Glorious Nusa Dua resorts for luxurious escape to sunshine

At the plush Sofitel Bali Nusa Dua Resort, you get Parisian comforts mixed with a heady sprinkling of Balinese flavour. Check into your king room and take in the view across the glistening ocean from your private balcony. Modern Fench décor sits alongside Asian touches like softly sliding doors to transport you into a serene space. With the warm waters of the Indian Ocean just metres away, you can be swimming, surfing or sunbathing minutes after arrival.

For those steamy Balinese evenings, head down to Toya beach bar and grill for local treats. Surrounded by palm trees, historical architecture and trickling pools and fountains, you can feast on crackling and sweet suckling pork or flash-fried, spicy noodle dishes. Grab a signature Toya Ning, Tiki Beach or Vojito cocktail before strolling along the sand to bask in the technicolour sunset.

The locals call Bali the ‘island of the gods’, and you’ll certainly feel like one staying at The Laguna. Located on the east coast and buffeted by the turquoise sea, the Laguna is not short of show-stopping views.

Choose from rooms that look out over the white, sandy beach, glittering resort pools or green tropical gardens. On arrival, call on the 24-hour in-house butler service to bring you your first celebratory drink of the trip. You’ll listen to the symphony of birds and waves right from your private terrace while you sip.

The interior of the resort is a calming labyrinth of tranquil swimming pools. Kick off your thongs and find your ideal afternoon spot among the winding lagoon pools and shaded loungers. If you prefer a salty swim, wander through palm trees and gardens to the hotel’s own stretch of sand. After a swim or beach nap, take a seat at Kulkul Bar during ‘Social Hour’ to enjoy two-for-one cocktails while you watch the evening tide roll in.

For a beachside holiday to help you forget your winter blues, you’ll want to head to The Mulia Nusa Dua. The enormous pool, lined with Greek columns, stretches right out over the white-sand beach. Slip into your swimmers and lean on the pool’s edge, surveying the ocean vista from the cool, clear water.

The views continue in your own ensuite, where you can sink into a luxurious bath with a private vantage point of the coast. Spend an idle hour in the soothing water as the sea breeze flows through the room. Once you’re fresh and fancied up, head to onsite eatery Soliel for a decadent meal. You’ll tuck into succulent prawns and meaty crab caught fresh that day.

Visiting over the weekend? Make sure to catch the resort’s epic Sunday brunch buffet, where you can crack into Kurobuta pork belly, buttery lobster tail and made-to-order steak.

Families wanting an activity-filled beach escape should check out the Westin Resort Dua Nusa.  On the green of Bali’s best golf course just down the road, you can spend a quiet morning serenaded by native barbets. Alternatively, throw on your whites and head down to the onsite tennis court for a family tournament. Whatever you opt for, you’ll have three glittering swimming pools to cool off in after your game.

In the mood for some adult-only time? Drop the kids off at the Westin Family KidsClub so you can soothe your post-workout muscles in the Himalayan Salt Sauna at Heavenly Spa. Or, simply steal away to your terrace room and admire the seascape through the graceful silhouettes of palm trees.

Come evening, let your little ones choose their favourite title from the in-house movie selection and snuggle up on the sofa. That’ll leave you free to duck out to the oceanfront bar for a chilled, tangy Aperol Spritz as the stars come out.

Built into a hillside against a cascade of tropical flora, the Hilton Bali is something out of a Balinese fairy tale. Multiple levels swathed in gardens tumble down towards the staggering shoreline.

From your private balcony in an ocean-facing room, you’ll feel as if you can almost touch the pearly white sand and endless sky. The hotel’s babysitting service will ensure your time is free to spend at the spa sanctuary, where you can ease into your holiday with an Ocean Detox Wrap made of seaweed and clay.

Spend sunny afternoons roaming the lush grounds, dipping in and out of the many lagoon pools when you need to cool off. Take up a sun lounger on the beachfront pool’s edge and feel the spray of the surf while you enjoy an ice-cold Bintang. When your stomach starts to rumble, make your way to the open-air rooftop of The Shore for rich seafood, or to Paon Bali to sample unbelievably tender suckling pig barbecue.

Villa life is quintessentially Balinese, and it’s in this spirit that the Inaya Putri Bali has designed its guest spaces. In your one- or two-bedroom villa, walk beneath the vaulted wood beam and thatch ceilings while the salt breeze drifts in through wide glass doors. Order a bottle of bubbly and toast your first paradisiacal evening from your garden terrace against a backdrop of tropical greenery.

After waking in sumptuous linens, join in one of the resort’s yoga sessions to stretch into the day. Afterwards, you can dive into one of three infinity pools beneath a swaying jungle canopy. While away the afternoon on the beach, then wash off the salt and sand in your deep bath as you ready for the evening. Balmy nights are best spent at Inaya Bar Lounge, where expert bartenders will craft spicy Bloody Marys while you graze on Asian tapas.

Take your pick of swimming spots at The St Regis, where a hotel-wide lagoon pool sparkles just beyond your door and the soft beach lies only metres away. In your intimate villa, you can spend a lazy day dangling your feet in your private lap pool while you delve into a good book.

If you like to rise early, wander the length of Nusa Dua beach as day breaks and watch the pink-tinted waves gently wash ashore. After a coffee and breakfast of tropical fruits, nestle down for a breeze-kissed nap on a beachside cabana bed.

The St Regis Vista Bar is the place to be for sunset, where you can sit over the ocean or at the pool bar with a glass of crisp champagne. For a true Balinese dining experience, head to the resort’s Dulang restaurant. This open space is surrounded by the chef’s garden, fragrant with the very herbs and spices that will complete your meal. Dip a spoon into creamy Malaysian laksa, or tuck into fall-off-the-bone pork ribs while a live band fills the night air with traditional Balinese Rindik music.

Designed around the idea of ‘holistic holiday renewal’, The Balé pulls out all the stops to pamper its guests from head to toe. A favourite spot among honeymooners, this is the place for an ultra calming kid-free getaway.

Enjoy sun-drenched mornings by waking up in your airy pavilion, where you can pad straight from bed to your private pool. Sip a creamy espresso in your own tranquil garden before slipping out to the spa for crystal healing hot stone therapy or a sensual couples massage using warm honey oil.

For a cultural activity that you and your partner can share, have a go at a Balinese cooking class. After selecting colourful market produce, you’ll whip up aromatic favourites like nutty satay and subtly spicy Nasi Goreng.

Prefer an intimate evening where someone else does the cooking? Follow a trail of rose petals across the sand to a candlelit table on the beach. You’ll feast on fare grilled in the open air while the moon rises over the ocean lapping at your feet.