak is just too crazy with the traffic. It's not laid out very good. They have some decent restaurant options, but you can get all of that in Canggu. So I mean, if you're talking Seminyak versus Canggu, I'll take Canggu all day long because it's got everything Seminyak has without the congestion and the stress. Nusa Dua is just too five-star, kind of lacking in things to do. I just don't really gravitate towards that place. Although if I wanted a nice five-star resort, sure, I'll stay there. But Uluwatu, again, traffic is awful down there. Convenience isn't very good. It is beautiful and scenic. And I mean, they have some beautiful beach bars. And I actually stayed at the Sheraton Four Points there, and I thought it was good. But the truth is, to get anywhere, it just took forever because the traffic is awful. Even if you're trying to go into Uluwatu, it still takes 30 minutes to 40 minutes just to get someplace that's three kilometers away. Either way, I love Bali. Hopefully you guys enjoyed this video. You can also watch our full Bali travel guide right here. Click that link where we go into way more detail about activities and things to do in Bali.