Ubud, Bali’s spiritual heartland, is blessed with some of the island’s most magical accommodation.

Visitors to the Island of the Gods – be they surfers, sunseekers or yogis, will do well to devote some of their holiday time to Ubud, where Balinese arts and culture go hand in hand with spirituality and wellness.

Replete with rainforest, paddy fields, temples and traditional Balinese architecture, the ancient town also has much to offer by way of impressive hotels, resorts and villas.

Whether you’re after a treetop bamboo house, a literary hideaway, or a hilltop hotel with a Mt Agung view, Ubud accommodation is where it’s at. Here are some of our favourites.

Hotels in Ubud

Honeymoon Guesthouse

One of the best times to be in Bali is during October when the Ubud Writers & Readers Festival inspires literary minds from near and far. Even better if you score a room at festival founder and director Janet DeNeefe’s Honeymoon Guesthouse.

Located in central Ubud, a short walk from Ubud Palace and the main thoroughfare, this is old-school Bali, with enchanting red brick and tiled-roof villas set amid a garden made ancient by its stone walls, sacred temple and frangipani trees.

The rooms and two-storey cottages are lovingly decorated with antique furnishings, overbed mosquito nets and local crafts and textiles. There’s air-con, a tranquil garden, a swimming pool and a charming street-front restaurant and bakery, the perfect place to spot visiting authors.

Shelter Island

Ubud’s Jalan Raya Sanggingan is known for its art galleries, independent clothing stores, eateries and (importantly given the lack in Ubud) shaded walkable footpaths. Right in the mix is well-known chef Will Goldfarb’s Shelter Island.

This reimagined guesthouse is small and stylish with nine suites that combine traditional Balinese-style architecture with clean white walls, wood furniture and pops of colour.

Have a toes-up on the porch, laze by the garden-edged swimming pool or stop by the library to flick through a cookbook. Breakfast is served at Goldfarb’s Powder Room cafe, and don’t go past dinner at Room4Dessert, the chef’s globally acclaimed restaurant.

Villas in Ubud

Anantara Ubud

It takes about 40 minutes to drive the 20 kilometres from central Ubud to Anantara Ubud, but the rewards for getting out of town are soon apparent. This newish hotel’s expansive lobby (including a cocktail bar and lounge), swimming pool and three restaurants, have incredible views towards Mount Agung, Bali’s highest peak.

Its 85 one-, two- and three-bedroom villas have narrow terraces occupied by long thin swimming pools. They are staggered down a steep inclinator-accessed hillside, with the pick of them enjoying a panorama of tropical jungle, birds, cicadas and all.

Fear not boredom. This place has a fully equipped gym, kids’ games room, teen hangout and spa. Or visit the local village of Taro to experience its magical firefly sanctuary.

Rumah Hujan

Studio Jenquel, one of Bali’s most well-regarded design firms, drew on the architectural principles of adaptive design and sustainability when conjuring beautiful Rumah Hujan and its sister villa Ruma Senja.

Hujan is a three-bedroom single-level villa on the lower part of the 2400 sqm property. Sitting above it, Senja, a double-storey dwelling made from two traditional Javanese joglo houses, has three bedrooms. Both villas feature fittings and furniture made from repurposed wood, staff, local experiences and the kind of styling you’d expect for a magazine spread.

Dreamy green swimming pools, rice paddy views and sociable outdoor spaces combine for maximum time in nature.

Resorts in Ubud

Kappa Senses

There are spas aplenty in Ubud but only Kappa Senses Resort can boast using French brand Clarins as its product of choice.

Located in the north of Ubud, the 2-hectare resort is surrounded by the village of Kedewatan and its glorious working rice fields. Its 76 beautifully crafted peaked-roof suites and villas, some with hot tubs and private pools, have calming natural interiors made from a mix of timber, rattan and natural textiles.

There’s a French restaurant, two main swimming pools, and a huge permaculture garden, but the highlight is OmTara Spa by Clarins with seven treatment rooms, vitality pools, gym, steam and sauna room all thoughtfully integrated into the Balinese ambience.

Bambu Indah

On the banks of the Ayung River in Sayan, south of Ubud, Bamboo Indah is regarded as one of Bali’s most natural and sustainable resorts. Owned by experts in the field John and Cythia Hardy, it effortlessly integrates a grassroots regenerative ethos with luxury hospitality.

Its 24 hand-crafted freestanding houses are hidden in a wild jungle of rivers and spring-fed pools navigated by fairytale pathways and wooden bridges. Choose a bamboo tree house for a view across the valley, a traditional teak two-storey abode sitting poolside, or a ‘tent’ made from spans of bamboo jutting into the mahogany tree canopy.

Sip on kalamansi cocktails at Sunset Bar, take the Wonka-style bamboo lift to casual Riverside Warung or step it up a notch dining under the massive bamboo arches and copper detailing of the newish Tembaga restaurant.

Tanah Gajah

Bordered by the rice paddies of Tengkulak village in southeast Ubud, Tanah Gajah, flies under the radar when it comes to exceptional Ubud stays. But it shouldn’t.

This beautifully manicured, 20-villa property, named after popular nearby Goa Gajah (Elephant Cave) temple, is the creative inspiration of celebrated Indonesian architect and art collector Hendra Hadiprana, whose sculptures and paintings are dotted throughout the property.

The villas – Balinese with a nudge to contemporary styling, are dotted around a picturesque lake and sprawling lawns, where artists from the local village perform one of Ubud’s best Barong dances.

From the resort’s magnificent open-air Dua Dari restaurant, Bali’s only hot air balloon rides take off. Though tethered to the ground, the experience rewards guests with a stunning view of Mt Agung.