Bali is a magical island of brooding volcanoes, lush jungles and vast green rice paddies and terraces. Of improbably ornate temples and gentle, smiling Hindu people. Of countless religious festivals, colourful traditional ceremonial dances and ‘gamelan’ music whose haunting rhythms, once heard, will never be forgotten. And, of course, of palm-edged beaches whose white and volcanic sands are reason enough for a holiday here . . .

The fertile paddy-fields and lush hillslopes of the Bali interior extend an inviting variation on the Bali theme - for here there are a small and select collection of sophisticated little hotel hideaways for the discerning international visitor. Ideal places for those wanting to beat a retreat to a private and serene world far from the everyday. A few days’ stay (or longer) can easily be combined with your beach holiday in Bali or Lombok.

If you are a dedicated escapist and find even Bali too crowded. . . then nearby Lombok ia an island that will surely provide inspiration for truly serious lotus-eating. Little-developed and still with only a handful of hotels, this is Bali as it was almost a generation ago - offering an unhurried, uncrowded atmosphere, fascinating ‘Sasak’ culture, picturesque beaches and unspoilt scenery over which towers the spectacular Gunung Rinjani volcano.