on two trips we have spent some time in sanur and liked it---shops, restaurants and a nice beach...once at the older bali hyatt and a few days another time at a couple of the smaller bali owned places.. we really liked it..

last time we spent a few days on the west coast at the pan pacific overlooking tanah lot telple..

ubud is fab... take a look at alam shanti---the gannga room is fab and worth the extra $$

you will love putu

Sanur has a nice sandy beach. To me, the resorts are getting a little run down. I'm not sure what you mean by avoiding "large beach area." All of the southern beaches are well developed. They are all low-rise, and attract different types of clientele, but the level of development is about the same.

Where ever you stay, stay there and don't plan to commute to other areas for meals, shopping sunset etc. The traffic can be appalling.

I would avoid Candidasa (unless you're looking at the Alila Manggis). I haven't been to Amed recently, but I'm getting good reports. Aside from access to Menjangan for diving I'm not a fan of North Bali -- Lovina, Pemuteran.

For a pretty, quiet beach in an underdeveloped environment you might consider Lombok.

Sanur is closest to the airport but will still be an hour or more, depending on the traffic and whether the road construction is finished by then.

my lasst trip to the airport from sanur was 25 minutes mid-morning, but that was quick.

There have been huge traffic jams at the Dewi Ruci traffic circle that connects the roads from the airport to both the east and westcoast beaches. They are constructing a major underpass system which should, optimistically alleviate some of the traffic snarls, but until it's completed -- sometime before November 2013 -- expect delays.

marmot: Why would you avoid Candidasa? What I meant about big beach areas was I want to avoid Kuta, Seminyak type places. We don't care about bars and nightlife and high end shopping.

As regards Sanur and proximity to the airport, that could be an issue at the end of the stay in getting to the airport on time for a flight to Yogyakarta that is as yet unbooked. When we arrive, it doesn't matter how long it takes to get from the airport to the first hotel as we won't have anything planned the first night or even the first day. After coming off 32 hours of flying to get to Bali, we will need some time to decompress. perhaps staying in Amed first and doing some snorkeling, relaxing the first day or 2 would be a good idea.

rhkkmk: I hope Putu gets back to me. It's been 6 days. I resent the email today.

My budget for hotels will be under $100 a night. We do not need 5 star luxury. I don't plan to spend my time on Bali at the hotel. It will be used mainly for a cooling off swim in the afternoon and sleeping. The garden house rooms at Alam Shanti might fit the bill in Ubud.

Candidasa peaked in the 80's, then declined. Leaving a lot of rundown properties and eroded beaches. Lately it's been making comeback among budget travelers, but in my opinion it's still a depressing area. There are better choices.

I would agree about Kuta, but not Seminyak.

Alam Sari is another good choice in the countryside outside of Ubud. Low key, pretty setting and lots of cultural and nature activities.

I'm always conservative about airport travel time, because you simply cannot predict the traffic. If the construction project is completed and if it serves its purpose, then the travel time will be considerably reduced. (That's two ifs, though.)

putu may be away for a few days, its low season afterall

I did get a response from Putu after sending the second email. I will work the details out with him. His suggestion for other locales is Amed and/or Sanur.

I'm trying to make a reservation at Alam Shanti for the Sindhu Room to get the outdoor bathroom but that room is already booked for some of the dates I'm looking at. This place must be great to get booked up 7 months in advance! I've asked them for suggestions, maybe changing room after 2 nights, or maybe one of the other properties if they are as nice looking as Alam Shanti.

You can stay in Sanur. It will give you all the amenities of a large town without the craziness of Kuta or Seminyak. I've driven back and forth to the airport plenty of times. It's not that bad and worth the drive even if it were. Glad you're going to Ubud. It is a little more commercialized after the book and movie, but still a great destination.

As for the north, I have a much more optimistic viewpoint than marmot. There is a really nice hotel in Pemuteran called Amertha. It's right on the beach and the snorkeling out front is great, but a short boat ride will get you to Menjangan Island, which in my opinion is the best snorkeling on the island.

As for temples, get to Tanah Lot and Turta Empul, but really, there are temples everywhere. More in Bali than anywhere else in the world. The right guide will get you to see a good Balian for a cleansing. Try to experience some of the rituals and ceremonies. The Balinese are usually happy to let you participate.

Here's the plan I've come up with:

arrive Aug. 16 @3:30pm. Go to hotel in Amed
Aug. 17-18 Amed area
Aug. 19 go to hotel in Ubud. I have a reservation at Alam Shanti. It's in the rice house which wasn't my first choice of rooms. it was all they had available (I guess this hotel is very popular!)
Aug.20-21-22 Ubud area
Aug. 23 go to hotel in Sanur. I'm looking at renting a room in a villa through airbnb.
Aug. 24-25 Sanur area
Aug. 26 fly to Yogyakarta.

I'm researching hotels in Amed and Sanur. I want to stay under $100 a night. I'll spend one day at each hotel just chilling by the pool or going to the beach and spend the other days touring temples, hiking, taking classes.

So how does this plan sound to those of you who have been to Bali before? Will this provide a good variety of experiences?

So here's what I've got reserved for now:

Aug. 16-19 3 nights Amed/Lipah, Bali Bhuana Beach Cottages
Rp 600,000/night nett
Aug. 19-23 4 nights Ubud, Villa Saraswati $108/night booked and paid on Agoda
Aug. 23-26 3 nights Sanur, Segara Agung Rp 550,000 +21% tax/night

The only room Alam Shanti had was in one of the houses in the rice field away from the main area. That room didn't look all that exciting. Villa Saraswati gets very high ratings on TA, and will be like staying in a private home as there are only 5 rooms. Plus they don't take children.

I recommend the Green Kitchen for cooking class. Nyomen picks you up at your hotel (no charge for hotels in Ubud), takes you to a walk through a market then to his home in Gianyar, a walk through the rice paddies and to his organic garden to pick some of the ingredients. The kitchen is on a hillside, very picturesque. My daughter and I took this class just a couple of weeks ago, and we made quite a lot of really delicious traditional dishes, even grated coconut on a grater made from a plant with natural spikes

I think you have created a great Bali itinerary for yourself. In Amed you can do some diving or snorkeling, jump on a traditional boat just before sunset. Tour around East Bali and not to forget relax.

Then in Ubud you have enough time to explore the village, do a ricefield walk, join a course, do another day trip and what I highly recommend is visiting the temple sites Tempak sering, Goa Gaja and Tirta Empul which are not far away from Ubud.

When in Ubud you can more likely do nice daytrips to the areas such as Jatiluwih or Kintamani. Or go on a mountain bike downhill trip where you can see villages, ricefields and nature of Bali in one go.

And in Sanur you can mostly enjoy the beach, relaxation, a spa and if you feel like it go on another daytrip.

You will have a good and diverse trip. Have fun!

I'm really excited about this trip; it will be hard to wait until August.

I am thinking about changing the Sanur hotel to Pondok Ayu, a villa hotel that rates very high on TA.
http://www.pondok.com.au/index.php $80/night
There have been some comments in the review that the location isn't very good for going to the beach. Can anyone advise on this hotel versus Segara Agung, which is in walking distance to the beach?

sjr5: I'll look into cooking classes at Green Kitchen, see if I can find the web site.

I've tentatively engaged Putu to be our driver on Bali, maybe going out with him on change hotel days and one other with a hang out day in between. He's working on plan, but there is plenty of time to finalize.

Rather than drive yourself or rent a scooter while in Bali, consider hiring a driver for a day or more. We just spent two days in Bali and hired Wayan, whose contact information is iwayan_suweja@yahoo.com. He is very competent and very friendly. We recommend him very highly.

A good hotel in Sanur is the magnificent Bali Hyatt though it is showing its age, as a veritable grande dame
My hotel of choice on the "happening" south-west beach of Seminyak is The Oberoi. Utterly civilised, truly Balinese, an old hotel with a strong sense of "place" and history, with superb grounds and a special kind of magic. And close to the "happening" spots....if you want to let your hair down!
As for getting around etc, you cant do better than Bali Discovery Tours, run my an American called Jack Daniels (!) who has lived in Bali for 20 years or so. A mine of information himself, his agency has thoroughly professional English-speaking staff and drivers.
Hope this helps!

Spent 8 days in Ubud, divided between Tegal Sari and Alam Shanti (loved both), and did not get bored.

- Take long walks in the morning before it gets too hot (beware dogs)(buy a map of walks in one of the bookstores)
- Visit the Don Antonio Blanco museum (very amusing, beautiful house)
- Shop (there are some nice clothing boutiques for simple cotton pieces)
- Enjoy long lunches or afternoon breaks at Kafe
- Indulge in high-quality, low-price massages
- Enjoy the view from your deck in the afternoon
- Hire a driver for the day ($30) to see the temples and countryside