Classic Indonesia: Discovering Bali

Bali’s beaches form the island’s most celebrated face, alternating golden stretches with volcanic bays of dark sand. Along the southern coast, Kuta and Seminyak draw surfers with their long swells and sunsets over the Indian Ocean, while Jimbaran shelters seafood grills at the water’s edge and Nusa Dua lines elegant resorts along calm lagoons. Further east and north, secluded coves such as Sanur and Lovina invite diving, snorkelling and dawn dolphin-watching. Everywhere the sand meets seafront temples, street-food stalls and Bali’s relaxed spirituality. A mosaic of shorelines for every holiday pace, from the southern nightlife to the contemplative quiet of the remoter bays. Seminyak is Bali's most glamorous and cosmopolitan face, an elegant beach resort on the island's south-western coast, famed for its golden-sand beaches, spectacular sunsets over the Indian Ocean and a refined lifestyle culture. Along avenues such as Jalan Kayu Aya — the so-called "Eat Street" — designer boutiques, art galleries, luxury spas and acclaimed restaurants follow one another, ranging from Balinese cooking to international cuisine. The wide beaches of Seminyak and neighbouring Petitenget, watched over by the seafront Petitenget temple, are dotted with beach clubs where the sunset aperitivo is a ritual. A few minutes inland lie rice terraces and wellness retreats set amid greenery. An ideal destination for those seeking sea, design and sophisticated nightlife, Seminyak blends Bali's spiritual soul with contemporary elegance.

Ubud rises among the terraced rice fields and rainforests of Bali's mountainous heart, long recognised as the island's cultural and spiritual capital. Far from the beaches of the south, it draws travellers seeking art, wellbeing and a more authentic Bali of temples, sacred dances and drifting incense. The town's heart beats around Jalan Raya Ubud and the covered art market, where textiles, wood carvings and paintings blend into everyday life. Nearby stands Puri Saren Agung, the royal palace still inhabited by the ruling family, which hosts evening performances of traditional dance such as the Legong and the thunderous Kecak, sung by dozens of male voices. Along Jalan Monkey Forest lies the Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary, a sacred grove home to macaques and dotted with moss-covered temples. Just outside the centre, Pura Taman Saraswati enchants with its lotus pond, while the nearby Pura Tirta Empul, a sacred spring where Balinese purify themselves in the waters, and the rock-cut complex of Goa Gajah (the Elephant Cave) tell the region's long spiritual story. Around Ubud the landscape unfolds into some of Bali's most famous scenery: the terraced rice paddies of Tegallalang, shaped by the ancient subak irrigation system recognised by UNESCO, and the artisan villages of Mas, Celuk and Batuan, specialising in carving, silverwork and painting. Days may begin with a sunrise yoga class, a stroll along the Campuhan Ridge Walk through green hills, or a Balinese cooking class amid spices, sambal and babi guling. Further north lie excursions to the Tegenungan waterfalls and the volcanoes, while jungle-set cafés and refined spas complete the unhurried mood. Ubud is best experienced slowly, guided by the sound of gamelan and the endless green of the rice fields.

Synonymous with exclusivity and refinement, Nusa Dua is Bali's enclave of grand resorts, an elegant, neatly planned complex at the island's southern tip, designed to offer high-end hospitality amid pristine beaches and manicured gardens. Long stretches of white sand lapped by calm, reef-sheltered waters are ideal for swimming and water sports, while the Water Blow headland offers the spectacle of ocean waves crashing against the rocks. Pedestrian paths, golf courses and a shopping gallery wind among the resorts, and the nearby Nusa Dua peninsula holds scenic clifftop temples overlooking the sea. A short distance away, the fishing village of Tanjung Benoa is the launch point for parasailing, jet skiing and island excursions. Nusa Dua is the ideal destination for a holiday of pure relaxation, comfort and crystal-clear waters.