For many, Bali looms large in the imagination as the original tropical paradise, an island where ancient temples hide deep in the jungle, volcanoes fill the skyline and dramatic cliffs plunge into the Indian Ocean. But while the island sounds like the ultimate vacation destination, it also suffers from overtourism, pollution and traffic that can wreak havoc on your travel plans. Here’s everything you need to know about visiting Bali.

Getting There: There are no direct flights to Indonesia from the United States, but from certain major U.S. airports, it’s possible to reach Bali with a single connection, perhaps in Seoul, Hong Kong or Singapore. For my most recent trip, I made a brief connection in Doha with Qatar Airways. It proved to be a surprisingly comfortable 25 hours of travel.

I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport in Denpasar is efficient and well-equipped. It’s pleasanter than most U.S. airports and has plenty of international and domestic flight connections, meaning you won’t need to transit through Jakarta.