A kitchen with a large window over a green rice field and palm trees — Our villa in South Kuta.

Travel · Bali · Where to stay

Best Area to Stay in Bali: Our Villa Stays in Kedungu, Ubud, Canggu and South Kuta

By Anna · Published October 21, 2026

We stayed in four different areas of Bali on two trips, always in villas. We paid about $50 a night for a couple in Kedungu in 2022, and in 2024–25 about $59 in Ubud, $71 in South Kuta and $100 in Canggu per couple per night, because there were two couples in each villa.

This is how each area felt, what we paid and which one I would choose for what.

Kedungu: quiet, villas and a surf beach

In December 2022 we lived in Kedungu, in a Little Ripper villa, for about $50 a night for the two of us. Kedungu is quieter than the areas most people choose: there are not many tourists, a good choice of villas, a few decent cafes, and a surf beach.

Little Ripper is a cafe and villas, and it is still a favourite place of ours. This isn’t a partnership: here is their Instagram. When we came back in 2024–25, there was a big new building and new villas and apartments, but the same warm atmosphere. We would like to stay there again.

The front of a villa with a tiled roof, a hanging chair and a wooden bench on the terrace — Our villa in 2022.

A carved wooden gate door opening onto a garden path to a villa — The gate.

A villa with a tiled roof behind a garden with large monstera plants and a pool — Garden and pool.

A bathroom with a round white basin, a mirror and two wall lamps — The bathroom.

A small pool with a wall painted with surfing characters and tropical plants — A little pool.

Avocado toast and a fried egg on a plate on the edge of the pool — Breakfast by the pool.

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The beach at Kedungu

Pantai Kedungu has dark sand, fewer people and moderate waves. There are coconut stands, and you can rent gear and take surf lessons on the spot. It is a very different feel from Canggu.

Surfers practising on dark sand with the ocean behind — Surf lessons on the beach.

A man walking through the foam on a dark sand beach under a blue sky — Walking the beach.

Me in a green bucket hat holding a fresh coconut under a tree near the sea — A coconut stop.

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Kedungu was our quiet start: not many tourists, a surf beach and a villa for about $50 a night.

Ubud: a balance of traffic, good places and nature

In 2024 and 2025 we spent a week in Ubud, at the De Angga Villa, about $820 for the week for two couples (about $59 per couple per night). For us Ubud is a good balance: some traffic, good places to eat, nature and a lot to see. There are many interesting cafes, a monkey forest inside the town and waterfalls close by. Sangeh is not far, either. There is also more wildlife around in Ubud: at night something kept making noise on our roof.

From Ubud we rode out to Jatiluwih and to Sangeh and Nungnung, and I wrote about where we ate in Ubud.

A villa with warm lights and a pool at dusk among palm trees — Our villa in the evening.

A red-tiled pavilion with an umbrella and sun loungers next to a pool — A pavilion by the pool.

A small round pool in a garden with palms and a stone path — The garden.

Orange koi fish swimming in a dark pond — Koi in the pond.

Me standing at the edge of the pool with bamboo behind me — At the pool.

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Canggu: lots of cafes and beautiful places, with some traffic

Canggu was our week with the most cafes and beautiful, interesting places, and there is always something new to try. Yes, you lose time in traffic, especially in the heat, but for us it was worth it for how many lovely places there are. Our villa there cost about $1,400 for the week for two couples (about $100 per couple per night), and it looked out over the rice fields.

A narrow pool and sun loungers next to a villa with black window frames and rice fields — Pool and rice fields.

A bright living room with a wooden table, a staircase and rattan lamps — The living room.

An open kitchen with a stone island and large rattan pendant lamps — Kitchen.

A pool beside a daybed with a coconut, with palms and rice fields behind — Coconut by the pool.

A bathroom with a round white basin, brass taps and a shower behind — The bathroom.

A wooden pergola with a white sofa surrounded by tropical plants — A corner to sit in.

A bedroom window with white curtains and a ceiling fan looking out on green rice fields — Rice fields from the bedroom.

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South Kuta: Uluwatu and Nusa Dua without the heavy traffic

In our third week we stayed in South Kuta, which isn’t exactly Uluwatu. It is convenient for both Uluwatu and Nusa Dua, there is not much heavy traffic, and there are many beach clubs, beaches and cafes close by. The villa was about $1,000 for the week for two couples (about $71 per couple per night), with a window over the rice field in the kitchen.

We came here for beach clubs. My favourite was Manarai Beach Club in Nusa Dua: a clean beach, pools, good food and comfortable sunbeds.

A wide window with a view of a green rice field under a cloudy evening sky — Rice field from the window.

A pool with a daybed and tropical plants next to a villa with a thatch roof — The pool.

A lit living room seen through large glass doors in the evening — Evening in the villa.

A white freestanding tub in front of a window with green banana plants — The bathroom.

A living area with straw pendant lamps, a ceiling fan and a sofa next to a kitchen island — Living area.

A bedroom with a white bed and a warm lamp next to a glass door — Bedroom.

A green rice field and tall trees seen from the villa under a cloudy sky — Rice field and palms.

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So which is the best area to stay in Bali?

After four stays, this is how I would choose. Pick Kedungu for quiet, a surf beach and reasonable prices. Pick Ubud for a balance of nature, sights and good places to eat. Pick Canggu if you want lots of cafes and beautiful places and don’t mind the traffic in the heat. Pick South Kuta for beach clubs and beaches without heavy traffic.

A decent villa for a couple usually costs about $50 to $70 a night. We paid about $50 in Kedungu in 2022, and the later villas were shared by two couples, four people, so the per-night prices above are per couple.

Most of our trips were on a scooter, so I also wrote about renting a scooter and the licence.