Bali has, without a doubt, the best range of accommodation in Indonesia, from the $3-a-night losmens on Poppies Lane in Kuta to the $4,300-a-night residences at the Begawan Giri in Ubud. Backpackers tend to head for Kuta, which has the cheapest if also dingiest digs on the island, while many (but not all) five-star resorts are clustered in Nusa Dua. Seminyak, Sanur and Jimbaran offer a fairly happy compromise if you want beaches, nightlife and some quiet, while Ubud's hotels and resorts cater to those who prefer spas and cultural pursuits over surfing and booze. Legian is situated between Kuta and Seminyak and offers good range of accommodations. Further north on the west coast, and mid way between Seminyak and Ubud is the district of Canggu, which offers many traditional villages set among undulating ricefields. For rest and revitalization visit Amed, a peaceful fishing village on the East Coast with some good hotels and restaurants.

Thanks to Bali's balmy climate, many villas and bungalows offer open-air bathrooms, often set in a lush garden. They look amazing and are definitely a very Balinese experience, but may also shelter little uninvited guests and are best avoided if you have low tolerance for critters.

Villas

One accommodation option for which the island is becoming increasingly famous for is private villas complete with staff, although not every place sold as a "villa" actually fits the bill. Prices vary widely: some operators claim to go as low as $30/night, but realistically you'll be looking at upwards of $200/night for anything with a decent location and a private pool, and at the top of range nightly rents can easily go north of $1,000/night.

Villas in Bali mostly found around the greater Seminyak area on the west coast (Seminyak, Umalas, Canggu), on the east coast around Sanur and in the inner regions such as the hill town of Ubud and rarely found in the Nusa Dua area (peninsula) which is more famous for hi-end resort complex of international chain hotels, but other portions of the bukit, such as Uluwatu are seeing more and more villas come on line. Competition is fierce, but larger and more established villa agencies include Elite Havens, established in 1998, and BHM (Bali Homes Management). There is also another very nice set of villas close to Mt. Agung - Mahagiri Resorts.

Long-term

For long-term stays, it's worth considering long-term rentals, which can be as low as US$4,000/year including a driver. Western-run agencies include the Moran Fraser Group. Restaurants and bars frequented by Bali's sizable expatriate community, particularly in Sanur and Ubud, are good places to find information about long-term rentals. Look for a bulletin board with properties' advertisements tacked up, or pick up a copy of the expat's local publication, The Bali Advertiser. It's not hard to find a nice house in the $350-450 range for a month's stay.