Bali Classic: Temples, Rice Terraces & Coast

Maya meets you at Ngurah Rai International Airport and transfers you north to Ubud through the countryside, stopping en route at the Tanah Lot sea temple — the most photographed temple in Bali, built on a rocky outcrop in the ocean — at the ideal late-afternoon light. Check in to the Komaneka at Bisma, perched on the edge of the Campuhan Ridge with views directly down into the jungle gorge. Dinner on the terrace with the sound of the river below.

A morning devoted to Ubud's most sacred sites. Tirta Empul, the ancient holy spring temple where Balinese Hindus perform melukat (purification rituals) in spring-fed pools, is one of the most spiritually powerful places on the island. Watch the ritual from the temple's outer courtyard — Maya explains the cosmology and the significance of each offering. Then the Goa Gajah (Elephant Cave) — an 11th-century rock-carved cave sanctuary. Lunch at a restaurant set in the rice fields with a panoramic terrace. Afternoon at the Ubud Royal Palace for the evening legong dance performance, performed by young village girls trained since childhood in Bali's most refined court dance form.

The iconic Tegallalang rice terraces north of Ubud, their stepped green geometry cascading down a steep valley, are most beautiful in the early morning before the heat. A gentle walk along the terrace paths with Maya explaining the traditional subak irrigation system — a UNESCO-listed cooperative water management tradition that has kept these terraces productive for a thousand years. Continue to the artisan villages of the Ubud corridor: Mas for woodcarving, Celuk for silver jewellery, Batuan for traditional painting. Each village has worked the same craft for generations; Maya's family connections mean you visit working studios rather than tourist shops.

Besakih — the Mother Temple of Bali, a vast complex of 23 separate temples climbing the southwestern slope of the sacred Mount Agung volcano — is the most important Hindu site in Bali. The approach road offers spectacular volcano views; the temple complex itself is the summit of Balinese spiritual life. Afternoon at leisure in Ubud — perhaps a Balinese massage at the hotel spa, a wander through the Ubud Market or a visit to the Museum Puri Lukisan, which houses Bali's finest collection of traditional painting.

A morning Balinese cooking class — Maya's favourite activity for guests. A visit to the morning market at dawn (tiny, fragrant, utterly authentic) to select ingredients, then a family compound kitchen where the techniques of Balinese spice paste, satay, lawar and black rice pudding are taught hands-on. Lunch is everything you've just made. Afternoon transfer south to Seminyak, the most sophisticated coastal area of Bali, and check in to The Layar — a private villa resort of spectacular proportions.

A day to enjoy Seminyak at its most pleasurable. Morning at leisure — the beach at Seminyak is long, wide and backed by a succession of beach clubs where sun loungers and daybeds are set directly on the sand. Afternoon: a guided walk through Seminyak's boutique strip — the Balinese fashion and homewares industry is genuinely world-class, with designers from across the globe having established workshops and stores here. Sunset cocktails at Ku De Ta, the legendary beach club where Seminyak's sunsets are best appreciated from a cushioned daybed with a young coconut in hand.

A day trip back to the mountains for those who want more of Ubud's culture: the Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary, the Campuhan Ridge Walk through the jungle, or a second day at the artisan villages. Alternatively, a day entirely at leisure in Seminyak — spa treatments, beach time and the extraordinary evening dining scene that has made Seminyak one of Asia's finest restaurant destinations.

Transfer south to the Bukit Peninsula — Bali's dramatic limestone headland, its cliffs dropping sheer to the Indian Ocean below. Check in to Alila Villas Uluwatu, possibly the finest hotel in Bali, with its clifftop infinity pool suspended 200 metres above the surf. Afternoon at leisure before the evening Kecak fire dance at Uluwatu Temple — performed on an open-air stage on the cliff edge at sunset, 100 Balinese men chanting the kecak rhythmically as the dancers re-enact the Ramayana and the sun sinks into the ocean behind them.

A day to experience Uluwatu's extraordinary landscape. Morning visit to Uluwatu Temple itself — the sea temple clinging to the cliff edge, its resident macaque monkeys notorious for theft of sunglasses and phones (Maya carries spare bags for valuables). Afternoon at Padang Padang or Bingin beach — tiny coves accessible via steep cliff staircases, their turquoise waters sheltered from the Indian Ocean swell. Sunset from the hotel's clifftop pool bar.

A final breakfast with the infinity pool view, then transfer to the airport for your onward flight. Maya accompanies you to ensure a smooth departure. Ten days of Bali — its offerings, its gamelan, its rice terraces and its ocean sunsets — safely stored in memory.