Bali

Bali is the most sensory destination on earth. The smell of incense from the morning offerings. The sound of gamelan music drifting from a temple ceremony. The sight of the Tegallalang rice terraces at dawn, terraced green against a pink sky. Gerald has been coming to Bali for years and it still surprises him.

UBUD: THE CULTURAL HEART

Ubud is the cultural capital of Bali — a town in the hills surrounded by rice terraces, temples, and art galleries. The Tegallalang Rice Terraces are 10 minutes north of town and extraordinary at dawn, before the crowds arrive. The Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary is in the centre of town — 700 long-tailed macaques living in a forest of ancient temples.

THE FOOD

Locavore in central Ubud is one of Asia's 50 Best Restaurants. Chefs Eelke Plasmeijer and Ray Adriansyah use exclusively local Balinese ingredients to produce a tasting menu that's technically extraordinary and deeply rooted in Balinese food culture. Book months in advance. For something more casual, Warung Babi Guling Ibu Oka near the Ubud Palace serves the best babi guling (suckling pig) in Bali. It opens at 11am and sells out by 1pm.

SEMINYAK & THE BEACH

Ku De Ta on Seminyak Beach is the original and still the best beach club on the island: a pool, a restaurant, and a bar that serves excellent cocktails while the sun sets over the Indian Ocean. The sunset at Ku De Ta is one of the great cocktail-hour experiences in Asia.

THE TEMPLES

Tanah Lot, the sea temple on a rock formation off the coast, is worth the crowds. Go at sunset. Pura Besakih, the Mother Temple on the slopes of Mount Agung, is the most sacred site in Bali and genuinely awe-inspiring. Hire a local guide — the temple complex is vast and the context matters.