As much as Indonesia—and especially Bali—is known for its mesmerizing beaches, dense jungles, and rich cultural traditions, the nation of 17,000-plus islands is also renowned for its world-class resorts, the best of which are characterized by thoughtful design, intimate connection with the outdoors, and genuine hospitality that seems second nature among staff.
As part of AFAR’s Hotels We Love series, we present the 15 resorts, listed in no particular order, that stand out for their design, dining, sustainability, and wellness offerings—and they’re all located amid the sublime stretches of sand and tropical forests that set the archipelago apart.
1. Desa Potato Head
- Location: Seminyak, Bali
- Why we love it: The resort’s quest toward zero waste makes recycling cool.
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In the Petitenget neighborhood of busy Seminyak on the island’s western coast, the sustainability-minded Desa Potato Head consists of two hotels and a handful of restaurants that grew out of a now-iconic beach club launched in 2010. The resort’s mantra of “good times, do good” speaks to its mission of using tourism to improve the community and environment—while making it fun for travelers. Activities include Waste Lab workshops where guests make bracelets from recycled plastic beads, or indigo-dye totes from decommissioned bedding.
The resort’s Potato Head Suites is a collection of 58 accommodations designed by Indonesian architect Andra Matin in a building of 1.8 million hand-pressed terra-cotta bricks sourced from a nearby village. They’re decorated with midcentury-inspired, Indonesian-crafted furnishings and locally handwoven textiles. The 168-room Potato Head Studios, an oceanfront building designed by Rem Koolhaas’ OMA, debuted in 2021 and features contemporary furniture made of recycled materials. The pink facade gets its hue from the powder of salvaged broken bricks.
Desa Potato Head has a half-dozen dining venues, including the rooftop Sunset Park and the seafood restaurant Ijen, where tables are made of the Waste Lab’s terrazzo-like plastic panels. Ijen uses every part of the line-caught fish on the menu, which features barramundi and mahi-mahi from Indonesian waters. Bones become bouillon and scales are dehydrated, fried, and then blended into togarashi. Oyster shells are ground and mixed with Styrofoam and limestone powder to make bubblegum-colored amenities for the studios. Studios from $200/night; Suites from $392/night
2. Buahan, a Banyan Tree Escape
- Location: Buahan, Bali
- Why we love it: You can’t get closer to nature than this resort with no walls or doors, located in a crowd-free part of Bali.
- Loyalty program: Accor Live Limitless
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In the thrumming jungle 40 minutes by car north of Ubud, Buahan reshaped the high-end hotel experience into one without walls. Nature is the star attraction of this remote, crowd-free part of Bali that sits at an elevation of 2,000 feet, where ample breezes keep temperatures cooler than they are at lower ground. The adults-only resort’s low-impact, biophilic design includes meandering pathways fashioned out of local stone throughout the property’s 12 acres. From the main cantilevered pool, one can see seven mountain peaks on a clear day.
Guests stay in one of 16 open-air bales, or villas. Each room is encircled by flowing curtains (fear not—ample space between the bales ensures plenty of privacy) and includes a private infinity pool and hammered-copper bathtub. Room designs incorporate wood salvaged from boat jetties in the Kalimantan region of the nearby island of Borneo. Guests spend their days visiting the property’s waterfall, firefly nursery, garden, and open-air spa; they can also take part in moon yoga, learn to make jamu (a traditional drink with ginger and turmeric), and bike through jungle trails and villages.
At Botanist Bar and the zero-waste Open Kitchen restaurant, where guests take all their meals, the vast majority of ingredients are sourced from area farmers and small businesses within a 43-mile radius. About 70 percent of the menu is plant-based, with plenty of good-for-your-gut fermented preparations that repurpose would-be kitchen waste. From $1,242
3. Four Seasons Resort Bali at Sayan
- Location: Sayan, Bali
- Why we love it: A sumptuous riverside retreat with plenty of seclusion
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Set along the sacred Ayung River—the longest river in Bali—about 15 minutes by car from Ubud, Four Seasons Resort Bali at Sayan is a tropical paradise shrouded in giant palms and ferns. Designed by architect John Heah, the resort is composed of 42 teakwood pool villas and 18 suites, many of which offer views of the river and rice terraces. For the design and interiors, Heah used regional materials almost exclusively, from shells and coconuts to coveted ikat fabrics.
The resort offers a plethora of ways for guests to connect with local culture. Indonesian cooking classes take place in the undulating bamboo Sokasi structure, while at the spa, ancient wellness rituals dominate. Additionally, the property offers innovative experiences such as the peaceful Sacred Nap meditation with a former Buddhist nun. There are regular Balinese music and dance performances in the resort’s Jati Bar, and regional cuisine is served in the palm-fringed Ayung Terrace. Guests who are coming from the Four Seasons’ sister resort in Jimbaran Bay can arrive via whitewater raft. From $773
4. Uluwatu Surf Villas
- Location: Uluwatu, Bali
- Why we love it: A laid-back escape with easy access to the waves in Bali’s surfer paradise
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For surfers headed to Bali’s southwestern tip, there’s no sweeter destination in Bali than the independently owned Uluwatu Surf Villas, which has its own private staircase down a cliff that leads to some of the world’s most epic waves. But with 24 highly photogenic tropical modern villas and residences—each one uniquely designed in responsibly sourced timber and most with private pools—it’s an equally captivating destination for holidays that don’t include any surfing at all (multigenerational travelers will appreciate the accommodation configurations that range from one to five bedrooms).
The pace at this clifftop resort is purposefully slow—unless you visit the two-tone skate park, where skaters of all ages practice tricks in the bowl at high speeds. An ideal way to start the day is at the on-site Morning Light Yoga Studio, an open-air thatched-roof shala sandwiched between the jungle and the ocean where morning practice starts at 7:30 daily.
The main pool, a large infinity-edge stunner that blends into the sea and horizon beyond, is flanked by wooden cabanas; nearby, a small gallery space showcases local art and offers the occasional wheel-throwing pottery class or creative workshop. At Mana Restaurant, with its panoramic ocean views, an Indonesian-inspired menu features betel leaves with prawn and snake-fruit lawar, and pepes ikan (market fish cooked in banana leaf). From $220
5. Bulgari Resort Bali
- Location: Uluwatu, Bali
- Why we love it: A Balinese-Italian design mashup with ocean views
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The second hotel from the jewelry and fashion house of the same name when it opened in 2006, Bulgari Resort Bali is an Italianate stunner sitting 525 feet above sea level on the cliffs of Uluwatu. While the hotel’s sophisticated vibe stays true to the brand’s roots, hand-hewn volcanic rock, Javanese mahogany, carved antiques, and locally made fabrics in the 58 pool villas reflect the heritage of the archipelago.
Asian-European duality is a prominent theme here: One restaurant, Sangkar, focuses on Indonesian fare, while the intimate, dinner-only Il Ristorante – Luca Fantin is a prix fixe journey through coastal Italian cuisine. There’s a working temple at the highest point of the resort that staff use to perform daily rituals; guests can take part in blessing ceremonies here too. Flexible check-in and check-out times, an on-call private yoga instructor, village walks, and butler service are additional gratis perks.
The elevator that descends dramatically down the cliff to Bulgari’s serene beach club is a privilege only for guests, as are lunches at the seafood-celebrating, cliffside-hugging La Spiaggia. The Bulgari Bar is the place to be for sunset hour, when Italian canapés are served alongside the sapphire Indian Ocean. It would be a shame to miss a trip to the spa, where pampering treatments draw from the rituals of Balinese royalty. From $1,300
6. Capella Ubud
- Location: Keliki, Bali
- Why we love it: A high-design earth-aware hospitality experience north of Ubud
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If every hotel on the Indonesian island of Bali were as conscientiously developed as Capella Ubud, we wouldn’t have to worry so much about the effects of overtourism on the island. This rainforest retreat, designed by Bangkok-based architect Bill Bensley, leaves a light footprint. Located 4.5 miles from the ever-more-crowded village of Ubud, Capella sits along a quiet river embankment in the traditional rice-farming village of Keliki.
Not one tree was felled to erect 23 tented, teak-floored accommodations that allow in the sounds of the surrounding jungle. Doors and headboards were carved by Balinese artisans, and private plunge pools are clad in natural stone. There’s a vast, above-ground saltwater pool dubbed the Cistern, and perhaps the first hotel fitness center that could be called exquisite, thanks to its soaring draped-fabric enclosure and dramatic hand-painted columns. Through the hotel are Indonesian artworks like batik fabrics and intricate paintings from the nearby village of Kamasan.
On the wooden pool deck, the Mortar and Pestle Bar uses its namesake tool with a manual ice crusher to create Bali-inspired cocktails like Bird Watchers, with Opihr Oriental Spiced Gin and lychee. Mads Lange, the three-meal-a-day restaurant, serves dishes inspired by Indonesia’s storied spice trade, while Api Jiwa is an Asian barbecue omakase experience for special dinners. Thoughtful programming introduces guests to nearby villages, art forms, and activities (there are offerings for children, too, such as planting baby coconut trees in the on-site organic garden), and each night around the Campfire s’mores and hot cocoa are shared over silent black-and-white films shot in Bali more than a century ago. From $910
7. Alila Villas Uluwatu
- Location: Uluwatu, Bali
- Why we love it: Contemporary design meets eco-consciousness on the cliffs of Uluwatu
- Loyalty program: World of Hyatt
- Book now
Alila Villas Uluwatu is an ocean lover’s dream: Its 65 sleek pool villas sit atop limestone cliffs facing southern Bali’s legendary waves. Here you can get an aquamarine seaweed-infused gin cocktail at a bar that juts out over the Indian Ocean. The EarthCheck-certified property’s chic design by Singapore-based architecture practice WOHA used only Indonesian materials to minimize its footprint. Lava rocks from Bali’s volcano Mount Batur top flat bamboo-lined roofs to absorb heat and minimize electricity usage, while the 36-acre property reintroduced native plants such as gamal trees (their roots are used for sculpture), with self-sufficiency as the goal.
For those interested, there’s a paid Journey to Sustainability experience that includes a walk-through of the resort’s on-site Sustainability Lab, followed by a sambal-making tutorial in the organic garden. It ends with a traditional family-style Indonesian lunch at the Warung, an open-air restaurant dedicated to local cooking that sits opposite the Pan-Asian and Mediterranean-influenced Cire. Guests can also learn to make the ubiquitous Balinese Hindu canang sari offerings, try SUP yoga (on a paddleboard) on the massive infinity pool, or get indulgent Balinese massages at the spa. From $1,000
8. Bambu Indah
- Location: Sayan, Bali
- Why we love it: One-of-a-kind, regenerative accommodations made of bamboo
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Translated as “beautiful bamboo,” Bambu Indah is the regenerative passion project of jewelry designers and husband-wife pair John and Cynthia Hardy. The Canadian and American expats who have lived in Bali for decades bought a collection of teakwood bridal houses in 2005 and moved them 15 minutes west of Ubud Village before restoring and individually decorating them for visiting guests.
Today, the antique residences on Sayan Ridge are surrounded by cutting-edge bamboo houses and tree houses designed by two of the couple’s daughters, including Elora Hardy, as well as organic dining and lounging structures, a permaculture garden, Edenic swimming holes, and green rice paddies. The 11 singular accommodations—filled with vintage furnishings, Indonesian textiles, and local curiosities—are truly one with nature. The resort is filled with whimsical surprises, including a boat-shaped tree house 30 feet in the sky and a rope swing that drops guests into the natural rock pool.
The open-air River Warung is where guests—and day-pass visitors—congregate for three meals a day of organically grown and locally sourced fare. The new-in-2023 Elevator Sunset Bar is another collaboration with the couple’s daughters where arak-spiked cocktails are paired with views across the river valley. On-demand massages are available, as well as early morning walks—more like hikes—throughout the jungle surrounding the resort. From $350
9. Mandapa, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve
- Location: Ubud, Bali
- Why we love it: An intimate retreat outside Ubud with a strong cultural component
- Loyalty program: Marriott Bonvoy
- Book now
If Mandapa, “temple” in Sanskrit, feels more like a community than a hotel, that’s because it is. The resort occupies 24 green acres on a property previously owned by a group of neighboring families, who retain access to the land and its on-site temple. As a result, it maintains three acres of rice paddies and a traditional rice barn on stilts, and the villagers bring daily offerings to the temple, giving Mandapa a strong connection to local culture.
The hotel’s open-air lobby sits 300 feet above the Ayung River valley, overlooking 35 hillside suites with views of the jungle and rice paddies and 25 villas along the flowing river. The suites are furnished with traditional Balinese pieces and artwork and stand-alone soaking tubs, while the high-ceilinged villas, decorated with vividly colored botanical panels, have large pools and separate master suites.
Everywhere, local materials and design elements feature prominently, from the thatched roofs to the fringed umbrellas that shade the lounge chairs by the pool. The riverside spa is another place to discover Balinese products through deeply relaxing treatments and spiritual ones with a local healer, too. Five dining and drinking outlets include fine-dining restaurant Kubu, a spot for high tea, a cocktail and dinner venue called Ambar, and Sawah Terrace, where Sundays feature a Royal Brunch. Ubud’s center is only 10 minutes by car, but the guided vintage VW convertible tours on offer are arguably the best way to get around. From $1,250
10. Raffles Bali
- Location: Jimbaran, Bali
- Why we love it: A focus on personalized well-being on 57 verdant acres
- Loyalty program: Accor Live Limitless
- Book now
The Raffles Bali sits on 57 acres with just 32 private villas, each with its own pool, gargantuan shaded daybed, yoga mats, and ocean view. Serenity hits immediately upon arrival in the minimally elegant main building, which is also occupied by the Writers Bar—whose original location at the resort’s iconic sister property in Singapore is the birthplace of the Singapore Sling (Raffles Bali features a delicious version adapted for Bali).
At fine-dining restaurant Rumari, breakfasts are refined and fresh, while dinners delight with new spins on traditional Balinese and Indonesian flavors, like a dish of duck egg, coconut, and caviar.
As decadent as the dining and imbibing can be, the resort has a strong focus on well-being. Every guest has access to a Raffles Wellbeing Butler who helps organize such activities as sunrise tai chi on the virtually private beach, cleansing Hindu melukat ceremonies at the resort temple, and reiki or massage with local specialists. While the environs are absolutely five star, it’s the very opposite of stuffy, thanks to a friendly team and authentic show of Balinese hospitality. From $1,096
11. Nirjhara
- Location: Tanah Lot, Bali
- Why we love it: A sense of peace and seclusion just north of bustling Canggu
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With its name coming from the Sanskrit word for the rushing waterfall found on property, Nirjhara is a tranquil retreat tucked away in the jungle six miles north of Canggu. The current suite and villa count, including some tree houses with rooftop decks, is 25, though an expansion is projected for late 2024. Accommodations are clad in wood and decorated in naturally dyed local textiles, with bowl-like soaking tubs that staff will gladly fill with jasmine and frangipani flowers for fragrant baths.
The restaurant Ambu is all about slow food with an Indonesian inflection and sources 95 percent of its ingredients from trusted local sources, including the resort’s vegetable garden. The main pool’s infinity edge looks out over the waterfall, and a bamboo shala is where complimentary yoga and meditation classes take place.
Well-curated programming encourages guests to leave the peaceful resort bubble. Think surf lessons and sunset horse rides on nearby Kedungu Beach, waterfall treks, rice-paddy cycling trips, traditional ceramics classes, and excursions to temples in the culturally rich regency of Tabanan, which has a lesser-known monkey forest. From $400
12. Cap Karoso
- Location: Sumba
- Why we love it: A chic and culturally connected boutique resort
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Handcrafted Sumbanese-meets-French design—splashed with modernism and brutalism—is at the heart of Cap Karoso, a 15-acre resort and 7.5-acre organic farm that opened its doors this March in Kodi, on Sumba’s far western tip. Sumba-born ikat master Kornelis Ndapakamang created the open-air lobby’s striking wall, made of panels wrapped in saturated red and brown threads, a deconstructed ode to the island’s most famous textile; travertine desks riff off the island’s traditional megalithic tombs. The accommodations include 47 studios and suites and 20 stand-alone villas scattered across a gentle slope that leads to a long beach. There, locals of all ages flock at low tide to the tidal pools and exposed reefs to play and fish for food.
Sun-drenched suites showcase local Marapu culture, with outdoor bathrooms featuring sculptures carved by artisans in nearby Buku Bani village. They sit alongside vintage French and English books, custom ceramics, and woven paper drawings commissioned by French Indonesian artist Ines Katamso. Rooms are air-conditioned but have wooden louvers to allow for natural cooling via ocean breezes, while the grass-covered roofs moderate temperatures in the stone-clad interiors. Solar energy heats the water; the resort is creating a large solar park to supply half its power. Deep wells bring up water that is double-filtered so that Cap Karoso can bottle it for drinking.
At the Beach Club, bartenders trained by acclaimed consultant Nico de Soto create complex cocktails incorporating such ingredients as jackfruit, sandalwood, and smoked pomelo. Julang, the guest-chef-only restaurant, offers prix fixe dinners, while Apicine is the poolside spot for Indo-Basque tapas each evening. At the thatched-roof Malala Spa, healing plants inspired the sublime products and treatments. Guests can venture out in cars or on e-bikes to nearby traditional villages, remote beaches, surf spots, and Danau Weekuri, a crystalline saltwater lagoon. From $300
13. Amanjiwo
- Location: Central Java
- Why we love it: A gracious journey through Javanese culture and architecture
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For culturally curious history buffs as well as architecture and design lovers, Amanjiwo is worthy of your bucket list. Designed by the late great architect Ed Tuttle, Amanjiwo is minutes from—and within eyeshot of—the world’s largest Buddhist temple, the UNESCO-listed Borobudur, which is right up there with Angkor Wat in Cambodia and Bagan in Myanmar, when it comes to impressive ruins.
The resort’s own design plays off these monumental ancient landmarks, with 33 suites set in a crescent around a bell-shaped rotunda and graceful 131-foot emerald-toned pool. Plump beds sit atop royal-feeling pillared terrazzo platforms, and shapely bathtubs are nestled in the garden; some suites have their own swimming pool and views of steaming volcanoes and Borobudur, which can be visited privately with resident anthropologist Patrick Vanhoebrouck.
There are trekking experiences, temple trips, antiques shopping outings and, in true form for this coveted luxury brand, sophisticated spa and wellness rituals that tap into ancient Javanese ceremonies and practices. To fuel all this fun, Amanjiwo has three dining venues, which include the Pool Club and the Restaurant & Bar, where musicians often play local instruments as guests dine on both Indonesian and international fare, including an ever-changing traditional prix fixe makan malam (eating at night) dinner. From $1,000
14. Bawah Reserve
- Location: Anambas
- Why we love it: A sumptuous stay for earth-conscious travelers
- Book now
Bawah Reserve is a luxury resort and conservation area spread out over six private islands within Indonesia’s larger Anambas archipelago. The cluster of islands is a protected marine area home to 36 tented suites, bungalows, lodge rooms, and villas—all sans TVs. One of Bawah Reserve’s greatest appeals is its seclusion; guests can only access it by seaplane. The nearest inhabited island is more than two hours away by boat.
There’s a surreal castaway quality to the islands: pristine white-sand beaches, swaying palm trees, wooden docks arcing out in glittering waves. Some of the secluded, bamboo-framed Beach Suites villas feature semi-private stretches of sand; all have expansive shaded balconies, indoor and outdoor showers, and retractable canopies that open the main bedroom to the sky. Even these are surpassed by the Overwater Bungalows, which enjoy the island’s best sunset views and direct lagoon access from private covered verandas.
All massages and facials at Aura Spa are part of an indulgent daily routine at this all-inclusive resort. Even the food—eggs smothered in sambal, fried noodle nasi goreng, complexly spiced rendang—pays tribute to Bawah’s sense of place, with an ambitious garden plot yielding an increasing amount of produce. Active travelers have plenty to do on-site, including challenging hikes, yoga and Pilates, paddleboarding, snorkeling, and Indonesian dance lessons. From $1,900/night, all-inclusive
15. Nihi Sumba
- Location: Sumba
- Why we love it: The original Sumba Island getaway is at once wild and lavish.
- Loyalty program: Leaders Club (Leading Hotels of the World)
- Book now
What began as a petite surf lodge next to idyllic waves is now a resort that sprawls across 667 acres in southwest Sumba. Nihi Sumba’s team has grown to more than 430 individuals, more than 90 percent of whom are Sumbanese. Each of the 28 expansive indoor-outdoor villas comes with its own butler and features a unique design, down to the shapes of the private swimming pools, the palettes (sea blues in one, jungle greens in another), and one-of-a-kind decor that’s been handwoven or carved on the island.
Every day, the handlers at the resort’s stable open the gates to allow the 26 resident horses to make their midday run down to the beach below. The Nio Beach Club, with its wood-fired oven and infinity pool, is a prime lunchtime spot for watching the salty-maned horses frolic on the sand or even swim with guests. Breakfast and dinner, meanwhile, are served at Ombak, the sand-floored restaurant that underwent a renovation this year; guests gather for drinks at sunset and canapés at Boathouse Bar, where the last of the day’s surfers on the renowned Occy’s Left wave—capped at 10 slots per day—often put on a show.
The resort hosts a weekly barbecue dinner featuring a short film about the inspiring medical, educational, and clean-water programming and infrastructural work of the resort’s NGO partner, Sumba Foundation. Other popular experiences include visits to local markets, ikat-weaving lessons, trips to the resort’s permaculture farm, stand-up paddleboarding on the river, and the trademarked Spa Safari, which involves unlimited, all-natural spa treatments from a perch above the ocean. From $1,231/night, full board (excluding alcohol)
With additional reporting by Carey Jones, Sunshine Flint, and Serena Renner
