In Reply to: Some help for next trip please. posted by luvthe NT on Wednesday, 12. April 2006 at 11:38 Bali Time:
Sanur is definitely not dead, it is just doesnt cater to the more gross demands of mass tourism that Kuta offers. The touts are nowhere near as bad as in Kuta possibly because there is a strong local community and Sanur people still live in Sanur.
One of the best things about Sanur is that most of the hotels are between the road and the beach. As a result it is a simple walk through the hotel either to the beach or back the other way to the main shopping street. (Jalan Dalau Tamblingan)There is a pleasant pathway along the edge of the hotel/beach boundaries which allows you to walk or cycle the full length of the beach. The beach, contrary to some postings, is now very swimmable except at low tide as there has been a lot of beach repair work done especially from the Hyatt north. There are plenty of traditional outrigger jukung sailing craft to take you out past the reef for a snorkel for about 200,000 Rp.
There are many restaurants ranging from very classy Italian to tasty Masakan Padang and lots of bars, both on the beach front and on Jln D Tamblingan. From most of the hotels they are very accessible just by a short walk.
Happy hour cocktails at the Gryia Santrian on the terrace overlooking the lagoon is fabulous. There is also an abundance of taxis, kijangs with drivers and bemos to get you anywhere else that you want.
However to my mind the better beach and the more interesting shops and stalls are north of the Bali Hyatt. For this reason I would not even think of going way down to the Waka Maya unless I did not want to leave the hotel grounds once i got there.
The best location I think (best beach, lots of shops nearby, lots of bars and restaurants) is around a group of smaller hotels from the Griya Santrian north. These include the Besakih, the Gazebo, La Taverna, the Respati, Sari Sanur and others. I think that staying in any of these would be fine, but the queen of them is undoubtably the Tandjung Sari, one of the first boutique hotels in Bali and still one of the most elegant. Both David Bowie and Mick Jagger have stayed here they say. The archtecture is "balinese" style and so most of the bungalows have open bathrooms and lots of room. It is quiet,luxurious and relaxing. Internet rates are $US 109 incl Brekky. When I go to heaven I am going to ask them to decorate my room like the Tandjung Sari.
The Puri Santrian is further South and away from the main action but very new and more obviously posh in a Western hotel sort of way. We had a look over their upmarket club rooms last year and although it was nice, it had an airport business lounge feel about it which we did not find as attractive.