The landscape of urban Bali is a jungle of signage. On the road between Denpasar and Nusa Dua the buildings are all jumbled together - houses and warungs (food stalls) and cellphone kiosks and temples and furniture showrooms, all side by side and fighting for attention....

All good things must come to an end, and so my time in Bali has drawn to a close. It's been a week of unrelenting heat, amazing sights and exhilaration....

It was time to experience some more of the local culture during my stay in Bali, so I signed up for a lesson in cooking Indonesian cuisine....

There's so much to do at a place like Club Med that a relaxing holiday can turn into a whirlwind of classes, sports and partying. And when you're at an all-inclusive resort, how could you say no to a cocktail or seven?...

Bali is getting a name for itself as a surf destination - it's obvious as soon as you get to the baggage claim at Denpasar airport and see all the board bags circling....

Day three in Bali was spent almost entirely outdoors. In the morning we travelled through the villages of rural Bali - more on that in a later blog. And in the afternoon we got down and dirty on the Ayung River....

After my recent success on the trapeze (yes, I'm still chuffed about that), I was extremely excited to hear that some real superstars were walking among us: members of the Moscow Circus are staying at the resort and are putting on shows every week for a month....

Sometimes Club Med can seem like a whole other nation, complete with its own language and culture. For a first-timer like me, there's a lot to learn but it's worth the effort so you can get the full experience....

When you've lost your comrades in the urban jungle, survival instincts kick in......

As I lay by the pool, something occurred to me: something was missing. Where were the ear-splitting screams of the rugrats? Looking around, I saw plenty of parents... but no children. Had they left them tethered to the bed while they spent the day in peace and quiet?...

It wasn't until I was teetering on the edge of the platform, high in the air, that I started to think this trapeze business might be harder than it looked. But it was too late for that. So I jumped. I'd always wanted to run away and...

The Balinese are famous for their signature massage techniques - long, flowing strokes leading to a state of utmost relaxation. We were still feeling a bit stiff from the flight over, so we were only too pleased to take up the offer of a 50-minute Balinese massage therapy treatment at Club Med's Mandara Spa....

What do you do when the New Zealand summer's coming to an end? If you're lucky enough to be me, you escape to a tropical paradise for a week's relaxation in Bali....

Malaysia Airlines had invited us to take a tour of the airline's kitchens out at the airport before we flew home, and who were we to say no? So we donned some seriously sexy white coats and hairnets and headed in....

For the Western tourist, Malaysia is an easy way to get acclimatised to Asia. Almost everyone you meet speaks some English and most signage is in English as well as Malay. But some wonky translation here and there can make for hilarious results....