Nusa Dua

Courtyard by Marriott Bali Nusa Dua Resort

★★★★★

Nusa Dua is Bali's purpose-built resort enclave on the southeastern tip of the Bukit peninsula: a gated area of manicured gardens, calm beaches and big international hotels, designed for easy, safe holidays. Most of its hotels sit at the top end of the market, which is why the Courtyard by Marriott Bali Nusa Dua Resort stands out. It offers a large-resort experience at a mid-range price, aimed squarely at families and couples who want a pool-centred holiday. The hotel's signature is its lagoon pool, which the resort describes as the longest in Nusa Dua, winding through the gardens with rooms opening directly onto it. Ground-floor rooms with lagoon access let you step from your terrace into the water, and upper-floor rooms have balconies over the garden or pool. A second outdoor pool, a children's pool, a whirlpool and a lazy river complete the water options. The complimentary kids club is a real draw, with video game pods, a ball pool, an indoor playground and a toddler room with cribs. Dining spans MoMo Cafe for all-day meals, MoMo Bar, the Dapur Santai pool bar and grill, a pool bar and The Beach Club on Nusa Dua beach. The resort is not on the sand itself: the beach club is about a twenty-minute walk or a three-minute drive away, with a free shuttle for guests, and the calm, reef-protected Nusa Dua beach is ideal for young swimmers. Parking is free, the airport is about fourteen kilometres away, and the Bali Collection shopping centre, the Nusa Dua beach promenade and the restaurants of Tanjung Benoa are close by.

Choosing a room: lagoon-access rooms are the ones to book for families with confident swimmers, as children love stepping straight into the pool, but they offer less privacy. Garden-view rooms are quieter and cheaper. Suites give space for families of four or more; ask for connecting rooms if you need them.

Who it suits: families with young children, couples on a budget who want resort facilities, and groups who plan to spend most of the day by the pool. It is less suited to travellers who want to be on the sand, explore on foot or experience local Balinese life; Nusa Dua is a resort bubble, and taxis or tours are needed to reach Uluwatu, Ubud or the temples.

Practical notes: the airport shuttle is charged, but Nusa Dua is one of the quickest areas to reach from the airport via the toll road. Uluwatu Temple, Garuda Wisnu Kencana and the Bukit beaches are around thirty to forty-five minutes away. Compared with The Mulia nearby, this is a far more affordable, less formal choice; compared with Sanur, it has bigger pools but less local character.