Bali holidays

Bali’s well-stocked with beaches – and they come in various shades. There are the long, golden sweeps like Kuta and Seminyak, the tucked-away, white swathes like Nusa Dua and the eye-catching, black-sand curves. Sunbathing’s not the only thing that tops the agenda, either. There are the world-class waves, lively bars and top dive spots to consider, too, for a mix of sunsets and surf.

There’s a reason so many people descend on Kuta’s beach – the surf. Pros come from all over the world to paddle out and ride the breakers back to shore. Beginners, meanwhile, can take lessons in one of the beachside surf schools. The bar scene is legendary, too, and the beach clubs are brimming with backpackers. Pull up a chair at a bar for sunset, then watch the sky turn burnt orange with a Bintang beer in hand.

Nyang Nyang Beach isn’t easy to find, hence its secluded status. You’ll need to navigate dirt tracks, fields and hundreds of cliffside steps to reach it. When you get there, you’ll be greeted by lily-white sands and green-covered cliffs. You won’t find anything – or anyone – down there, bar a few locals or in-the-know tourists. (Oh, and a couple of half-buried shipwrecks.) So, you can make the most of your own private beach, sunbathing uninterrupted on the untouched sands and unwinding in the hot tub-like tide pool.

You can follow in the footsteps of Julia Roberts at Ubud Art Market. The actress roamed the colourful, stall-lined street when filming Eat, Pray, Love. You can get sunglasses, souvenirs, handicrafts and homewares for less than the cost of a coconut, while rattan bags and sarongs are two of the more traditional pick-ups. And there are no fixed prices, so haggling’s the norm.

Seminyak’s warren of streets are lined with little, trinket-filled boutiques. It’s a great place to pick up homeware like handmade ornaments, custom-made candles and cushions. Surfers are well catered for, too. Kuta’s got the only Billabong factory outlet in Asia. Just down the road, Surfers Paradise lives up to its name, with big-name surf brands Oakley, Roxy, Quicksilver and Hurley all under one roof.

Designer labels are easy to find in Kuta’s air-conditioned malls. Famous names like Pandora and Victoria’s Secret can be found in Beachwalk Shopping Centre. Nearby, meanwhile, there’s Seminyak Village, which has stores from designers all over the globe – think Singapore, Indonesia, Germany.

Kuta’s known for its raucous partying, while its sibling, Seminyak, takes things a little more upmarket. It’s home to a good supply of five-star hotels with the top-of-the-range bars to match, as well as ultra-chic cocktail lounges and rooftop bars where you can enjoy Seminyak sunsets with cocktails in-hand. Meanwhile, in Ubud, catching a Balinese dance show is a must. Even if you can’t follow the story, the traditional music and extravagant costumes are mesmerising.

Bali’s beach clubs aren’t just reserved for the day. Potato Head, Ku De Ta and W Hotel are the ones on everyone’s lips in Seminyak and Kuta. You can lounge on one of their celeb-worthy daybeds in the morning, and watch as top international DJs take to the decks after dark.

Fried rice to Asia is like pizza to the Italians. Traditionally, nasi goreng’s eaten as a breakfast staple, using leftovers from the night before’s dinner. The rice is mixed with soy sauce, garlic, chilli and ginger. Chicken or prawns are added to the dish, along with carrots, peanuts and fried eggs. If you fancy a bit of heat, you can add some spicy sambal sauce to it, too.

Babi guling – or roast suckling pig – is usually the meal at traditional, roadside warungs for lunch or dinner. The pig’s rubbed with turmeric and spices like ginger, plus garlic and shallots, before being roasted for two hours. In most places, it comes with a generous helping of crackling, too.

Sate is the Indonesian take on Malaysia’s much-loved satay. In Bali, chicken is blended with spices and kecap manis – Indonesian sweet soy sauce. Then it’s added to lemongrass or bamboo skewers and barbecued. Some – but not all – restaurants will serve it alongside a peanut dipping sauce.

Coconuts are readily available on the island and they make a refreshing, mid-sunbathing drink, which is commonly known as kelapa muda. They’re sold by beach vendors along the sands, with a straw for sipping.

Simple, but delicious is the only way to describe pisang goreng – a popular Indonesian dessert. Bananas are covered in batter, deep fried and then smothered in honey or palm sugar syrup. They’re easy to grab from street stalls for an afternoon snack, or you can have them with ice-cream at a sit-down restaurant.