Island & beach escapes

Jeju City is the main city and gateway of Jeju Island, a volcanic island off South Korea's south coast and a UNESCO-listed natural area. It serves as the arrival point for an island known for its volcano, lava tubes, waterfalls and dramatic coastline.

Jeju Island was formed by volcanic activity centered on Hallasan, a 1,947-meter shield volcano that is South Korea's highest mountain, with a crater lake at its summit; its volcanic origins are recognized by UNESCO, which lists Hallasan and the Geomunoreum lava-tube system among the island's natural World Heritage features. Beyond the geology, Jeju's coast is lined with genuine beach towns — Hyeopjae, on the island's west side, has pale sand and a clear view of the small islet of Biyangdo offshore, while Hamdeok on the north coast is known for the turquoise color of its shallow water. Jeju City itself, on the north coast, is where most visitors arrive by air or sea before heading out to the coastline.

Ubud, in Bali's central uplands, is regarded as the island's cultural heart, a town of art, dance and temples surrounded by emerald rice terraces and river gorges. It draws visitors seeking traditional crafts, yoga and the landscapes of the central highlands.

Surrounded by paddy fields and ravines, Ubud has long been a center for Balinese painting, woodcarving and dance, with a royal palace and numerous temples in and around the town. Just north, the Tegallalang Rice Terraces descend a steep valley in the sculpted curves of the traditional subak irrigation system, recognized by UNESCO, and photograph best in the green months and the soft light of early morning.

Seminyak is a beach resort area on Bali's southwest coast, north of Kuta, known for its long surf beach, sunset bars, boutiques and a temple set on offshore rocks nearby. It is the island's most developed strip of coastal nightlife and dining.

Seminyak's wide, west-facing beach runs for several kilometers and is famed for its sunsets, drawing crowds to beachfront bars at the end of the day. More upmarket than neighboring Kuta, the area is lined with designer boutiques, spas and restaurants, and it serves as a convenient base for the southern coast. The surf is consistent, and the flat sand reflects the colored sky after the sun drops below the Indian Ocean.

El Nido sits at the northern tip of Palawan, a beach town that serves as the gateway to a scattering of limestone karst islands, hidden lagoons and white-sand coves reachable only by boat.

The limestone cliffs that ring El Nido's Bacuit Bay rise straight out of turquoise water, and the main way to see them is aboard a traditional bangka — an outrigger boat — on one of four standardized island-hopping tours (A, B, C and D), each stopping at a different set of lagoons, beaches and snorkeling spots. Tour A is the most popular, taking in the Small and Big Lagoons, where paddling between towering rock walls into a hidden pool is the signature experience.

Petrovac is a low-key beach resort on Montenegro's Budva Riviera, a pebble-beach town with a laid-back pace that draws a mellower crowd than the busier resorts further up the coast.

The town's main beach curves in a gentle crescent below a wooded headland, backed by a modest promenade of seafood restaurants rather than the high-rise development found elsewhere on the Adriatic. Small islets are visible from the sand, and Sveti Stefan — Montenegro's famous fortified islet village, now a private resort — is a short drive up the coast.