Keraton Jimbaran Resort

Keraton Jimbaran Resort is a four-star beachfront hotel on Jl. Mrajapati, set next to one of the main clusters of Jimbaran seafood cafés. Its gardens and beachfront pool lead straight onto the sand, and the hotel offers standard rooms as well as one- and two-bedroom villas.

The position is the reason to stay: you can swim in the bay in the morning, sit by the pool bar through the afternoon and walk a few metres for a grilled seafood dinner with your feet in the sand at sunset. The resort has a restaurant and pool bar, and staff can arrange tours and transport.

Rooms are traditional rather than cutting-edge, so it suits travellers who value location and value over design. The airport is about 15 minutes away. Beachfront café tables fill up quickly from around 5pm, so walk over a little early, and agree the price of seafood by weight before it goes on the grill.