Andrew Unsworth answers your travel queries
Q. We are going to Bali for 14 days in May and want to know your recommended highlights. What should we not miss? We are staying seven nights outside Ubud at the Furama Villas & Spa and seven nights at the Grand Aston Bali Beach Resort. As far as I know, as South Africans we do not need a visa. Is this correct? - Lezanne van Zyl
A. South Africans do not need a visa to visit Indonesia.
Think about taking a few tours from the resorts you are staying in, so you can spend some of the days just relaxing and enjoying the resorts, or going for walks in the area. There are many on offer on the Internet, but it's always best to ask at your resort on arrival, as they will recommend companies that are convenient for their customers.
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Your first stay offers more to see outside of your resort, so maybe do more in the first week and chill in the second.
There are three temples on the must-see list. The Tanah Lot Temple is the island's most iconic one, perched on a rock just off the coast. Uluwatu is another sea temple, this time perched on a cliff in the southwestern Bukit peninsula. The Besakih Temple in the east is the largest and the mother temple of Bali. It is on the slopes of Mount Agung, with three main temples dedicated to Shiva, Brahma and Vishnu.
Bali is associated with terraced rice paddies and your resort in Ubud is near to the Tegallalang Rice Terraces. The best vantage point is north of the town centre on the Tegallalang road. The Ubud Monkey Forest (Mandala Wisata Wenara Wana) is home to grey long-tailed macaques, and there are more temples in the forest too.
The Ubud Art Market is opposite the Ubud Palace and the best place for souvenir shopping - look for silk clothing and woven bags and hats. Think Julia Roberts walking there in the movie Eat Pray Love, but be prepared to bargain.
The Bali Safari and Marine Park at Gianyar is really an open zoo and I'd think of less interest to South Africans, and so is the Elephant Safari Park in North Ubud.
Rather take a trip to Kintamani in Central Bali, which is home to Mount Batur, an active volcano (but not regularly). The village of Penelokan is the best place to see it and the caldera lake.
You could also visit the Elephant Cave or Goa Gajah, which is a significant archaeological site in Bedulu village, near Ubud. It has a courtyard with rock-wall carvings, a meditation cave, bathing pools and fountains. It dates back to the 11th century.
From the more southerly Aston resort, you could visit the Mandala Garuda Wisnu Kencana, a huge cultural park in Ungasan, about 15 minutes from the airport. This is a modern theme park, not a historical site, but there are interesting sculptures to be seen.
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