The visions of Bali are true: intensely green, terraced rice fields, sarong-clad women balancing fruit baskets on their heads, a sapphire-blue sea with white frothy surf. Volcanoes, jungles, monkeys and elephants: what's not to love about Bali?

Bali has a lot to offer to tourists. Photos: Courtesy of Kristianna Foye

Day 1: Recovery mode

After arriving at 1 am at our villa in Seminyak, we simply recovered. We slept in, and the staff cooked us a breakfast of Indonesian food. My mother and I window-shopped in the early afternoon, before we all walked to Chill Massage. The long, slow strokes of my very capable masseuse lulled me back to sleep.

We ate dinner at Made's Warung, an open-air restaurant, and finished with black rice pudding topped with banana and shredded coconut. We walked home under a clear, deep-blue sky.

Day 2: Chocolate and elephants

Chocolate is grown in the Balinese mountains, and you can take a tour of the process. We journeyed into the mountains of Carangsari to Pod Chocolate. On the way we saw sarong-wearing men and women on scooters laden with baskets; stone and wood-carving workshops lining the road; and shrines and temples dotting the roadsides. Terraced rice paddies were in various states of growth and harvest.

Pod Chocolate is at the end of a tiny mountain road. The company's two hectares contain 200 cacao trees, interspersed with coffee, banana and coconut, with peppers and pumpkins peeking through the sunny patches.

Our guide found a ripe cacao pod, about as big as two fists. He chopped it open with a machete; the fruit around each pod tasted like mango. Back at the factory, he took us through the manufacturing process, which ends with workers pouring glossy, tempered chocolate into molds.

Afterward, my daughters braved an elephant ride at the nearby Bali Elephant Camp. As the girls slowly viewed the forest trails, I watched wild gray monkeys raid the offerings at the small temple on-site. The girls disembarked energized.

Day 3: Beach day

We started the day at Legian Beach, a short drive from our villa. Waves break uniformly onto a beach partly of black sand, courtesy of the island's volcanic heart. We rented lounge chairs and an umbrella from a beach attendant, and brought towels from our villa. Everything else can be purchased or rented easily.

For lunch, we walked across the street to Café Zanzibar, with its delicious Western and Indonesian dishes. Motorcycles stacked with books and magazines tempted us as we left, and we bought several options of summer reading. We returned to our villa and relaxed until dinner at Mykonos, a regular stop of ours, where its cheerful white and blue interior and Greek fare are always a welcome treat.

Day 4: Temples and coffee

We left after breakfast to see Ulu Watu Temple at the western end of the Bukit Peninsula. A morning visit was key to our plan: the temple grounds become crowded in the afternoon, and by then monkeys stalk unsuspecting guests to steal their glasses and bags. That morning the monkeys were still sleeping off their previous day's exploits, and other tourists were minimal.

We marveled at the multi-roofed temple built at the edge of the cliff, silhouetted against clear sky and turquoise water. We had lunch at Blue Point, a hotel restaurant with a full, air-conditioned view of the surf around Ulu Watu. Prospective surfers were mere dots on the swells.

Then we stopped at Labuan Sait, a secluded beach accessible by stairs that descend between limestone rocks. Later, we sampled some luwak coffee at a local shop. These beans are harvested after being ingested and "processed" by the luwak, a civet cat. My father was repulsed and intrigued at the same time, but he liked the coffee.

We spent the rest of the day in Jimbaran, where a row of seafood restaurants have tables set up in the sand. We found a table before sunset and relaxed as the clouds turned pink with the setting sun. My daughters kept track of the incoming aircraft from nearby Ngurah Rai airport, and my mother accompanied me to the tanks of fish and other sea creatures from which we chose our dinner: clams, red snapper, and squid both grilled and fried, with rice and vegetables.

Day 5: More temples

My parents were astounded by the beauty of Ulu Watu, so we sought more temples on our last full day. We arrived early at Tanah Lot Temple Complex, which also becomes quite crowded in the afternoon. Tanah Lot sits on a small, rocky island accessible only at low tide. We could see its base emerging from the sea, topped with thick greenery and temple roofs. More temples hug the coast, one with an arch under it formed by the motion of the waves. The area radiates serenity and spirituality.

After intense negotiation for souvenirs and ice cream, we turned from the water and toward Temple Taman Ayun. We ate lunch at Warung Gueek, among terraced rice paddies. We had an up-close view of egrets selecting their lunch from the muddy fields while we ate ours. My parents had roasted duck with rice and water spinach, while my daughters and I shared a plate of long beans in a curry sauce and the best chicken satay we have ever eaten.

Taman Ayun Temple is peaceful, bordered by rivers and constructed with an internal moat, and it was almost deserted that afternoon. Beyond an ornamented gate, a few dozen shrines fill the inner courtyard, with stacked straw roofs against the clear sky. We walked under mature trees shading the walkways, passing pavilions with sloped, tiled roofs. We surprised a pair of canoodling 20-somethings in one, but they were good-natured about it.

After an Italian dinner near our villa, we returned to Made's Warung for more black rice pudding. On this visit we got to see traditional Balinese dancing. My parents were fascinated by the dancers and noted that the micro-movements of feet, hands, eyes and head communicated so much emotion.

Day 6: Ribs and massage

After a lazy morning of lounging poolside (my daughters) and window-shopping (my mother), we drove to Hog Wild in Bali for lunch. This restaurant specializes in barbecued pork ribs, which my family firmly believes are the best on the planet. Their seasoned corn on the cob, going by the name "Porn Corn," is another favorite. We left satiated.

Our last Balinese experience was a massage at Prana Spa in Seminyak, consistently voted one of the best spas in Asia. We left in such a relaxed state we barely made it back to our villa to pack and depart.