Jimbaran Puri Bali

Beachside cottages with fabulous pool on Jimbaran Bay within easy reach of airport

Arrive in Bali and within 15 minutes you could be at the Jimbaran Puri Bali getting a hit of instant barefoot chic and a hotel built upon the long white sands of upmarket Jimbaran Bay. There are 64 traditional Balinese cottages and pool villas set in tropical gardens, a picture of bougainvillea, rose-pink waterlilies, hibiscus and frangipani. Cottages have Alang-alang thatched roofs and are set in small walled enclosures. Vaulted bedroom ceilings look down over muslin-swathed beds. Marble bathrooms open out through sliding doors to the patios.

Its impressive lake-size pool created using Javanese stone is hard to match and from here you can step onto the beach to watch the gentle surf and children playing. You can take a short stroll along the shore to find bustling fishmarkets and local beachside restaurants. The sound of the sea, the chirruping frogs and the distinctive calls of the geckos will lull you to sleep at night and its location makes it a great way to begin or end a stay in Bali.

Highs

• Direct access to one of Bali's best beaches
• Magnificent stylish swimming pool where you can lose your days
• Close to airport (just a 15-minute drive) so you don't need to travel far to get somewhere nice
• Sunsets from the beach bar with a perfect Mai Tai cocktail
• Strolling up and down the beach to local fish restaurants
• Impressive breakfast spread to start your day
• Jimbaran Bay is a quiet, exclusive spot but just a cheap 20-30 minute taxi ride away from the night-spots of Kuta, Legian and Seminyak

Lows

• Garden cottages at back don't have views of sea and are a little close but charming nonetheless
• Part of the Pansea Orient-Express hotels group, it is less personal than some of our smaller i-escape hotels but certainly more intimate (and far better value) than the 5-star resorts along Jimbaran Bay
• In the distance you can watch airplanes landing at the airport but there's little noise and it didn't bother us