Bali in a week: a first-timer's itinerary

A week is not long for an island as varied as Bali, but it is enough to get a real taste if you resist the urge to see everything. The trick is to pick two or three bases and travel slowly between them. Here is a relaxed first-timer's route. Days 1 to 2: Sanur or Ubud, to arrive and adjust. If you land jet-lagged, ease in. Sanur offers calm beaches and a gentle pace; Ubud offers rice terraces, temples and cool air. Either is a soft landing after a long flight. Days 3 to 4: Ubud and central Bali. Spend a full day in and around Ubud, taking in the market and palace, a rice-terrace walk, a temple or two, and an afternoon spa or yoga class. Use a car with driver for a day trip to the central highlands: a water temple, a waterfall, and a viewpoint or volcano. Days 5 to 6: the south coast. Move to Canggu, Seminyak or Uluwatu for surf, beach clubs, sunset bars and dining. Choose Canggu for a younger surf scene, Seminyak for polish, Uluwatu for clifftop drama. Day 7: slow down before you fly. Keep the last day light, with a final beach, a long lunch and last-minute shopping, and stay somewhere close to the airport so the departure is stress-free. Two pieces of advice. First, do not over-schedule: Bali's traffic is real, and an hour on a map can be two on the road. Second, build in a buffer if you are continuing to the Gili Islands or Nusa Penida by boat, as fast-boat schedules can slip in bad weather. Better to lose a relaxed afternoon than a flight.