Bali

Bali offers the region's best range of everything — accommodation for every budget, restaurants and cafés, culture and nightlife — plus the easiest onward connections by air and sea. Sanur is calm and central for boats to the Nusa islands and the Gilis; Padang Bai in the east is the shortest hop to the Gilis and Lombok.

It's the natural start and finish point for a Gili or Nusa trip.

Surf the south, explore Ubud's rice terraces and temples, watch the sunset at a clifftop temple, dive the Tulamben wreck in the east, and eat your way through Bali's café and warung scene — then set off across the strait to the islands.

Returning from the Gili Islands, Lombok or the Nusas, fast boats run daily back to Padang Bai and Sanur. Build in a buffer before any onward flight in case of weather delays. Compare return crossings and book your seat below.