Bali FAQS Welcome to Bali! Here among the scented frangipani, bougainvillea and floppy, pink tongues of mussaenda, the roads meander about in an other-worldly daze, transporting all comers to a state of grace. Slow down. Savor things. Where else in the world could you get a litre of petrol for 4,500 rupiah (US$0.50), a lot cheaper than a bottle of mineral water. Where in the world could you find welcoming frangipani flowers in the men's toilet at the airport? If your driver's name is Madé (pronounced maah-day), the same as your butler's and waiter's, fear not. Bali employs a wonderfully efficient naming system. The first child is called Wayan, the second Madé, the third Nyoman, and the fourth, Ketut. The fifth? Hmm. Women add the dainty prefix Ni (pronounced "nee"). Before you race off on a Bali temples tour please do take a minute to dress politely and hide that wobbling beer gut. You will be handed a saffron sash and a donation will be expected. This is left to your imagination. Be generous. And don't thrust flash cameras smack in the faces of priests or devotees no matter how tempting the opportunity. Most villages have three temples, the Pura Desa (the main complex and usually the most ornate), Pura Pusah (dedicated to Vishnu) and Pura Dalem (for Shiva). Even if you don't have a good eye for architecture, it is easy to figure out which is which. Just go to the entrance and check the name. There is a sign on each one. Apart from the obligatory flag-waving tour of Tanah Lot, the island temple in Kerobokan and its mystic-chant kecak performances, there's always the amazing sunsets at Uluwatu Temple in the far south. This cliff-edge temple hosts hordes of marauding monkeys that will filch everything from sunglasses, hair bands, earrings and handbags to maps and cameras. I have seen the more irascible apes smack visitors' imploring hands and continue to chew on a borrowed gold earring or more. The saffron sash for entry costs just Rp3,000 and those in unduly revealing apparel will be handed a sarong. Touts will try to sell you eats for the simians. Give that a miss and stroll about relatively unmolested. Besakih (dedicated to the Hindu Trinity) is of course the largest and most stunning temple complex. It is also the farthest from the scrum, perched high in the central hill country. To imprint the map in the mind's eye, imagine Bali to be a plump chicken facing west. Nusa Dua is in the far south, Kuta and Legian occupy the southwest "breast", Sanur the southeast and Ubud, the centre. If your imagination is not up to snuff, check our Bali map. What's there to see and do? There are activities aplenty. At the Lakeview Hotel & Restaurant in Penelokan, perched high above the crater of Lake Batur, you'll get jaw-dropping wraparound views of Mt Batur, bursts of crimson cana lilies (and poinsettias in season), and a mediocre buffet for just around Rp60,000. Grab the corner table on the alfresco patio. There is a ticket to be purchased if you're driving into this scenic area. It costs around Rp10,000. Get in before noon to gain the best views before the clouds close in. Mt Gunung Agung rises up at the far side. Gunung Agung, a mightily revered volcano is a cranky gent that blew his top in 1963. The eastern flank, which bore the brunt of this outburst, remains a deserted Brobdingnagian landscape, a tossed salad of giant volcanic boulders and tall grass. A romantic ribbon of road snakes through it to Kubu and around the hump to Singaraja in the far north. From Lakeview it is possible to drive down into the crater and along the rim of the lake to the public hot springs. "Guides" are at hand to help you climb smoking, sulphurous Mt Batur. The route is fraught with steam, rocks - and the ubiquitous chess sets that locals are wont to sell at every corner. From Penelokan, or Ubud, you might venture north to the salt-and-pepper beaches of Lovina and Pemuteran in the shadow of the rainforest-clad hills. If you're heading up from Ubud, stop at Bedugul to enjoy views of Lake Bratan. Do also try and visit the lush, terraced rice paddy of Kintamani. On the Ayung River, things were booming. BOOM. And then again, that sound. BOOM, BOOM, BOOM. The raft spun in the current and we froze. It was unmistakable. The reedy voice eclipsed the roar of the churning water. It was our Sobek guide filming the tour (to sell back to us later) trying to get attention. I wanted to swat him with a paddle but in the end we all stood up and smiled sheepishly. He was a very nice man. Not the sort you toss into a river. Ubud shopping represents the best of Bali as it is here that the island's artistry finds choicest expression. The works may be brilliant or banal but this is a town that knows how to practise art. If you're browsing art, try the Neka Museum or the Komaneka Gallery. Head on to the handmade lace at Uluwatu in the Monkey Forest, Mozaic restaurant for that perfect dining table setting, Yan's Antiques, or Toko Antique. The cheapest shopping - still pricey by Bali standards - is in the stalls around Jalan Monkey Forest leading south from the town square. Pick up DVD knockoffs for Rp15,000 (US$1.50), t-shirts, silver gewgaws, wind chimes, or a colourful sequined fish-bone slipper for Rp60,000 (US$7). You'll come across hideaway alleys teeming with art and paintings, some pretty bizarre, some thought provoking and some rather accomplished. The best Bali shopping is of course in local villages, each specialising in a particular art or craft. Check out Batuan for art, Batubulan for magnificent, huge, stone carvings, or Celuk for intricate hand-wrought silver. Celuk is a nice stop en route to Ubud. Here, skills passed down through generations, are on display at dainty stores along the road where you'll find one-of-a-kind pearl and gemstone jewellery set in silver and gold. At swanker Celuk establishments, use the lifesaver loo (often marbled and usually clean) and then bargain hard. Around 30 or 40 percent off the asking price is a good place to start.