In Reply to: planning to go posted by pat on Sunday, 29. August 1999 at 02:16 Bali Time:
You need to know what the various areas are like so you can decide where you would prefer to stay. If you have time, move around. Kuta is market shopping, restaurants and bars,a great body surfing beach with tropical sunsets into the ocean. There are no highrises along the beach (only one real or 2 hise rise hotels and they are at Sanur). Sanur is quieter shopping, restaurants, a few bars, picturesque lagoon beach (but too shallow for swimmng when the tide it out), no sunset but you can see a volcano. Nusa Dua is big resorts facing the same direction as Sanur. Jimbaran is around the bend from Kuta, smaller surf, sunset views, no shopping but lots of on the sand restaurants and well spaced beach front hotels. Ubud is Kuta without the beach but lots of culture (not that Kuta doesn't have culture). Candi Dasa is ... you get the picture? So stay on the beach at Kuta a few nights to see the "worst" of Bali according to some but also the best according to others. Make sure the hotel is on the beach, not across the road - it is a very busy road. check out Jimbaran for dinner and wander through a hotel property like the Intercontinental. then try Ubud, then Candi Dasa or Lovina...