Eruption of joy in Indonesia’s heartland

Gayle Ritchie risks a trip to Bali as its highest volcano teeters on the brink of a major eruption. And she’s glad she did...

Glass of fizz in hand, frangipani flower tucked into my hair, gaze directed up at a starry Balinese sky while the waves crash gently on the shore.

I’ve arrived at the sumptuous Four Seasons Resort Bali at Jimbaran Bay after a full day’s travel – 27 hours, to be precise – but I couldn’t be happier.

The day I arrive is my birthday and staff here have pulled out all the stops to make me feel special. I’m greeted with a welcome drink and a delicious cake, and the most infectious of smiles.

After a refreshing dip in my private pool, I fall into the world’s comfiest fourposter bed.

The next morning, after waking to a view from heaven – the villa overlooks the wide curve of Jimbaran’s golden sands – I head for breakfast.

There’s everything on offer from yogurt and granola to Asian and Balinese fare and I gorge myself silly.

Then I head to the resort’s Healing Village Spa for a session of “anti gravity”, or aerial yoga, using hammocks.

It’s tough work hanging upside down, and the instructor puts me into all kinds of weird and wonderful positions. The experience is said to relieve stress, encourage healthy blood circulation and beat jetlag. After lunch, I enjoy a wonderful two hours having a rejuvenating energy scrub, mud wrap, full body and facial massage.

Then it’s time for sunset cocktails before I leave for my new port of call, a more modest hotel in Jimbaran.

The following day, I get a taxi to Uluwatu, home to a famous sea temple. It’s here that I have my first and only negative Balinese experience.

The site is overrun with monkeys, and one grabs my phone, makes off into scrubland and starts to chew it. Almost immediately, a local woman standing nearby springs into action.

I wrongly imagine she’s trying to help me as she throws a banana to the monkey and reclaims my phone.

The penny drops when she refuses to hand it over unless I pay her! As I fumble around pulling out random notes, she shakes her head in disgust, and I’m surrounded by a group of local men. It’s rather intimidating and as someone who considers themself to be travel-savvy, I feel foolish to have been swindled!

Next morning, I jump in a taxi for a two-hour ride to Ubud. The town is famed for its crafts, culture and art and its popularity has rocketed thanks to the film Eat, Pray, Love, starring Julia Roberts.

As a lover of peace, I find Ubud’s centre a little frenetic. Luckily, it only takes minutes to escape and find myself strolling along tranquil paths, through verdant rice fields and rainforests.

There are endless photo opportunities – farmers in straw hats slashing at swathes of green paddy fields, Hindu temples and shrines.

Away from the luxuries of the Four Seasons, my apartment, booked via Booking.com, is disappointing.

Imagining £60 a night would guarantee something decent was a mistake (think mould on pillows, missing tiles, a lacklustre breakfast) but perhaps I’m just unlucky as I overhear enthusiastic backpackers raving about their fantastic tenner-a-night accommodation.

On hearing there’s a sister Four Seasons at Sayan, on Ubud’s outskirts, I decide to treat myself to a night there. It’s pricey, but hell, this is a one-off trip.

The entrance to the magnificent resort weaves past smiling security guards to reception, where staff present me with a frangipani flower and tie a pink scarf round my waist. Then I cross

a dramatic bridge, gaze across lush jungle and descend through a valley of towering trees, tiered rice paddies and enchanting gardens.

As expected, my suite is out of this world, featuring a rooftop pond and meditation deck. I spend the evening chilling with a beer, watching fireflies.

Next morning, I join a bike excursion which promises to show an untouched side of Bali. It lives up to expectations, winding past villages, tropical plantations, rice fields and canals.

Back at the resort, I enjoy a mouthwatering lunch at Riverside Cafe.

Then it’s time for my Sacred Nap – an hour spent in a silk hammock while a former Buddhist monk gently rocks me and tells the story of Buddha. It’s spiritual and deeply soothing.

I’m slightly woozy but have a treatment booked at the Sacred River Spa. Here, my therapist combines a scrub, tropical shower, nourishing bath, massage, and a meditation.

My original plan had been to travel deep into the heart of Bali, but with the volcano Mount Agung ready to erupt at any minute and a seven-mile exclusion zone around it, I play safe and head for the Gili Islands. First stop is Gili Air, said to blend party island Gili Trawangan’s buzz and bustle with tiny Gili Meno’s stripped-back, rustic vibe.

The white-sand beaches here are arguably the best of the Gili bunch and there’s enough nightlife to keep everyone happy.

I spend a lazy few days on Air, swimming in the turquoise waters, sunbathing, walking and enjoying coconuts and cocktails.

I stay in a basic beach bungalow which loses electricity and drips water from the air con, but having quaffed a few cocktails, I’m not too fussed.

I find true paradise on Gili Meno, the smallest and quietest of the Gilis, ringed by gorgeous beaches and teeming reefs.

A highlight is snorkelling among the brilliantly coloured tropical marine life; when a sea turtle swims alongside me, I’m ecstatic!

Strolling inland, I stumble on ramshackle homesteads, an abandoned hotel complex, the odd horse and cow, coconut plantations and a salt lake.

At night, I eat at We’Be Cafe, a great place to watch the sunset, devour Mie Goreng (fried noodles), and chill to a mix of reggae and dance tunes.

Back on the mainland, I spend my final day in glitzy Seminyak, which is full of boozy Brits and Aussies.

Sure, the nightlife here is buzzing, but I much prefer the serenity of the Gilis or the countryside around Ubud.

The great thing about this part of the world is that is has it all – beaches, countryside, culture, nightlife, shopping... your trip can be whatever you make it.