Drug and narcotic laws in Bali are infamous and severe. Arrivals at Denpasar airport are greeted with a billboard decorated with a skull and crossbones and with the slogan “Penalty For Drug Trafficking Is Death” and Denpasar’s Kerokoban Prison is home to convicted drug smugglers from Australia such as Schapelle Corby (marijuana) and Renae Lawrence (heroin).

Penalties for owning, buying, selling or smuggling any quantity of any drug are extreme. Small quantities of any drug found on a traveller as they pass out of Bali’s airport can result in minimum 20 year sentences and the death penalty is routinely applied for heavier cases. Appeals can be futile and the only way to earn remissions is via admission of guilt and appeals to the Indonesian president for clemency.

Drugs are available all over Bali and most especially in tourist centres like Kuta. The visitor should be mindful of the penalties that apply, even for drug use and possession. Also, that Indonesian jails are full of foreigners imprisoned on drugs charges. Penalties including the death penalty are usually more severe for non-Indonesians

The Bali Nine – teenagers from Australia – were followed for some months by Indonesian and Australian police before being apprehended carrying heroin strapped to their bodies at Denpasar airport. The drug laws in Indonesia and Bali are as severe as those in other countries in the South East Asian region.

The occasionally aggressive monkeys of Ubud’s world famous monkey forest – official title Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary – will go for your bananas without asking first and you should be prepared for this. The vendors out front of the forest will sell them to you, with no advance warning so be prepared. The monkeys won’t bite you, but they will gang up and start hissing before they begin their attack on your food supplies and it can be a scary experience. The monkeys aren’t dangerous but if you are bitten and blood is drawn, you will need to take evasive action in regards to tetanus and hepatitis as with any animal bite.

The Monkey Forest is one of Ubud’s main attractions but only begins the list of must sees in this unmissable part of Bali. It’s the first thing you will see on your left in you arrive in Ubud from Kuta on a motor bike as the Monkey Forest is right there at the southern end of town, just near the rice slopes.

Over 300 monkeys now live here, a huge increase on numbers that had been dwindling in the wild for decades. The sanctuary is also known as The Monkey Forest of Padangtegal and in this incarnation it is a sacred Buddhist site. The Buddhist ecology monks that are active at the site are committed to ecology and conservation and their successes with the flora and fauna of Ubud and Bali is acclaimed around the world.

The surrounding area is home to two thousand people who follow traditional Balinese lifestyles. The Monkey Forest is central to Ubud’s community and culture groups and brings the bulk of tourists and their tourist dollar into the area.

Kuta is the first stop for most beach lovers who arrive in Bali looking for sun and sand. Kuta Beach in Bali is on the southwestern side of the island and it is a tourist mecca, bustling 365 days a year with people of all ages, from all over the world. Hotels and guesthouses abound as do restaurants and hotels as well as all kinds of tourist infrastructure like dive tour booking shops and souvenir stalls and markets. Surf breaks are very good and lots of outfits run surfing lessons right here on the beach, which is bordered south by the international airport – check out some amazing landings.

Just slightly north of Kuta are Seminyak and Legian beaches which are quieter alternatives to the main drag, without being too far out of the way.

On the opposite side of the island is Sanur beach which is known for its white sands and sunrises. Nusa Dua is Bali’s luxury beach, ringed by 5-star resorts, but the beautiful clear water beach is accessible to the public. Surfing and diving opportunities are plentiful at Nusa Dua.

South of the airport is Jimbaran which is a narrow neck of land that has two beaches, one on either side. Take your pick, and also choose the variety of accommodation options at Jimbaran.

About the only part of Bali that doesn’t boast a famous beach with a flavour all its own is Ubud, which is nestled in the highlands and well away from the coast.

The island of Bali offers a wide range of nightlife options with dance clubs and gay clubs side by side with sleek restaurants and elegant cocktail bars. You can dress up or have your bare toes in the sand while you drink and mingle – this is part of Bali’s great nightlife variety.

The great weather in Bali right now has brought the tourists and the busiest clubs, naturally, are all located in Kuta. All the dining options and bars are around this area of town. For the biggest crowds, head straight for the Hard Rock Café and its twenty-four-hour pool or check out the popular M-Bar-Go or Sky Garden. Nightlife runs all night here, bubt doesn’t start until late – anything before midnight isn’t worth bothering with. Ku De Ta near the Oberoi Hotel is enduringly popular with locals, expats and tourists alike. Keep your eyes open for notices about full moon parties and other one off events in Bali but beware of the island’s notorious drug laws.

In Seminyak, Syndicate, Bacio and Double Six get going much later at night and are the biggest discos in Bali. You can dance and drink the night away in any of these and nearby gay discos like Q Bar are also part of this strip.

Even sleepy Ubud has something to offer – look for Putra Bar and Magic Bar or the clubs and bars opposite the monkey forest that run all night long.

A very popular option is breezing the night away at a casual beer bar, and you should have no trouble finding plenty of those in Bali.