What I love about Bali: a short list

Rice paddies, Tabanan regency.

1. Out on the street, you rip your favourite shirt: disaster? No! there's a tailor within 100 yards, who'll whip it off you, let you wait in the change room and stitch it up, better than new, for $1, in five minutes. 
2. Run out of petrol in the middle of the street? Someone will sell you an old Absolut Vodka bottle of petrol for a buck, and nobody'll scream while you refill the car, which has stopped in the middle of the street.
3. A happy, friendly, competent nanny costs $6 an hour, leaving you free to nip down to the spa for a:
4. $20 facial, $10 pedicure, $20 hour-long massage.
5. Kangkung: water spinach lightly cooked with sliced garlic and chilli. Alone, worth the trip to Bali.
6. Year-round warmth. It may rain occasionally, but even the rain is warm. 
7. Easy visas: you pays your $20 at the door, you gets in. No queuing for six weeks with the chance of getting rejected (hello, India, China?) Remembering the 150,000Rp departure tax is a bit of a pain, but there are plenty of people to remind you. 
8. Juice-tastic breakfasts: mango, watermelon, papaya, mint, all with a healthy dose of ginger. Pure goodness, right from first light.



Alila Villas Soori.

9. Pools. Is it physically possible to rent a Balinese hotel room/villa without a pool? Well, yes, I guess if you are staying in a losmen (the super, super cheap Indonesian digs which can comprise just a single bed and a squattie loo). Otherwise, bring on the daily swim!
10. Find your style: you can do swank, you can do budget. You can do whatever you want on the island, from Bulgari to backpacker.