Bali

Bali is Indonesia's best-known island and fits beach, mountain and countryside into a small space. In the south, Nusa Dua and Jimbaran have calm resort beaches; in the centre, Ubud sits among river valleys and rice terraces; in the north rise volcanoes and crater lakes.

Bali's traditional irrigation system, the subak, has been on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 2012, and you see it clearly at Tegallalang near Ubud and at Jatiluwih in the centre of the island. The best-known temples are Tanah Lot on a sea rock at sunset, Uluwatu on a cliff above the ocean, and Ulun Danu Bratan on Lake Bratan in the highlands.

Most Balinese are Hindu, so we book well-known halal restaurants for you and ask hotels for halal meals in advance; there are mosques in Denpasar and Nusa Dua. Bali also charges foreign visitors a tourism levy, paid online before arrival.

We suggest splitting your stay: three nights in Ubud for nature and culture, then three or four nights on the south coast for the sea and rest.