Most long-haul flights from the UK land in the afternoon at Ngurah Rai (Denpasar) after a stop in the Gulf or Singapore. Every foreign visitor must pay the Bali tourist levy of Rp 150,000 (around £7.50) per person, and it is far quicker to pay online through the official Love Bali portal before you fly than to queue at the airport counter. From here it is roughly a 1.5 to 2 hour drive north to Ubud, so arrange a hotel transfer or private driver in advance rather than sorting a car in arrivals. Book flights →

Base yourselves in or just outside Ubud, ideally on the fringes among the rice fields rather than on the busy main road, which keeps things quiet but still walkable into town. Drop the bags and resist the urge to do much on a jet-lagged first evening. Search hotels →

Ease in with a gentle wander through the centre, taking in Pura Taman Saraswati, the water temple with its lotus pond just off the main street, which is free to look at from the front. It is the softest possible introduction and needs no planning.

Rather than book anything formal on your first night, eat simply at one of Ubud's warungs, the small family-run kitchens serving Balinese and Indonesian home cooking at a fraction of restaurant prices. Nasi campur, a plate of rice with a few vegetable and meat sides, is the easy, satisfying place to start.