Honest first-hand reviews of the best luxury hotels and villas in Bali: cliffside pools, jungle retreats and private-villa stays.

No doors, no walls. Banyan Tree Buahan is an adults-only sanctuary hidden in the highlands above Ubud, and that openness is what makes it.

You don't check in at Four Seasons Sayan, you raft down the Ayung River to get there. Riverfront villas and deep quiet in the Ubud jungle.

For Valentine's we chose Four Seasons Jimbaran Bay, and from the ocean-view villa time simply slowed. A hillside resort running down to the beach in Bali.

Set among Ubud's rice paddies, Tanah Gajah began as a private estate for an Indonesian art collector. Elegant, intimate, and steeped in Balinese culture.

Capella Ubud, Bill Bensley's award-winning tented camp, sits hidden in the Keliki Valley. Part jungle expedition, part pure luxury in Bali.

Perched in Sidemen, one of Bali's quietest corners, Numa Bali pairs modern design with real Balinese character. An intimate, secluded escape.

Alila Villas Uluwatu sits on limestone cliffs above the Indian Ocean in Bali. Clean architecture, real sustainability, and villas built for the view.

Viceroy Bali sits above the Petanu valley in Ubud, an all-villa resort run by one family. Private pools, big views, and warm Balinese service.

Ulaman is an eco-retreat built from earth and bamboo in the Bali jungle. Off-grid design, a natural spa, and food grown on site.

Wake up in a private cliffside villa at Ayana Villas Bali, the Indian Ocean below and your own pool on the deck. Space, quiet, and Jimbaran sunsets.

Back from Six Senses Uluwatu, and I can't wait to share it: cliffside villas in Bali, an edge pool over the ocean, and sunsets you plan the day around.

The Hanging Gardens of Bali and its double-level jungle pool above the Ayung valley near Ubud. A quiet, green escape built into the hillside.