5 Days in Bali

Arrive at Ngurah Rai Airport (DPS) near Denpasar. Ubud usually takes one to two hours by car — arrange a hotel transfer or driver in advance, or use the official airport taxi counters. Check visa requirements and pay Bali's tourist levy online via the official Love Bali website or app before you fly.

Dance tickets are sold at the venue or by vendors on Ubud's main street.

Keep sunglasses, hats and snacks out of sight, don't feed or touch the monkeys, and stay calm if one climbs on you.

Go as early as you can to beat the crowds and heat. Some farmers ask for a small donation to cross their land.

A sarong is required (usually provided). Visitors can join the purification ritual respectfully, following the customs explained at the temple — bring a change of clothes.

Hotel pickups are in the middle of the night; the climb takes roughly two hours in the dark and must be done with a local guide. Bring warm layers and proper shoes. Rest in the afternoon, perhaps at a spa.

Alternative for Day 3 — stay in Ubud: walk the Campuhan Ridge Walk early in the morning, then a Balinese cooking class (many start with a market visit) or yoga, a massage and a relaxed final dinner in Ubud.

Hire a driver for the day and check out of Ubud — this route crosses the island's centre and ends on the south-west coast.

Jatiluwih is part of the UNESCO-listed subak cultural landscape — walk one of the marked trails and have lunch overlooking the fields.

At low tide you can walk across to the base of the rock; the temple itself is reserved for worshippers. Then continue to your hotel in Uluwatu, Seminyak or Canggu.

Other Bukit beaches: Bingin, Suluban and the wide white sand of Melasti. Check the tides and swell, and swim where locals are swimming.

Uluwatu's monkeys are notorious for snatching glasses and phones. If you fly home today, allow plenty of time for traffic to the airport; with an evening flight, swap the sunset for a beach afternoon.