reason guide to bali

Why go on holiday to Bali?
Despite its well-developed tourist trade, there is still plenty of tropical beach, verdant forest and stepped hillside. Dance, music and art is still to be found and it's also a great place to shop.

The temples and festivals are a constant marvel. The compact nature of Bali makes it easy to get around and experience its many treats.

How much does it cost?
For a direct flight from London to Bali's Denpasar airport, expect to pay around £600. A five-night package with flights and hotel is from £650. Mid-range hotel accommodation in a double room costs £10.

When should I go?
The cool season from April to October is the least humid and has less storms. In terms of crowds, July-September is the busiest - accommodation is short and prices rise. Outside these months Bali is pleasantly un-touristy.
What should I do when I'm there?
The capital, Denpasar, is the hub of Bali's development and wealth and is a bustling, fast-expanding city of 370,000 souls. It's no tourist trap but has pleasant streets and offers a glimpse of the real Bali.

The Bali Museum is interesting if a little ramshackle and the Abiankapas arts centre presents traditional music and dance.

Where else should I go?
Ubud is the destination for culture vultures. The beautiful Puri Lukisan Museum covers all kinds of Balinese art, while others are more specialised. There are excellent restaurants and outlying rice paddies and forest.

Gunung Batur is Bali's natural wonder, a volcanic cone with great views and hot springs to relax in. Pejeng, at the bottom of a green valley, has 10 ancient rock-cut shrines.

Tenganan, near Padangbai, is an ancient walled village full of living tradition. The Bali Barat National Park has monkeys, wild pigs, iguanas and snakes as well as coral reef.

What festivals are there?
Bali seems to have a non-stop supply of festivals. The Galungan festival is the big one, a 10-day feast when the gods descend in lion-dog form and parade between temples and villages.

Nyepi is a livelier time as people rush around by night with gongs and torches, driving out evil spirits before settling down to a day of inactivity.

What are the beaches like?
Kuta Bay is the tourist centre of Bali, complete with cheap accommodation, surf, shopping and throbbing nightlife. To the north is the less tacky Sanur, to the south the upmarket Nusa Dua. Surfers should head for Ulu Watu near Kuta Bay.

What's the accommodation like?
Other than the midsummer high season, there is plenty of accommodation of all kinds. Small homestays are basic but usually cheap and clean, many offer cooking facilities for longer stays.

The price and quality of hotels goes right up to luxurious, splendidly-appointed and palatial.

Buy batik cloth
Where's good for nightlife?
Kuta, Bali's biggest tourist beach, has plenty of places for drinking, loud music and late nights. Most of the bars have happy hours between 6pm and 9pm.

Many of them are concentrated on or around Jl Legian, but the fashionable expatriates tend to party to the north of Kuta in Seminyak. Here, the 66 Club and the Gado Gado both have beach-side open-air dance floors.

If you fancy the pictures, there's a three-screen cinema, also on Jl Legian, which shows recently-released (mainly American) films, with Indonesian subtitles.

What's the food like?
Mostly you will come across traditional South-East Asian food, a delicious hybrid of Indian and Chinese cuisine. Spicy, nutty and with plenty of excellent seafood, it is always a treat.

If you can, try the Balinese specialities of smoked duck and minced sate.

What should I buy?
Many purchases require bargaining, but try to remember that it's not a matter of life or death if you pay more than you think - often less than the price of a newspaper could buy a local person a meal.

Popular buys are batik cloth, bamboo and woven items, wood carvings and sculpture.

What is there for children to do?
Most Indonesians adore cute Western kids, so be prepared for children perhaps getting a bit weary of all the attention.

Bali is probably the best part of Indonesia to take children, as there are good facilities for them at the resorts, plus a ready supply of baby-sitters. Children will love the dolphin-spotting trips and glass-bottomed boat trips from Lovina, in West Bali.

In Monkey Forest, in Ubud, they can feed a band of monkeys (under careful supervision, as the monkeys can get stroppy if the food doesn't come fast enough!).