Hai Tide Beach Resort

Traditional Balinese lumbung architecture gives Hai Tide Beach Resort its shape: whitewashed rice-barn-style buildings, garden accommodation and villas close to the shore. You stay directly on Mushroom Bay, with the beach and the sea forming part of your daily routine rather than something to reach by shuttle or taxi. The resort has 28 rooms in total and combines the island setting with practical comforts such as air conditioning, private bathrooms, balconies, refrigerators and electric kettles.

This is a useful base if you want your diving holiday to include proper time out of the water. You can start the morning on the beach, return to a cool room when the sun has done its work, and move between the restaurant, the pool and the bay without turning every break into an excursion. Families are catered for as well, with larger family lumbungs and two-bedroom villas, while couples can keep things simpler with a garden or sea-view bungalow.

Hai Tide Beach Resort is in Nusa Lembongan, Indonesia, on the island's Mushroom Bay. The resort sits directly beside the golden-sand beach, with views towards Mount Agung and the Indian Ocean. Tamarind Beach is about 350 metres away on foot, while Sandy Bay and Dream Beach are roughly 0.8 and 1 mile away respectively. That gives you several beaches to explore without putting the resort itself out of reach of the water.

The surrounding area is not just accommodation and sea views. You have restaurants and bars close to the bay, including Sanghyang Bay Bar Dan Restaurant about 300 metres away and Seaside Huts Lembongan about 0.5 miles away. Devil's Tear is around a 1-mile walk, the Yellow Bridge is about 1.8 miles away, and the Mangrove Forest is roughly 4 miles from the resort. The location is island-based in the proper sense: boat first, road logistics afterwards.

For two people, the choice is mainly between garden and sea views. The sea-view bungalows put the bay into your line of sight; the garden option keeps the emphasis on the resort's lumbung setting. Both give you air conditioning, a balcony, a private bathroom and a refrigerator, which is exactly the sort of combination that matters when you come back hot, salty and ready for cold water rather than another adventure.

If you are travelling as three, the deluxe bungalow is the practical step up. Families have the two-bedroom villa, which accommodates up to six guests and has two bathrooms; the villa also comes with a private infinity pool. Family lumbungs can accommodate two adults and two children, while the villas can take four adults and four children with bunk beds for younger guests. Children of any age are welcome, although children aged 12 and over are charged as adults and extra beds depend on the accommodation selected.

Every room has a private entrance, mosquito net, seating area, tea and coffee-making facilities and a wake-up service. Daily housekeeping keeps the return from a long day outdoors straightforward, and room service gives you another way to deal with the post-dive hunger if you would rather stay on your balcony. There are non-smoking rooms, free Wi-Fi throughout the resort and safety deposit boxes for the items you do not want following you to the beach.

Two restaurants cover lunch and dinner, both outdoors and close to the water. Hai Bar & Grill is the more varied option, working across Western and Indonesian cooking with seafood, beef rendang, fish and chips and wood-fired pizza. It also has a broad vegan choice, so the table does not become a daily negotiation between hungry divers.

Hai Ri Zen takes the view-led approach, with open-air dining, bamboo architecture and uninterrupted outlooks towards Mount Agung and the Indian Ocean. Its menu combines Indonesian and Western influences. You can eat with the sea in front of you, which is a fairly efficient way to remember why you came to an island in the first place.

The Hai Bar & Grill also serves as the resort's beach bar, with signature cocktails and cold beer. Breakfast is continental, with pancakes and fruit included among the choices, while the accommodation information also lists à la carte selections. There is a minibar and room service, although no continuous snack service or late dinner arrangement is specified. For groups, Hai Bar & Grill can accommodate parties, conferences and meetings, and it offers pick-up and drop-off service.

The outdoor pool gives you an easy alternative to the sea, while the beach provides the more obvious place to stretch out with a book and let the day's timetable disappear. Sun loungers, beach chairs and umbrellas are available, and the pool area includes a pool bar. Families have a separate children's pool, which keeps the resort's water options useful for mixed-age groups.

When you want to move without committing to another full day out, you can hire a bicycle or join a bike tour. Ocean kayaks, canoes and snorkelling are available on site, alongside more energetic options such as banana boat rides, parasailing and a 35-metre water slide. Aquanauts sea walking and an underwater viewing chamber offer ways to look below the surface without putting a tank on your back.

The tour desk can arrange island activities including a mangrove tour by wooden canoe, a village tour focused on seaweed farming, a crossing of the Yellow Bridge to Nusa Ceningan and visits to Devil's Tear and Dream Beach. You can also take an island cruise to snorkel with sea turtles or learn about coral restoration and marine conservation. Live music, fire dancers and DJ events are part of the resort's event offering, particularly for weddings.

Nusa Lembongan is reached by boat from Bali; this is not a hotel you can drive to from the airport. Ngurah Rai International Airport is about 52 miles away by road, followed by the crossing to the island. The resort arranges airport and shuttle services on request, and Bali Hai Cruises operates catamaran transfers with door-to-door connections from Bali. Reserve the transfer through the hotel so the road and boat sections are treated as one journey rather than two separate problems.

Check-in starts at 2 pm and check-out runs until noon. The front desk is open around the clock, with private check-in and check-out, luggage storage, lockers, concierge service, a tour desk, currency exchange and an ATM on site. Cash is accepted. Free Wi-Fi is available throughout the resort, and daily housekeeping is included.

Children of any age can stay, with extra beds available on request according to the accommodation chosen; cots are not available. Pets are not allowed. The resort has family rooms and non-smoking rooms, and the private bathrooms include a shower, towels and complimentary toiletries. If you want to use the water activities, bear in mind that parasailing has a minimum weight requirement of 30 kg for children.

Bali Hai works with Mars on coral restoration around Nusa Lembongan, supporting the restoration and protection of reef habitat. That work is connected to the visitor experience rather than hidden away in a brochure: you can learn more about coral restoration and ocean conservation at the Adventure Center.

Selected Bali Hai experiences also give you the opportunity to take part in coral restoration activities. It is a practical addition to the island programme, particularly when you want your time above the surface to remain connected to the marine environment that brought you here.