Damai

You may feel as though you’ve already seen Bali from a few different angles. But it’s fair to say that until you’ve been to Damai, your knowledge of the island is partial at best. Around the north side of Bali, on a mountainside above the cliffs of Lovina Bay, stand fourteen mod-Balinese villas, hidden away amid acres of forested land. It’s just about as far as you can get — in a way that’s not entirely figurative — from the nightlife of Denpasar, that’s for sure.

For all the charm of its location, however — and the location does have an awful lot of charm, let’s be clear about that — Damai is more than just a bumpy jeep ride and an inspiring view. You’d scarcely bother coming all this way for fourteen average villas, so they’ve gone and made them extraordinary. The look is less like a traditional Balinese villa resort and more like an upscale apartment complex, a collection of modern-luxe residences outfitted with a generous helping of local color.

Plunge pools, private pavilions, 24-hour butler service and open-air spa treatments; life at Damai isn’t exactly rigorous. There are guests who’ll balk at the journey, to be sure, but the rest of us will gladly pay the price to see another side of Bali.

How to get there:

Damai is three hours’ drive from Denpasar Airport (DPS).