5 Best Hotels in North Bali, Indonesia

Perched on a peak overlooking Lake Batur, this hotel's postcard panoramas include Mount Batur, one of Bali's three active volcanoes. During lunch, its open-air restaurants teem with tour groups, but afterward the place becomes a restful retreat in the fresh mountain air. Run by the same Balinese family for three generations and regularly renovated, the hotel's rooms have contemporary décor that doesn't distract from the breathtaking views. The hotel can arrange excursions, including mountain climbing, cruising the lake to traditional villages, or soaking in the nearby hot spring.

A beautiful beach and bargain prices are what you'll find at the Lovina Beach Hotel, the self-proclaimed "original place" in Lovina. The local tourism industry has grown up around the hotel since its 1979 debut, so everything you need is within easy walking distance. The hotel is professionally run, and the staff can arrange tours offer helpful local advice. The accommodations are spartan but spotless, as is the massive swimming pool. A simple breakfast is served in the restaurant, also open for lunch and dinner.

This full-service resort presents manicured lawns along a quarter mile of beachfront and a glorious seaside pool at Lovina's eastern edge. The bright, generous rooms have full indoor baths, plus inviting outdoor showers. Unobtrusive Balinese accents include carved doors and local artworks. But why stay inside when there are the lounging platforms at the ocean's edge that overlook this prime spot for swimming and snorkeling? Kids can romp safely in the grass. The resort has its own boat for cruises, an open-air spa, and arranges hillside treks and romantic dinners on the beach.

The views that made Munduk famous are what you'll find at Puri Lumbung. The basic accommodations are modeled on lumbung, the Indonesian rice barns built on stilts. The interiors use local materials like rattan, which fits hotel founder Nyoman Bagiarta's goal of preserving local traditions while fostering economic development in his hometown. Each room has a terrace overlooking the nearby rice fields and the green mountains to the north. Beds are swathed with mosquito nets, so you can leave the windows open at night to catch the cool breezes. The hotel hosts daily cultural events and offers a choice of outdoor activities.

Head and shoulders above Bedugul's other mid-range accommodations, Strawberry Hill has cleverly designed, comfortably furnished mountain cabins for enjoying the cool air and green vistas. Bright interiors include wood floors, high ceilings, snug sofas, and hidden bunk beds for the kids, along with TVs with international channels and Wi-Fi access. Enjoy Bedugul's great outdoors from your private porch or the hotel's garden terrace near the strawberry patch, where you are free to forage for fruit. The restaurant offers very reasonably priced Western and Indonesian food, along with games of darts and pool. Lake Bratan is a short walk away.