Bali

Our members choose Bali to:

• Relax on beautiful beaches
• Receive stand-out service and good value for money in luxury and boutique hotels
• Chill out with good food and cheap massage
• Enjoy the peaceful culture, varied landscape and clubsWith its white-sand beaches, lush rice terraces, charming inland towns and tropical climate, Bali has proved popular with Ten members. Tucked below the equator on the Indian Ocean, days are 12-hours long and the temperatures hover around the 80 degree mark all year round, cooling as you move inland.

Members enjoy Bali for its great beaches, vibrant nightlife, and high levels of service in boutique and luxury hotels. Here's what Ten UK travel expert Peter Cook recommends:

WHERE TO STAY

Seaside v lush green rice terraces - it's not easy to decide on a location. When it comes to the beach, most of our members head to beaches Jimbaran or Seminyak, perfect for quiet cocktails and romance, and definitely a contrast to the boisterous Kuta Beach made for the surfing crowd with its neon-and-bar strip.

We recommend you split your time between the beach and Ubud, in the mountains at the heart of the island (just 90 minutes drive from the Seminyak coast). Ubud has some of Bali's best spas and is its cultural centre, with galleries, craft shops and cafes giving it a distinctive charm. A great inland option is the Four Seasons Sayan and the Kayumanis, Ubud for its Balanese architecture, jungle views and infinity pool.

BEACH RESORTS

Most members stay at beach towns Seminyak or Jimbaran. We recommend the cliff-top Ritz Carlton Resort & Spa, which has 12 restaurants and 39 new cliff villas with views of the Indian Ocean. Members also have high praise for the Kayumanis on Nusa Dua beach. One member reported that the villas are in ‘a fantastic location and the tranquillity is just perfect'.

But there are plenty of options in Bali, from boutique hotels on the beach to luxury staffed villas with private pools (from £150 a night). Many members are moving towards this as an option, as it's so cheap to eat out. Talk to Ten.

MASSAGE & SPAS

Sensual pleasures in Bali don't stop at the plunge pools, warm sun and outdoor showers: Bali offers Thai beach massages as well as some of the most luxurious spas and treatments on the planet. Members relish being massaged with scented oils, bathing in petal-strewn baths, having two-hour two-person massages... all these things are on offer (often at surprising prices) as well as facials, pedicures and manicures.

There are also spas that are great for solo rejuvenating or New Year's breaks - talk to the team about what you require (VIP treatment expert Francesca Sheldon, who used to run a five-star spa, can help with recommendations). SHRINES & GODS: The fact that 90 per cent of the population of Bali is Hindu (while the rest of Indonesia is predominantly Muslim) provides another side to beach life. Balinese people believe gods are everywhere and there are daily ceremonies, with offerings of rice and rose petals on the roadside, Balinese dancing and torchlight processions. There are mystical temples and shrines (an estimated 20,000) almost on every corner.

Pura Tanah Lot - perched on a rock out in the sea - is the most famous. Members recommend the best time to see it is at sunset from the beach. Uluwatu Temple (south Jimbaran) towers on the edge of a steep cliff and offers a view that is ‘out of this world,' according to one member. Wear a sarong when visiting.

SURFING, SCUBA DIVING & VOLCANOES

As you'd expect of a tropical island, there are water sports galore, including waterskiing, windsurfing, parasailing, sailing cruises and world-class surfing. White-water rafting along the Ayung River and spotting the pods of dolphins that cruise Lovina's coast are popular days out with members.

The Turtle Hatchery Project in Pemuteran lets you release a baby turtle into the sea, and members report that the scuba diving in Tulamben is superb. Dotting the island are active volcanoes, including Gunung Batur; make the two-hour ascent to the peak. The Ten team can arrange any of these activities for you.

CLUBS & BARS

For a tiny place, Bali has a big reputation for nightlife. There are lots of contrasts: you'll see ethnic dancing in Batubulan, barong dances, concerts and puppet shows in Ubud, while over at the coast there's cutting-edge DJs playing and jazz music.

The beach side bars in Seminyak - The Living Room and Hu'u Bar - are popular with members, particularly after midnight for dancing. But Ku De Ta is the nightclub VIPs go to - the cocktails and music are as good as the sunsets. Let us know, and we can get you on the guest list.

FOOD

You can eat in style in Bali and sample anything from satay and grilled lobster to steak, and indulging won't cost you. La Lucciola is a beachfront spot in Seminyak serving Italian. One member particularly praises its prawn and snapper pie. The Kura Kura restaurant at the Bali Oberoi is always packed, serving Indonesian and Asian delights.

For authentic Balinese, try mie goreng (fried noodles), satay and suckling pig in the open-sided cafes in Kuta.

GETTING AROUND

Hiring a car with a driver is about as easy as ordering a cab, and only costs £20 a day (or opt for a scooter for around £3 a day). We can organise this for you. This way you can relax and soak up all the sights and sounds you pass.

SHOPPING

If shopping is an intrinsic part of your holiday, in Bali you can haggle for sunglasses, box kites and full body massages on the beaches, buy one-off pieces of handcrafted jewellery in Celuk, and take home art and wooden sculptures from the markets in Ubud and the streets of Kuta.

WHEN TO GO

February and March are hottest; July and August busiest.