Built into a steep, dramatic valley, Maya Ubud Resort & Spa is a riverside haven for wellness seekers, nature lovers and everyone in between. Under thatched roofs and amid private, verdurous gardens, the property’s villas feel private and blissfully remote but with all the fancy mod cons such as rain showers, circular open-air baths and espresso machines.

At Amandari, a superb resort quietly nestled in Ubud’s Ayung River Valley, booking a villa doesn’t just secure you a superlative space. In addition to the enormous three-bedroom extravaganza (comprising five interwoven – yet separate – pavilions with a terrace deck with incredible views over the glade), guests have access to two full-time staff and a dedicated, on-call vehicle for transport around the property.

Get your phone ready: you’re going to want to film this. Entry to the Four Seasons Resort Bali in Sayan is via a suspension bridge strung high above the lush Ubud jungle. The resort’s villas also have a similar sense of quiet drama, thanks to private plunge pools and varying scenic backdrops, from rushing rivers to lush forest surrounds.

Seemingly floating over the pristine Indian Ocean, Jumeirah Bali sets a lavish scene. Around the rows of powder-white villas are frangipani trees alongside the near-constant babble of fountains and soothing ponds. Inside, guests have their own mini water palace, with a private pool, enormous soaking tub and ocean or garden views. More spectacular water views await at the cliff-edged pool and restaurant area, which are easily reached by your buggy-driving butler.

Tripping down a cliffside on the Nusa Dua coast, the enormous Apurva Kempinski leaves no luxurious stone unturned, with on-site fine diners, a grand spa and enormous grounds of verdant gardens with pools and beach access. The most “compact” of the property’s villas is a stunning 202 square metres and includes a private pool, outdoor shower and entertaining area, as well as exclusive access to the Villa Lounge, where all-day dining, personalised check-in and butler service await.

This is modern Balinese design at its best. The villa-only Alila Villas Uluwatu goes all-out with its version of minimalist opulence. The smallest of the hotel’s set – the one bedroom – includes a generous (and seriously chic) open-plan living and dining space leading to a plunge pool. The resort also boasts sweeping views of the pristine ocean amid a garden framed by flowering frangipani trees.

Sanur’s beautiful Andaz Bali, which occupies the former gardens of neighbouring Hyatt Regency, has sprinkled its beautiful villas among established towering trees and tropical foliage. In some, a plaited Banyan tree provides shade for the private pool, while the deep soaking tub overlooks the edges of the walled garden. You’ll find the same clever weaving of nature and architecture in the enormous spa, which houses its own hydrotherapy areas for men and women, as well as a separate outdoor pool for those awaiting treatments.

This villa-only property gives you ample opportunity to feel like royalty, whether you’re bathing in an elevated, carved-sandstone-edged bathtub or being ferried to cliffside bars by a butler in a buggy. And we haven’t even mentioned the accommodation: The AYANA Villas Bali offers a staggering 300 square metres and upwards of space in every villa, so there’s plenty of room to stretch out.

From high above the canopies of central Bali’s Ayung River Valley, Alila Ubud weaves seamlessly into its rainforest surroundings. Perched atmospherically on stilts, all of the property’s villas offer expansive views out across a tangle of trees and tropical foliage. The Pool Villa, with its walled garden and private spot for a dip, is our set-up of choice.

We’d say it’s all about the views at Ubud’s COMO Shambhala Estate but that would do a disservice to the property’s covetable design. Villas sit high above the forest, delivering incredible views through floor-to-ceiling windows and colouring the edges of the enormous outdoor pool and deck in a deep, verdant green. There’s also a separate treatment room overlooking the pool for any in-room spa treatments.

Straddling the lively sands of Seminyak, Hotel Indigo Bali Seminyak Beach sets itself apart from its buzzy neighbourhood with a relaxing atmosphere. The (minimum) 300-square-metre villas, with spa-inspired bathrooms, private plunge pools and walls of retractable floor-to-ceiling windows, have a tranquil, residential feel, offering guests a real retreat. Don’t skip a lazy wander to the property’s incredible, award-winning Sava Spa, where the relaxation continues.

Although strictly not a villa, the sprawling, elevated penthouses of surfside COMO Uma Canggu are spacious enough to be classified as such… even if they really are in a category of their own. Featuring a private rooftop deck, the marble-draped residences also offer an enormous spa bathtub in the open bathroom that looks onto a spectacular infinity pool that seems to plunge into the ocean below.

Given its position overlooking Sawangan Beach, Hilton Bali Resort is rightly anchored towards those stunning coastal views. That view can be enjoyed almost anywhere – from a table at The Shore Restaurant to the suite balconies – but from the property’s incredible King One Bedroom Pool Villa, it’s something else entirely, peeking out over the top of your private pool and fringed by frangipani trees. The open-air terrace also houses two plush daybeds oriented towards it, for maximum appreciation.

Take the luxury knob and dial it up. A villa at Nusa Dua’s Amarterra Villas Resort Bali Nusa Dua, Autograph Collection features a private pool and a covered gazebo area (equipped with an outdoor TV and drinks-making station). They’re just as luxurious inside, with comfy bathrobes, Illy coffee machines and a grand, mosquito-net-draped bed to complete the indulgence.

There doesn’t seem to be an inch of sea you can’t see from your penthouse balcony at Alila Seminyak, where days could be lost just staring at the glassy Indian Ocean. The self-contained residence sleeps a very comfortable six adults and three children, with a huge living space, kitchenette, private sundeck and infinity pool that seems part of the same body of water you’re gazing at.

It's the setting of Camaya Bali Terrace that makes this bamboo-constructed stay so special. Set amid the lush foliage of Selat, just 15 minutes drive north of Sidemen Valley in the island's east, these incredible structures straddle a rice field, looking out over the fecund surrounds. Nature will make itself known here, especially as the bedroom (and shower) are gloriously open to the elements, inviting the sounds and smell of the surrounds in at all hours of the day and night. 

Party hard and recover harder at Seminyak’s trendy W Bali, where masks at the oxygen bar are plentiful and the villas are incredible. They’re named fortheir impact and, given the choice, we’d opt for the Extreme WOW Three Bedroom Pool Villa and its enormous 92-square-metre private pool and outdoor sundeck.

Crafted to resemble a traditional Balinese village, the villas of Peppers Seminyak seamlessly blend with their tropical garden settings, with local Singaraya slate stone and thatched roofs. The holiday vibe continues with marble bathrooms, canopy-adorned beds and private pools.

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