Climb a volcano: there aren’t many places in the world where you can climb before dawn to the rim of an active volcano, cook breakfast on a summit steam hole and still be back on the beach for some mid-morning pineapple. Bali is one of them. As volcano treks go, Ganung Batur is a relatively easy climb, and the views over the nearby lake and mountains — silhouetted at sunrise — are sensational. You’ll need a guide (from £20pp; bookable through your hotel) and good trainers.

Rice paddies: with rice the culinary staple in paradise, it’s only right that you see how it’s grown. Agriculture is still a bigger industry than tourism on Bali, and the paddy field is agriculture at its most beautiful: tiered acres of sparkling water and green shoots tumble down gentle hills as palm trees stand like guards. It’s the quintessential Bali picture postcard; the tracks that wind through the villages of Iseh and Sidemen in the east of the island are the best places from which to see it.

When to go: as soon as possible. Get there before tourist numbers shoot back up, while prices are still depressed and the beaches still quiet. The monsoon season begins in October and lasts until May. But don’t let that put you off — it normally rains for just a couple of hours a day before sunshine returns.

Getting there: there are no direct flights between the UK or Ireland and Denpasar, but there are convenient options with a change of planes en route. For example, Travelbag (0870 814 4441, www.travelbag.co.uk) has fares from Manchester with Singapore Airlines starting at £606, and from Heathrow from £626, both via Singapore. Or try Airline Network (0870 700 0543, www.netflights.com) or Travelmood (0870 444 9911, www.travelmood.co.uk).

In Ireland, Ebookers (01 488 3507, www.ebookers.ie) has fares from Dublin from €981, with BMI and Singapore via Heathrow and Singapore.

Getting around: ah, the bemo. Noisy, cramped, chaotic but oh so Balinese. The main form of public transport on Bali, the bemo is a minibus or van. Like buses, they run set routes. Unlike buses, they only run when full. Dirt-cheap and an experience. Otherwise, car hire (from £9 a day) and scooter hire (from £3 a day) are available in most resorts. Taxis are cheap.

Tour operators: package prices are tumbling — within hours of the Foreign Office announcement, operators were rolling out hefty discounts. Although prices for the peak months of July and August will not be affected, the “shoulder season” of September, October and November offers unprecedented value.

One of the best deals is two weeks for the price of one at the four-star Putri Bali: £789 with Kuoni (01306 747008, www.kuoni.co.uk) including Heathrow or Manchester flights between September 1 and November 30. The same operator has a week at the four-star Melia Bali reduced by £133 to £819. Both deals are room-only.

Trailfinders (020 7938 3939, www.trailfinders.com) has eight nights, B&B, at the four-star Hotel Sanur Beach for £673, saving £148, and a week, room-only, at the five-star Bali Hyatt down £121 to £744. Both depart Heathrow between October 1 and November 25.

With Thomas Cook Signature (0870 443 4570, www.tcsignature.com), 10 nights, B&B, at the three-star Segara Village cost £699, saving £115, leaving Heathrow or Manchester in November.

. . . but is Bali safe?

BALI MAY be back on the travel map, but it should not be assumed to be safe, says the Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO). The main implication of the new advice is that holidaymakers will be protected by their insurance policies. When the Foreign Office advises against nonessential travel to a country, insurers suspend all cover.