If you want to experience Balinese traditions, there’s no better place to go on holiday than Ubud. Your pulse slows as soon as you arrive, a town where spirituality oozes from every street and vibrant prayer offerings adorn the pavements. Artisans are given free license to flex their creative muscles and the town’s markets are their stage, a place to showcase their best art, sculptures and crafts. Beyond the town, jungle retreats act as luxury bases from which you can cycle the lush countryside, hike prime rainforest or go white water rafting.

Southern Bali is often unfairly labelled as something of a beehive for backpackers, but there are plenty of places to escape them. Sophisticated Seminyak is one option, where chic restaurants, fashionable boutiques and a hip-yet-relaxed lifestyle fuse fantastically together, all fringed by a perfect golden beach. If you want something a bit quieter, then both Sanur and Jimbaran serve up wonderful golden sands and excellent bars as a setting for the most incredible sunsets. To get ahead of the curve, up-and-coming Canggu is part surfing mecca, part café culture and part beach break, fused together with a boho-chic vibe.

Borobudur in Java is a cultural marvel, not just in Indonesia but in all of Southeast Asia. Rising from lush fields and hemmed in by volcanic peaks, this multi-tiered pyramid stands at over 100ft tall. The curious bell-topped stupas which encase Buddha statues and cover this icon add a sense of mysticism to this World Heritage site, an ancient place that has defied the odds to withstand earthquakes and volcanic eruptions over the centuries. You can visit Borobudur as a pitstop before heading on to Bali or include it as part of a wider adventure around the island of Java. Either way, it’s an icon in all senses of the word – we challenge you not to be captivated by its colossal nature.

No longer just a haven for surfers, Lombok could be described as Bali’s little sister. Like its bigger brother, vertiginous volcanoes and lush tropical greenery dominate the island’s scenery but despite this, most visitors overlook the island. Left uncharted on the tourist map, you’ll have Lombok’s brilliant beaches, refreshing waterfalls and charming Islamic culture to yourself, making for a relaxing escape from ‘busy’ Bali. If you’re itching for a day trip, head for the Gilis, a trio of islands blessed with the whitest of sands and clearest of waters for a lounge and a snorkel.

If you’re after true escapism, the far-flung isle of Sumba offers it in spades. With pretty limestone hills and sand that glistens like gemstones in the sunshine, it’s an island that very much feels untouched by man. Nihi Sumba is a place that matches its surrounds and then some, consistently ranked as one of the planet’s best resorts and a real sanctuary for those who just want to forget about the day-to-day for a while.

While its primeval namesake dragons are clearly a highlight for anyone visiting Komodo Island, the national park hides far more natural treasures. The diving is spellbinding and a must if you’re venturing here, with reefs so vibrant you’d have to invent new colors for them. Huge schools of tropical fish, reef sharks and turtles make this their home, while Manta Point lives up to its name as a great place for manta rays.