Bali: Choosing Between the Cliff, the Rice Fields and the Sea

Uluwatu is the cliff: dramatic villas with infinity pools hanging over the Indian Ocean, world-class surf below, and an hour of traffic between you and anywhere else. Ubud is inland, green and cool at night, built around the river valleys and the arts scene. The north and east — Sidemen, Amed, Lovina — are quieter still and cost half as much.

The mistake is trying to combine all three in a single week. Bali is small on a map and slow on the road; two bases in ten nights works, three does not.

Villa staffing is the deepest of any destination we cover. Even mid-market houses come with a cook, a pool attendant, a gardener and a villa manager, and the marginal cost of a private chef is lower here than almost anywhere. Food billed at cost keeps a long stay remarkably affordable.

The dry season runs April to October, with July and August the busiest and most expensive. The green season from November brings afternoon rain rather than all-day rain, and the rice terraces are at their best in it.

For a first visit, take the cliff for five nights and Ubud for four, and give yourself one day with nothing planned. The island rewards it.