Jimbaran

Jimbaran is the gateway to the Bukit, a wide, west-facing bay fifteen minutes south of the airport. It is still a working fishing village at heart: the fish market at Kedonganan fills before dawn, and by evening the same catch is grilled over coconut husks at the seafood cafés lined up along the sand.

The bay is calmer than the surf beaches further south, which makes it good for swimming and families. Above it, the hills of Jimbaran and Bukit Ungasan hold some of Bali's best-known resorts, with cliffside restaurants and bars that face straight into the sunset.

Jimbaran is also a practical base. It is the closest part of the peninsula to the airport and to Kuta, Seminyak and the toll road, and it has supermarkets, pharmacies and the big Samasta and Jimbaran Hub lifestyle centres.