Four Seasons Resort Bali at Jimbaran Bay

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.

From the readers of Condé Nast Traveler:

The "scenic, secluded resort" on a hillside overlooking the Indian Ocean has "stunning Balinese architecture" that blends limestone and bamboo. Villas have handcrafted teak furniture and local fabrics as well as plunge pools surrounded by gardens with waterfalls. Taman Wantilan's Italian menu includes seared veal saltimbocca. The spa uses local herbs and spices in its treatments. "Staff aim to please—and succeed."