Absolute Scuba Bali Dive Resort

Absolute Scuba Bali is a beachfront resort in a working fishing village, with the sea, the beach and the fast-boat jetty all close at hand. It suits divers who want the dive operation nearby but still expect a proper place to eat, sleep and spend the non-diving hours. The resort has been open since 2005, bringing together accommodation, a restaurant, a pool and a spa under one roof.

English is spoken by the hotel team, alongside Indonesian, so you can deal directly with the people looking after your stay. The atmosphere is built around the water without turning every waking moment into a dive briefing: the pool has a bar, the restaurant faces the ocean and the gardens give you somewhere to sit when your legs have had enough of fins.

You are in Padangbai, East Bali, Indonesia, directly beside a sandy beach. Padang Bai Beach is on the doorstep, while Blue Lagoon Beach is about 0.2 miles away. The resort sits in the village rather than in an isolated compound, with cafés and restaurants nearby and the port just a short walk away.

That port matters if your itinerary includes the fast boats to the Gili Islands or Lombok. Candidasa is around 15 minutes away by car, and Klungkung, also known as Semarapura, takes about 25 minutes. Ngurah Rai International Airport is roughly 34 miles away, with the drive taking about 48 minutes; Ubud is around an hour by car.

The room choice is mainly about how you want to use the space. Couples can opt for a double room with a private balcony and partial sea view, or choose the larger garden bungalow if an outdoor terrace and more room to spread out appeal after a day carrying wet bags and tired shoulders. Sea views are available in selected rooms, while others look towards the garden or pool.

Families and small groups have a family room sleeping up to four, while the triple rooms make more sense when three people want to share without pretending that a standard double has magical stretching powers. Twin rooms are the practical call for dive buddies who prefer separate beds. The room range also includes a compact standard double for travellers who would rather put the budget into time underwater than extra floor space.

All rooms are air-conditioned and have a private balcony or terrace, a minibar, a safety deposit box, a private bathroom, towels, toiletries and tea- and coffee-making facilities. Some rooms have outdoor showers. Free Wi-Fi covers the resort, and daily housekeeping keeps the return from the day's diving pleasantly uncomplicated.

La Cabaña Restaurant serves breakfast, lunch and dinner on an open-air terrace beside the pool, with ocean views to keep you company. The menu moves between Indonesian dishes, Western food and fusion cooking, with salads, pasta, grilled dishes and strong vegetarian and vegan choices. Breakfast comes as a buffet or à la carte, and breakfast-to-go and packed lunches are useful when the day's schedule starts before your appetite has fully reported for duty.

The wood-fired pizzas are the restaurant's signature, cooked in the sort of oven that makes a perfectly sensible diver consider a second slice. La Cabaña Pool Bar handles the liquid side of the evening with tropical cocktails, cold beer, wine and fresh fruit juices. The bar is beside the pool, so you can move from sun lounger to sunset drink without needing a change of transport.

The standard arrangement is accommodation only, but all dive days include lunch at La Cabaña. Special-diet menus are available, with vegetarian and vegan options given particular attention.

The large outdoor resort pool is the obvious place to cool down, with a swim-up bar and pool towels available. Sun loungers and beach chairs let you choose between a dip and horizontal contemplation, while the garden and outdoor seating provide a little separation from the water when you have already spent enough time wet for one day. A games room and a library cover the occasions when a book or a board game sounds more appealing than another outing.

Taman Sari Spa offers Balinese-style treatments including full-body massage, head and shoulder massage, facials, hand and foot care, manicures, pedicures and body treatments. Couples can book a massage together, or you can simply target the back, neck or feet that have done the hard work. The spa also has a relaxation area, foot bath and open-air bath.

There is a gym at the resort, and organised day trips can take you to places such as Besakih Temple, Tenganan Traditional Village, Tirta Gangga Water Temple, Ubud, Klungkung and Gembleng Waterfall. Snorkelling, fishing and boat excursions are also available for a day when you want the sea without committing to a full dive profile.

Ngurah Rai International Airport is about 34 miles away, and an airport transfer or shuttle can be arranged through the resort. Car hire, a tour desk, concierge service, currency exchange and luggage storage are available, with a 24-hour front desk for arrivals that do not quite respect ordinary office hours. The fast-boat jetty is close by, which makes the resort a useful stop before or after travelling onwards to the islands.

Check-in runs from 15:00 to 23:30, and check-out from 07:00 to 12:00. The minimum age for check-in is 18, and you may be asked for a passport or local identity document on arrival. Children of all ages are welcome; a family room accommodates up to four people, and cots or extra beds can be requested according to the room selected.

Free Wi-Fi is available throughout the resort. Room service, daily housekeeping, laundry, dry cleaning, ironing and packed lunches cover the less glamorous but genuinely useful parts of a diving holiday. A Superior Twin Room is marked as barrier-free, and wheelchair access is available.

A coral restoration programme forms part of the resort's work, with care for Bali's marine environment placed at the centre of its operations. It is a practical link between the accommodation and the sea outside: the reef is not merely a backdrop for the holiday, but part of what the resort works to protect.