If you want a sense of how life is lived in a typical Balinese village, Amandari purports to provide it. And the property's 31 low stone-and-teak villas, set among terraced rice fields overlooking the Ayung River gorge, do look like the region's traditional homes. The river-stone pathways winding around the grounds, planted with plumeria and banana trees and decorated with stone carvings, also have an old-world authenticity. But the similarity pretty much ends there. Not too many local villagers' houses have Javanese-marble floors or sunken oversized tubs in glass-walled bathrooms. Or, for that matter, private outdoor pavilions for spa treatments, or a glittering green-tiled infinity pool where musicians serenade during dinner hour. (Not that the guests are complaining about any of this.) The resort hosts several cultural-immersion experiences, though; one of the most popular is the trip to a local market with the restaurant's chef, who teaches guests about the produce for sale and shows them  how to use it in traditional Balinese dishes.

This resort, with its series of interlocking, terraced buildings set right into a cliff side, takes full advantage of its setting above the Lombok Strait. Each of the 34 modern, separate guest villas here has its own spacious veranda with daybeds or an infinity pool, most with dizzying views over the sea. The interiors are typical Aman-gorgeous, with inlaid marble-and-wood floors, arched teak window casings, carved bedsteads with luxurious linens, and soaring cane ceilings. Villas are interconnected by winding tree-shaded walkways to the main building, where light cuisine is served in the restaurant, and passion fruit margaritas can be sipped in thatched bales (gazebos). Just below, there's a vast three-tired infinity pool, and a cabana-lined beach, where traditional Balinese massages are given on tables set into the sand. The sheer fabulousness of it all might tempt you to stay on the property for the duration of your stay—but don't. This part of the island—often called "Old Bali"—is chock-full of ancient palaces and temples to explore, and charming villages where you can haggle over snake fruit and carved wooden masks in outdoor markets. The resort offers day trips to all these attractions—which you can choose to explore on foot or via mountain bike or Jeep.

The maid might not leave a diamond choker on your pillow when she turns down the bed at night, but this new resort still gleams with all the luxury its name implies. The setting is supreme: Magnificently situated atop a 500-foot cliff on the island's southern coast, the resort is a village of 59 private villas clustered around two restaurants, a seaside bar, a spacious spa, and a curving infinity-edge pool. A funicular tram descends the side of the cliff to a rugged, otherwise inaccessible white-sand beach that's just for guests. The interior design is just as opulent: Each villa is constructed of native bangkiray wood and bamboo and furnished with Balinese antiques, and has a private outdoor pavilion and plunge pool. The bathrooms are positively operatic, with spotlighted, freestanding black basalt tubs and gleaming chrome fixtures. Unfortunately, despite the sumptuous trappings, privacy is a bit of an issue; the villas sit close enough to one another that there are clear views into the neighbors' gardens. The signature restaurant, however, which occupies a pair of poolside pavilions graced by fabulous flower arrangements, is one of the island's best Westerns—certainly the top choice for creative Italian cuisine.

Not only does the Chedi Club deliver stunning views of Ubud's lush green rice fields, but it comes steeped in Indonesian history. Once the private estate of Hendra Hadiprana, one of the country's most celebrated architects, it comprises 19 stand-alone villas scattered over 12 acres that combine exotic-wood furniture with flat-screen TVs, DVD players, and outdoor showers. The Chedi boasts a glamorous pool scene and a partially open-air spa—both rendered superfluous by select villas, which sport private pools and special spa rooms. Descendants of Hadiprana's collection of rare and exotic birds still paddle the central lotus pond and call out from a variety of perches.

The Como group spared no expense on its flagship property, nestled amid jungle greenery outside Ubud—and the results are spectacular. Ten buildings are split into 21 expansive suites, each with a sky-high cane-thatch roof, gleaming wood floor, carved teak furniture, Victorian bath, and canopied bed. Each building has a spacious common dining and lounging area, and a terrace with chaises and an infinity pool overlooking the Ayung River valley below. (For maximum fabulousness, book the Royal Suite—more than 3,000 square feet filled with stunning antiques and artworks, and a multitiered pool with views over Mount Batu Kara.) The ten stand-alone villas are similarly outfitted and rented in their entirety. Spa treatments are a big part of the experience here; there are nine treatment rooms and four pavilions where guests are massaged, wrapped, soaked, steamed, and purified. Nutritionists and mind–body practitioners tailor specific exercise, healing, and diet regimens (there are two health-conscious restaurants). Perhaps the only downside to this place is its remoteness; it's a half-hour drive from Ubud, and once you arrive, you'll be pretty much confined to the property.

This refreshingly low-key resort on the island's southeastern coast is easily the most family-friendly on the island. The 298 guest rooms and suites here are spacious and comfortable, with authentic Indonesian accents such as dark-wood platform beds, rattan wall screens, and carved objets d'art are offset by clean-lined modern sofas and rugs in Jonathan Adler–type prints. But the interiors aren't the focus here—fun in the sun is. Tanjung Benoa is a spur of land dangling off the end of the island, near the Nusa Dua hotel strip; its lovely, sandy beach is protected by a breakwater that keeps the sea as tranquil as glass. The Conrad takes full advantage of this, offering water sports galore—parasailing, Jet Skiing, cruising aboard a glass-bottom boat or catamaran, intro scuba classes. The resort also has a 108-foot swimming pool designed like a meandering lagoon, with a sandy beach at one end for kids. Several suites have terraces edging the pool; you can change in your room and hop right in.

A short drive from Seminyak along winding back roads, Desa Seni is a change from the synthetic perfection of most resorts in Bali: Set amid rice terraces, ten integral antique houses from all over the Indonesian archipelago—Sumatra, Java, Lombok, and Bali—create a storybook town with meandering cobble paths. The rooms are furnished with rustic antiques: old wooden farming implements, spinning wheels, massive millstones, and cowbells. It could easily have turned out hokey, but tasteful eyes have been at work, and creature comforts haven't been neglected, with luxurious bathrooms added behind the houses, and DVD players and free Internet access in rooms. Complimentary yoga classes are held daily except Sunday in a wide, breezy pavilion, and there's a pretty saltwater pool. Dining options focus on fish and poultry dishes in healthy sauces concocted with vegetables from the resort's organic gardens.

From the moment a staff member meets you at the airport with a chilled hand towel, the service at this resort is unparalleled. The 147 elegant Balinese-style villas have stone walls, thatched roofs, and marble floors; inside are separate sleeping, bathing, and living pavilions, private plunge pools with ocean views. At the resort's cooking school, you can take classes in Balinese cuisine, and tour the local markets before preparing your finds in a state-of-the-art kitchen. The excellent spa offers traditional treatments using sea-salt crystals, seaweed, and aromatics, as well as massage, scrubs, and wraps. The luxurious Lulur Jimbaran, based on a Javanese beauty ritual, includes exfoliation with sandalwood and gingerroot, and a soak in a bath infused with flowers from the spa's garden.

Indonesian art and local handmade fabrics decorate the 42 spacious villas and 18 suites of this property, just outside of Ubud. The sliding teak louvered doors, the ceiling fans, and canopy-draped beds all seem very traditional—so it's quite a shock to approach the looming, ultramodern main building, which looks more like a spaceship that's landed on the hillside than a hotel lobby. With reflecting rooftop lotus pools and an open-air "floating bar" with gorgeous views of rice terraces and the Ayung River valley below, it's certainly a showstopper—but it seems markedly out of place in this jungle setting. Still, you'll easily get used to it once you venture inside to the spa and settle in for a Lulur Sayan treatment: a traditional Javanese beauty ritual employing herbal scrubs, a cooling yogurt splash, and Balinese massage. It's even more heavenly when enjoyed in one of the three private spa villas overlooking peaceful gardens.

One doesn't usually think of Bali as a land of wide open spaces; yet Kayumanis Jimbaran conveys a sense of what the island was like before the tourism boom began in the seventies. Kayumanis, a regional brand, has created a luxury property to compete with the international chains, with a design that has a distinctively Indonesian feel, and efficient and cheerful service throughout. The reception area is a modest modernist pavilion overlooking a broad, manicured coconut grove, refreshed by sea breezes. A cobblestone path winds past 19 well-spaced residences, each occupying more than 1,500 square feet. A classic Balinese thatched-roof bungalow houses a bedroom and an indoor/outdoor bath; it faces a smaller glassed-in room that can be set up as a study, a second bedroom, or a yoga studio. A long living pavilion adjoins the big private pool. The beautifully presented food emphasizes authentic Balinese cookery and Western comfort food.

The sweet-natured staff seem accustomed to seeing guests' jaws drop upon arrival at this contemporary resort a five-minute drive from central Ubud. The 44 rooms face dense jungle and rice paddies, and come with a cozy living area, a 42-inch flat-screen TV with more than 200 movies on Apple TV, and a walk-in closet. A long infinity pool perches at the edge of the Camphuan River, and contemporary Balinese art hangs in public areas. (A complimentary tour of the nearby Neka Museum, founded by the hotel owner's father, is available.) No air-conditioning in the restaurant can mean stifling midday meals. But other details—a soft cotton tunic (perfect over a bathing suit), freshly baked cookies, and a detailed weekly schedule of Ubud's dance and gamelan performances—go the extra mile. And you'll eat well: The menu ranges from indigenous dishes to wafer-thin pizzas from the outdoor wood-fire oven.

The most "Balinese" of the five-star accommodation options in Nusa Dua, this 381-room hotel is decorated in traditional style with local artifacts, rich textiles, and carved wood furniture. Every room features a view of either the resort's nine-acre tropical gardens or the Indian Ocean. The Palace Club rooms are a particularly good deal: Associated privileges include breakfast, afternoon tea, cocktails with hors d'oeuvres, and butler service. The spa provides rejuvenating massage treatments and exotic body scrubs that employ native herbs, flowers, and spices. The fabulous Balinese Boreh treatment lasts nearly two hours and includes an acupressure massage, an herbal wrap, and a betel-leaf bath. Honeymooners will enjoy the Spa Pavilion, where couples can enjoy side-by-side massages and wraps.

Occupying a prime tranche of sea coast in the resort enclave of Nusa Dua, the 120-room St. Regis brings Fifth Avenue smarts to the tropics without losing a scintilla of the island's languorous magic. Even standard rooms are enormous (990 square feet) and turned out in cosmopolitan style. Spacious pool villas offer a choice of garden privacy, a private gate to the beach, or hop-in access to the meandering 40,000-square-foot lagoon pool. There's no end of things to do here—a water-sports center, a private entry to the adjoining Bali Golf & Country Club, frequent cultural events, and an exquisite spa. The resort also abounds in private nooks: A magnificent formal garden dotted with thatched pavilions occupies an expanse of nearly two acres between the main building and the golf course. The beachside Kayuputi restaurant is easily one of the island's best, offering extravagances like wagyu beef and Prunier caviar, and desserts both delicious to the palate and witty to the eye.

Hotelier Christina Ong proves that less is more with this 29-room hotel a five-minute drive from Ubud. Overlooking the Tjampuhan Valley, the oasis is set on a hillside and backed by coconut palms and banyan trees. Blending in with the surroundings (the buildings are made from local wood, with alang-alang thatched roofs), the understated design features sleek, uncluttered lines and cream-and-white furnishings. The soothing Shambhala spa offers treatments based on Asian traditions. Try the Javanese Lulur Royal Bath (incorporating massage, a bath, and a skin-softening treatment), a ritual still practiced in Bali prior to wedding ceremonies. With complimentary daily yoga classes and the hotel's healthful Bali-influenced menu, you'll return home feeling svelte and serene.