The weather is at its most appealing in the dry season between April and September; as a general rule, monsoon clouds start to gather in October, with the humid wet season lasting until March. The European summer holiday crowd arrives in August.
Wing your way to Ngurah Rai International Airport (www.baliairport.com), just south of Bali's capital Denpasar. If you need one, you can buy a visa on arrival (US$25 for 30 days); paying by cash will speed up the process.
Ngurah Rai is just a 20-minute hop, skip and a jump south of the famous Kuta, Legian and Seminyak beach strip, and within an hour's drive of the Tabanan coast, further north. Some hotels offer free airport transfers, but if not, book a pick-up with the concierge. Taxis operate from the airport on a fixed-price scale. You can rent a car at the airport but traffic can be terrifying.