Bali

The air is always warm and a little damp here, and the smell of incense hangs a bit everywhere, not just inside temples. You will see small woven baskets with flowers and rice, offerings placed on doorsteps and shrines, swept up and replaced daily. This quiet ritual is part of the island's everyday behaviour.

So traffic moves slowly, sometimes in a kind of organised chaos, especially in the south around places like Seminyak or Canggu. People tend to get around by scooter or with private drivers; the distances between different towns are not huge but the roads can be quite busy. Days often start early, before the strongest heat sets in, and wind down with a late afternoon rain shower, cooling things off.

Many people will spend some days by the coast, learning to surf or just watching the waves break on the shore, perhaps in Uluwatu. Then they move inland, often to Ubud. The island's centre feels different, greener, cooler, with a focus on art and traditional crafts. You might spend a morning watching farmers in the terraced rice fields, then an afternoon in a woodcarver's workshop, or at a dance practice.

Also, the sound of gamelan music often drifts from open-air pavilions, a constant, gentle hum in the background. The main roads can be lined with shops selling carved figures and colourful textiles. But off these main routes, it gets quiet quickly, just the sound of cicadas and geckos in the trees. It is an island where the land gently slopes up to volcanoes in the distance, a constant, grand backdrop to everything.