Bali & Island Discovery

Ubud

Immerse yourself in the peace and serenity of Ubud, the cultural heart of Bali and home to numerous temples, artists’ workshops and arts and crafts markets. Made famous by the bestselling book and subsequent film Eat, Pray, Love, Ubud’s temperate climate, traditional architecture, authentic cuisine, sacred monkey forest and local retail scene draw hippies, honeymooners and families in their droves. Don’t miss the Bali Bird Park, housing more than 250 species of birds that roam freely or live in environmentally sympathetic walk-through aviaries.

Tembok

Relax on the wide empty beaches of Tembok, a northeastern Balinese resort set against a landscape of volcanic peaks and fringed by black sands. With nearly empty beaches and a laid-back feel, this is the place to get away from it all. Due to calm waters, it’s a good spot to learn to dive, while more experienced underwater adventurers will find fish-filled shipwrecks and diving walls to explore too. This is also one of the best places to treat yourself to a pampering session in your hotel spa.

Candidasa

Walk barefoot along the black sand beaches of Candidasa, a chilled town that’s perfect for a spot of down time, as well as being home to the twin temples of Pura Candidasa. These two edifices are dedicated to the gods Shiva and Hariti, raised up on a hill overlooking a lagoon along the town’s main road. Being just an hour’s boat ride from the wreck of the USAT Liberty, sunk by a Japanese submarine in 1942, Candidasa is a good diving and snorkelling spot too.

Gili Trawangan

Jump onboard your tall ship StarClipper and cruise the Indonesian islands, stopping at Komodo National Park, Gili Meno and Gili Trawangan. Set sail from Bali to Komodo via the peaceful Gili Islands, stopping at the idyllic beaches and wildlife-filled national parks you pass on the way. You’ll disembark among the forests and hills of Komodo and look out for the fearsome Komodo dragon, the world’s largest living lizard species.

Nusa Dua

Try out some water sports in Nusa Dua, an upmarket resort town filled with luxury hotels and a plethora of activities, including banana boating, parasailing, jetskiing and diving. Literally translated to ‘two islands’, Nusa Dua is a renowned holiday destination with a manicured golf course, a number of sandy beaches with calm warm waters and an excellent museum too – the Pasifika Museum – showcasing more than 600 cultural artefacts and local and international artworks.