Bukit Peninsula
The 20 tidy rooms here have good ventilation and hot water, and face a small compound with a lovely pool. Some 2nd-floor units have distant ocean views,…
Must-see hotels in Indonesia
Makassar
This sleek, contemporary hotel is the most luxurious base in the city, offering guests a 25m rooftop pool, a gym, a spa and children's game corner. The…
Semarang
Towering over the city, this luxury hotel offers understated, well-designed rooms at good-value prices. Rooms come with large LCD TVs, fast wi-fi and…
West Sumatra
Walk through rice paddies (5.5km north of Maninjau) to these five simple bungalows facing a small beach and clear section of lake (no fish farms here)…
Gili Trawangan
Nineteen classy rooms and villas, made from recycled teak salvaged from old Javanese colonial buildings, are set back from the beach on Trawangan's…
Banyak Islands
If you get stuck on Balai, Losmen Putri is arguably the island's best accommodation. Go for the cheapest rooms with shared bathrooms or splurge on one…
East Bali
The key to Sidemen's charm lies in its simplicity, and this place is a good example. Five basic rooms (some with wonderful views from small terraces), a…
Sulawesi
Patuno Resort Wakatobi is a sprawling dive resort on a long white-sand beach close to the northern tip of the island. Rooms in the hotel block are small…
Ubud
Though literally a stone's throw from the hectic main road, here rice fields (complete with ducks) miraculously materialise. Huge rooms and suites with a…
East Java
Wooden floors, funky wallpaper, floor-to-ceiling windows, thick mattresses and an impressive swimming pool that nearly encircles half the hotel. This…
Gili Trawangan
One of the best-run (if totally overpriced) places to stay on Gili T. Each of the 10 large units has hardwood floors across multiple rooms and a large…
Nusa Dua
This lavish Nusa Dua resort leaves most of the others in the sand. Every conceivable luxury is provided, from electronics to furnishings, the marble and…
Sanur
Another basic, small beachfront hotel, the Peneeda (which is not phonetically accurate for Penida) is a good choice for sun, sand and room service at a…
Flores
This good-enough hotel offers 11 rooms in a two-storey building near the town centre and market. Tiled rooms are refreshingly free of extraneous decor,…
Sumbawa
The most upscale place on the beach, this Balinese-run, three-star resort has 57 attractive modern rooms. Some are perfectly oriented to the break; others…
Patra Jasa Bali Resort & Villas
Kuta & Legian
At the far-south end of Tuban near Kuta Reef Beach, this low-key resort is very quiet, yet close to the action thanks to the beach walk. The spacious…
West Java
Set in a coconut grove, this lodge has been recently renovated and has six simple double rooms with fans. There's a kitchen, but you must bring your own…
Canggu
Right on a bend in the lagoon and fronting Berawa Beach, this light and airy resort makes the most of its long and narrow location. Even the smallest of…
Seminyak
Ground zero for Seminyak: the 11 villas are a short walk to some of the best restaurants and the beach. Units vary in size but each is a private walled…
Kalimantan
With its high-ceilinged, well-maintained rooms near the river, Hotel Tiara offers the best of both budget worlds: plain but good-value budget rooms in the…
Canggu
The five breezy rooms at this contemporary guesthouse are very comfortable. Some have lovely views of the (surviving) rice fields, and all have fridges…
Bukit Lawang
A popular backpacker choice, the ever-growing Garden Inn has options spread over several buildings, from fabulous wooden jungle shacks to pristine, modern…
Kalimantan
On the far edge of town, Swiss-Belinn is Pangkalan Bun's swankiest hotel, though it lacks much in the way of charm. Discounted rates (listed here) are the…
Kuta & Legian
This Kuta institution has a lush, green setting for its 20 thatch-roofed cottages with outdoor sunken baths. Bed choices include kings and twins. The pool…
Tanjung Puting National Park
Located directly on the river at the end of Sekonyer village, these three rustic rough-hewn wood cabins offer a pricey but truly immersive Borneo…
Nusa Lembongan
The nine units at this hillside place are a mix of square and circular numbers with thatched roofs and balconies. The large rooms (some with fan only)…
Lombok
A collection of seven bungalows in a blooming garden at the edge of the rice fields. You'll find it perched over the family rice plot about 600m from the…
Danau Toba
This guesthouse has a top-notch lakeside setting, riotous tropical flower gardens and sparkling rooms with mosquito nets and porches overlooking the water…
Kalimantan
This chain hotel adds a touch of class to the otherwise standard business-hotel market. The fresh rooms all have work desks, flat-screen TVs and bone…
Sumatra
One of the better places to stay in Kota Agung (which is not saying a lot) is this budget option along the main thoroughfare with a classic motel…
Kalimantan
This polished resort, owned by the Mesra Coal conglomerate, is located on a private hilltop north of the city centre. Some rooms have balconies…
Flores
Located on a hillside 3km outside town on the road to Ende, the original Villa Silverin has seen better days, but the newer, pricier rooms across the road…
Senggigi
South of the centre and inland, this modern compound makes the most of its quiet location. The 14 rooms surround a large pool and have balconies and…
North Sumatra
If you absolutely must stay overnight in Sibolga, Hotel Wisata Indah is the pick of a pretty uninspiring lot. Its dated, shabby rooms offer sea views, and…
North Bali
A slightly older resort with spacious grounds, the beachfront Amertha benefits from having big mature trees that give it that timeless tropical feel…
Kalimantan
The riverside location is the trump card at this popular midranger. You only really get a river view in the 'Classic' rooms and above – as well as over…
Aceh
Centrally located in front of Dylan's Right surf break is this Dutch-owned place with well-maintained thatched beach huts, a lovely natural plunge pool…
Senggigi
The 52 rooms in motel-style blocks have high ceilings, shiny tiles and small seating areas out front. It’s on the beach side of the main drag, though not…
Gili Trawangan
This friendly homestay in a quieter part of the village offers eight simple doubles facing each other across a shady, fern-filled courtyard. The young…
North Sulawesi
These elegant, beautifully designed cottages in a lovely beachside setting don't offer diving, but do have Sarah – the owner and chef who whips up some of…
