There's nowhere quite like Bali. It's the kind of place where you'll eat the best fresh fish of your life on the beach with your feet in the sand. You'll watch whole families zoom by on motorbikes, or maybe a monkey will steal your glasses at Uluwatu temple. Despite high—and still growing—tourist numbers, you can still find vestiges of old Bali in small villages surrounded by rice paddies, where you'll hear the twinkling chimes of neighborhood gamelan ensembles rehearsing at all hours of the day and night. Note: Mount Agung, the volcano considered holy by the Balinese, has been even more active than usual for the past year, so double-check the latest seismic and volcanic activity before departing.

Pro tip: Avoid Denpasar, where you fly in, and Kuta, a tourist trap; visit culturally rich Ubud instead, and use it as a jumping off point to explore beyond. Take a day trip to Sidemen, which has all the rice paddies without the selfie-takers, or go even farther, to the village of Munduk in the mountains.

Getting there: Many international airlines fly to Bali from hubs in Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, and Hong Kong.