Background
Three ladies (7th trip, 4th trip and 1st trip after 23 years) on a girls holiday. If you have five star tastes you may not agree with our recommendations.
Day Trips
Went to Tanah Lot to watch the sunset. First visit was in 1980. Hundreds of market stalls and even a surf factory outlet. Admittedly there is good shopping but spoils the beauty of the place. There is now a Kecak dance there starting at 7pm.
Another day we did the Bali Bintang bike tour. Two of us had done the Bali Baik Tour previously and decided to try another company so we could enjoy another route. Picked up at 7.30am in Kuta, visit to coffee plantation (different one and still interesting), morning tea at a restaurant in Kintamani (banana fritter and tea/coffee), 40km bike ride (frequent stops and water supplied) and ended up at a compound for one of the best meals we had in Bali.
Verdict - Will never visit Tanah Lot again but the other two ladies will go shopping there. Would recommend Bintang bike tour. Groups of 6 - 7 with a leader. Bikes are new and helmets are supplied. There are few hills and you do not need any fitness for the tour. What you do need is strength in your hands for the brakes!! It is good to try a different route as you see different things. We saw a children's dance class by chance.
We are also going in January with children and will do another bike tour. We will do a different route as this route was too long and too busy for my children. Cost was 300 000 if booked online including pick up.
Recommendation - Tip the leaders. The children on the route acknowledge the cyclists by offering high fives and some are used to being given money and lollies. I don't see the latter as being good. Giving a child a lollipop seems a small treat but these villages cannot afford dental hygiene/care and I can see it potentially causing a problem. We carried small care packages (plastic bags with face washer, toothbrush and some pencils) and also some small soft toys (even the small non battery McDonalds ones). Everyone should do a bike tour to see the real Bali.
We asked to be dropped off in Ubud rather than Kuta. Went to Studio Perak and did some shopping. Nice silver jewellery at reasonable prices. Also jewellery classes for children so will book one for January.
Many dance ticket sellers on the streets. We ate at Cafe Lotus near the temple dance on the main street. We had a table overlooking the enormous lotus pond and dance stage at the temple. Much better than the palace dance and lovely reasonably priced food. You pay for the dance ticket at the restaurant and food is on top. Highly recommended.
Overall recommendations
Go beyond Kuta to see the real Bali.
Take reusable bags and avoid accepting plastic bags when shopping. Have a look around you to see the damage these bags do in a country with a less advanced rubbish disposal system.
Shop at fixed price stalls and then spend more at other stalls when you know the prices. If you feel 'ripped off' by paying one dollar more than you should have, remember that dollar may feed their family for a day and is only a tiny price for you.
Respect the locals and their ways. A polite shake of the head and a simple no thanks (even though you may have said it 20 times already to different locals) are not hard. In a country that has no social security, that driver or shopkeeper may not have had a sale for a few hours or at all. No customer no pay.
My ugly memory will be of the stickers with pornographic slogans sold to tourists in Poppies Lane. These are so out of sync with the Balinese calm and gentle natures and can only be as a result of 'yobbo' tourists.