In Reply to: Off soon,any tips posted by cavalier on Thursday, 3. March 2011 at 09:38 Bali Time:
once you get to bali airport change $50 at the airport. You can then use some of this to pay for taxi (via the taxi booth) just outside doors from arrival hall (if you already have transport via travel agent live and learn)
once you have checked in and are ready to go out, get a taxi (tell them to turn meter on if they dont turn it on in the first 30 seconds) to bintang supermarket. once there cross the road and walk about 50 metres BMC to money changer (very trustworthy and they also have a counting machine, well worth catching a taxi here all the time for peace of mind/you can always get the taxi to wait if it is a dash in dash out)
if you have brought an unlocked phone and want to ring home during your trip go over to the phone booth outside bintang and buy a sim card (about $15 including $5 credit/they are very helpful and will set up phone and explain how to ring home & local) while at the bintang it is worth seeing what they stock and grab any supplies.
staying in seminyak you are close to some fantastic restaurants. recently we ate at: chandi(very very good - check their web site) cafe degan (really good thai/indo/euro deserts and very cheap for excellent quality/they have a face book site) buki teahouse (great high tea & luckily we also went back for breakfast one morning as this is equal to any breakfast we have had in melbourne/they have a web site) La Lucciola (fantastic beach location for Sat or Sun breakfast over looking the ocean with excellent food & service) (well worth giving up the villa breakfast for a buki or la luccuiola breakfast). Delicious Oinion (cheap and very tasty for lunch in Jl Drupadi/web site) warisan Restaurant (excellent high quality at reasoable price/web site not to be confused with cafe warisan which was the previous business at same location)
if looking for markets go to Jl Padma and the markets are between Jl Padma & Jl Melasti along garlic lane. we like to snack at in Padma or Uncle Norms in Melasti but there are lots of restaurants in this area.
if in kuta looking for a meal Poppies(web site) in Poppies lane 1 is always cool & quite and food is good.
if looking for cheap beachside restaurants with good food go to Jl double 6. seaside/zanzibar/ocean blue are all good for lunch or dinner (also good place to watch the world go by)
if you feel the need for good cheap italian then cafe morazano on the corner of Jl double 6 & Jl werkadura or cheap thai at warung asia in Jl wekadura
as far as activities go, everyone to their own but as far as waterbom goes I wouldn't bother unless I was taking kids.
however I would go out of my way to go to Ubud for the day (Unfortunately it took us 4 trips to appreciate Ubud). to pack the most into a day (if I couldn't go to Ubud for two days) I would book a morning bike tour with bintang bike (web site) we have done this tour three times/good for anybody who can sit on a bike and fantastic way to see rural bali/great indo lunch at the end). I would then get the bike tour people to drop me at Venizia Spa in Monkey Forest Road/(pre booked on web site) where I would have a shower and massage (or other treatment). I would then walk down to the the Monkey Forest (2 minutes). After this I would walk down Monkey Forest Road looking at shops and arriving at Ubud Palace/Ubud market. Early evening get transport ($2 to $3) to Tropical Bale Restaurant (web site) where I would have a fantastic meal overlooking the rice paddies. I would then travel back to Seminyak by pre arranged transport (approx $20 to $25)
hope this helps