Where is Bali and how long does it take to get there?
Bali is not a country: it is a small island in Indonesia, about 8 degrees south of the equator, between Java to the west and Lombok to the east. It measures roughly 87 by 56 miles (140 by 90 km).
Getting there: flights land at Ngurah Rai International Airport (DPS) in the south, near Denpasar, the island's capital. From Australia there are direct flights, roughly 3.5 hours from Perth and 6 to 7 hours from Sydney or Melbourne. From the UK, Europe and North America there is no non-stop flight, so budget 17 to 30 hours door to door with at least one stop.
Time zone: Bali is on UTC+8 all year and doesn't change its clocks. That puts it 8 hours ahead of the UK in winter (7 in summer), 12-13 hours ahead of New York, 15-16 hours ahead of Los Angeles, level with Perth, and 2-3 hours behind Sydney and Melbourne.
The island is easy to picture: plains, beaches and the airport in the south; a chain of volcanoes in the centre, crowned by Mount Agung, an active volcano just over 3,000 m (about 10,000 ft) high.
Tip: book a flight that lands in the morning, and don't plan anything heavy on day one. The stopover and the time difference take their toll.
Flight times and time differences are approximate. Confirm with your airline.