High above the hustle and bustle of Kuta and Seminyak are the mist enshrouded spa resorts of Ubud. These wonderful retreats are the main attraction in Bali for many visitors, and they are often heavily booked all year round. It’s a testament to the tranquility and sophisticated sense of sedation of Ubud that despite their popularity, these resorts offer guests a sense of quiet isolation and gentle relaxation.

Some of Ubud’s most popular spa resorts include Milano, near the Monkey Forest. This Ubud retreat is famous for its manicures and pedicures and welcomes many day visitors. The Maya Ubud Resort and Spa offers around three dozen palatial guest rooms with horizon edge lap pool and superior herbal massages. For a splurge, take one of the 20 villas at the Kupu Kupu Barong, possibly Ubud’s most expensive spa resort and certainly one of its fanciest. This marvelous and world famous place treats visitors like royalty and the villas are separate enough to give a sense of being on private holiday in a treehouse, though the sunken marble baths may give the game away. Less deluxe but happily indulgent is the Verona Spa, also near the monkey forest. Famous for its head massages and herbal hair treatments (with complimentary scalp massage) this Ubud resort is also a popular choice of day trippers, passing through town. The Padma Hastaa Spa offers afternoon-long milk baths and all kinds of herbal skin care treatments.

The Ubud Sari Health Resort offers western levels of luxury and service over traditional Balinese health treatments like massage and aromatherapy with hot rocks.

At one of these places, you may forget you’re in Bali all together.

Oscar nominated British Actor Ralph Fiennes is a Bali fan. So is Nathaniel Parker. Both come for different reasons, praising various resorts in Nusa Dua or the tree top retreats of Ubud, where discretion is the order of the day. You can rub shoulders with people like this – and even Kate Moss has paid a visit or two to Bali – without breaking the bank. Like most places, if you really want to spend the farm, you can do so here as some of the best suites in the finest high end luxury resorts will cost several thousands of dollars each night. That’s up to you.

Other travellers take advantage of excellent online discounts and package offers to live it up like a star in Bali without ending up bankrupt. Some of Nusa Dua’s luxury five star resorts have suites that go for double figure room rates – that makes them cheaper than many airport motels in the UK! This kind of value is really unbeatable especially considering you can wake up and cross the teak terrace of your suite to go left to the white sands of the beach or right to the resort swimming pool where wait staff bring cocktails while you relax on a banana chair under a fine mist of lightly scented cooling water.

Beautiful restaurants are dotted around Bali and plenty of celebrities eat at these places. Again, the price range is astounding but you can easily grab a table and eat like a star without emptying your inheritance.