The Matahari Beach Resort on the north west coast of Bali has sixteen luxurious bungalows and gardens that were voted the best in Bali. The bungalows have their own private courtyard and the hotel offers diving and snorkel­ing trips to the surrounding reefs and nearby Menjangan Island. At Tulamben, another popular diving spot in the east of Bali, next to the budget accommodation, scuba divers will be pleased to find Mimpi Resort, a small and simple hotel on the beach.
For those who really want to get away from it all, try the Lorin Saba Bai Resort. Located on the south coast of Gianyar regency, the drive from the main road to the resort is quite long, rather bumpy and potholed but once you arrive, you'll agree it was worth it. Located between rice fields and the ocean, Balinese style villas are set in four hectares of tropical gardens in a very isolated area.
Bali's first "boutique museum hotel" - Tugu Bali, located in Canggu near a fishing village, features 25 villas each furnished with antiques from the owner's private col­lection. While working as a medical representative for a pharmaceutical company, Anhar Setjadibata was sent to small villages throughout Indonesia, where he met many people wanting to discard their old furniture and cultural relics, believing them to be out of style. He has spent his life collecting antiquities and "Tugu Bali" was built to house part of his collection. Two of the suites are dedicat­ed to two foreign painters who made Bali their home, Walter Spies and Le Mayeur.
The dining room is actually a Chinese temple bought over piece by piece from East Java. The 300 year old tem­ple had been scheduled to be knocked down to make way for a shopping mall. Although built in Java, the temple was to honour ancestors who came from China through Singaraja in north Bali. Designed to introduce guests to the many facets of Indonesian culture, Hotel Tugu Bali is a unique boutique hotel.
Villa Lumbung's concept was to create a place for close friends to meet in a beautiful setting but without the high price tag of most of the boutique hotels. The design for the 20 villas is taken from the traditional Balinese Lumbung - or rice barn and the villas are set in a tranquil garden setting with a friendly village like ambience.
Another hotel taking a similar concept is Villa Kendil offering moderately priced traditional style villas with modern amenities and comforts in Kerobokan.
Casa Padma has a distinct Mediterranean feel with walls adorned with trompe 1'oeil paintings by Steven Little. Set in the heart of Legian 500 metres from the beach, Casa Padma is a nice alternative to a huge hotel or small losmen. With emphasis on guest comfort the rooms are tastefully decorated with unique furnishings with many special touches. There is a plan for a spa in the near future.
Puri Bali Villas is located on the Bukit near Uluwatu. With only 5 huge rooms in a very seclud­ed area, this is a very private place and the bath­rooms alone are big enough for a party!
So go ahead and try another of Bali's pleasures - staying at one of the many boutique hotel.