I have a love affair with Bali, which is not to say I’m blind to its unpleasantries (traffic, peddlers, densely populated). My first visit to Bali was a quickie — three whirlwind days filled with kleptomaniac monkeys, blackened temples, and a volcano. My second visit allowed me 10 days at leisure to really soak up the place and get to know the people.

Bali is uniquely Hindu, intensely colorful, and unbelievably cheap. I highly recommend you make a place for Bali on your 2016 bucket list! If these 20 photos don’t convince you to pack your bags and go, stay tuned for my post all about Bali on a budget.