In Reply to: What's Tuban like? posted by melbmeg on Sunday, 21. December 2008 at 17:12 Bali Time:
Out of Kuta, Legian and Tuban, I prefer Tuban. It is extremely close to Kuta and as such has great shopping. It also has the Centro, Waterbom Park, Art Market with plenty of places to eat and shop. Yes, it can get busy there on the weekend but it has a slightly more laid back feel than Kuta. Ironically, I now stay in South Kuta or Tuban and rarely venture past Matahari's as it gets too busy going further north. As such, Tuban can be described as a happy medium between Sanur and Kuta.
Alternatively, you might want to try Seminyak. This area has the best restaurants and most exclusive shopping locations. However, things are expensive here and there are none of those annoying tourist information centres there. For example, earlier this year I could book the same white water rafting in Seminyak for $60 USD or 250,000 IDR (~$30 AUD) in Kuta). Some people on the same bus as me were pissed when I told them how much I pay, but that is why you dont always book with the hotel. Also Ubud is a nice place to stay if you ahvnt been there before, but a week is the most you would want to stay there