What towns would you recommend visiting during a trip to Bali

Asks tokyo

A. It really depends on what type of holiday you enjoy. If you want a hedonistic beach holiday with great nightlife Kuta is the best place to start. It is a bit tacky and not very pretty to look at with cheap accommodation and bars at every turn, but it offers great parties, restaurants, bars and fake watches and has the best (sandy) beach in on the island.

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Sanur to the north of Kuta is a more upmarket beach resort and is famous for being the home of Bali's most powerful black magic. It has some good mid-range hotels and is Bali's main diving centre. It also has some great restaurants especially Caf� Batu Jimbar, it's an arty terraced caf� that shares the same premises as a bookshop and serves great fish dishes and specialises in home-baked bread and cakes.

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Denpasar is Bali's capital and while many tourists only visit it as it is home to the airport, it is worth a day trip as it is a city on the turn - it is currently going through a growth spurt and while it has a lot of the pollution, noise and bustle of many Asian cities it is also pretty with beautiful gardens and gives you an insight into the real Bali as it has few tourists.

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Gunung Batur in the north is worth a visit, if only for a day as there are very few places to stay. It is home to spectacular landscape made up primarily by its volcano (5630ft/1717m) and surrounding lake, but be prepared to be hassled beyond belief into taking a local guide along (for a fee) if you plan to climb it.

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Tenganan is an ancient walled Bali Aga village near Padangbai that can only be visited on foot or by bike. It is the centre for the weaving of the rare double ikat cloth.

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Q. What is the best time of the year to visit Bali

A. If the weather is your main concern it is cooler and drier between April and November so that is probably the best period to visit. The weather is more humid, with frequent rainstorms throughout the rest of the year. However, it is best to book early if you plan your holiday in July-September as it is the main European holiday season, so very busy. Christmas is also a good time to visit as it is hot, with the frequent rainstorms bringing welcome relief if you don't mind a bit of water.

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Q. Isn't Bali one of the best places in the world to surf

A. It is a haven for surfers and has a high reputation for its waves - a high number of perfect tubes make it very appealing. And as the water is always warm you rarely have to wear a wetsuit. The best breaks are found in the south of the island and the best time to surf is between April and October.

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Surfing hotspots include Canggu, Kuta, Nusa Dua and Uluwatu. There is even a Balinese style of surfing. As Bali is surrounded by coral reef it is also great for snorkelling and diving.

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Q. Are there any customs I should follow when visiting Bali

A. There will no doubt be a religious festival sometime during your holiday as they are very frequent and celebrated by entire villages and towns. Westerners are always welcome to participate in them but great offence is often given by our clothes, or lack of them, so it is best to cover up when visiting temples (no bare shoulders or legs) and you will often be required to wear a sarong (men and women) when entering one.

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A ceremonial sash should also be worn (and can be purchased or rented outside a temple) as a mark of respect. Topless or nude bathing is also not a good idea and can be very offensive. For Hindu's (the dominant religion in Bali) the most sacred part of the body is the head so you should never touch a Balinese persons head - this is unlikely but you may encounter a cute child so avoid rustling their hair or patting them on the head.

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Confrontational behaviour is also alien to the Balinese so don't loose your cool if you've been waiting an hour for a bemo (small passenger buses that travel the main routes between and in towns) and try to be more relaxed about time as the Balinese operate on jam karet (rubber time) which is very loose.

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By Karen Anderson