Uluwatu (Bukit Peninsula)

Alila Villas Uluwatu

★★★★★

Alila Villas Uluwatu stands on a limestone plateau at the edge of the cliffs on Bali's southern Bukit peninsula, with nothing between its terraces and the Indian Ocean but a long drop to the surf. It is one of the island's most celebrated contemporary resorts, admired as much for its architecture as for its view: low, horizontal pavilions of local stone, timber and lava rock, with terraced gardens of native plants, designed to sit lightly on the dry landscape of the Bukit and built with sustainability in mind. The accommodation is all villas, each with a private pool, sun deck and outdoor living space, ranging from one-bedroom pool villas to larger multi-bedroom residences that come with their own dedicated staff. The public spaces are dramatic. A fifty-metre pool runs along the cliff top, and a second infinity pool seems to spill into the ocean; the most photographed spot is a cabana cantilevered out over the cliff, where couples watch the sun go down. Cire is the main restaurant, an open-air setting with ocean views serving modern dishes built on local produce, and there are casual options around the pools. Spa Alila offers treatments in pavilions and in the Cliff Edge Spa Cabana, and there are daily yoga sessions in a pavilion overlooking the sea, a twenty-four-hour fitness centre and activities from Balinese cooking to temple visits. The location is perfect for the south: Uluwatu Temple and its Kecak dance are minutes away, and the famous surf breaks and cliff beaches of the Bukit, from Uluwatu and Padang Padang to Bingin, are a short drive.

Choosing a villa: the one-bedroom pool villas are the standard and are generous, with private pools and garden or ocean views. Ocean-view villas are worth the extra for the sunsets. The larger residences, with multiple bedrooms and staff, suit families or groups who want a private home with resort facilities. Book the cliff cabana for sunset drinks well in advance, as it is in demand.

Who it suits: couples, honeymooners and design lovers who want a dramatic, private retreat; surfers' partners who want luxury near the breaks; and families in the larger residences. It is not the place for a lively scene, and the Bukit is a drive from Ubud and Seminyak, so it works best as one stop on a two- or three-base trip, after Ubud.

Practical notes: the resort is about forty-five minutes from the airport in normal traffic, but the narrow Bukit roads jam around sunset, so plan Kecak evenings with a driver who knows the back routes. The cliff-top location is breezy, and the Bukit is drier than the rest of Bali, which makes it a good base in the wet season, when rain is often lighter and briefer here than in the hills.