Bali in July is always a delight especially once winter hits Sydney and we have been going back nearly every year for the past 8 years. One of the things we like to do is stay at new places and this trip it was Candidasa. Our hotel arranged a pick up from the airport and a stop at Hardys at Sanur on our way north to pick up the essentials - bintang, tonic, cola nibbles etc. It was difficult not to hit the shops in Sanur but restraint prevailed and only an hour later we were settled in our hotel having lunch overlooking the beach and stunning coastline.
We were travelling with two friends who had never been to Bali - all of us in our 50s and not looking for bars/night clubs, just beautiful surroundings to relax in and excellent restaurants. Candidasa was just perfect. We ate at a range of restaurants - Vincent's, La Rouge, Balissa were our favourites but we never had a disappointing meal in the 4 days we stayed there. Candidasa is very compact and we were able to walk everywhere though restaurants will also arrange a pick up service if you need it. There is a general store that seems to have everything from drinks to medicines and batik and all cheaper than Sanur. Changing money is easy and my husband was able to have his traditional 'haircut in a new place' as well as a pedicure for around $5. There is also a wide range of accommodation - from upmarket villas to cheap and cheerful B&Bs.
As I wrote earlier, Candidasa is not the place you go to for nightlife but if like us you enjoy happy hour overlooking the ocean watching the diving swallows change shifts with tiny bats as the sun goes down then you could a lot worse than to go that little further north as see what Candidasa has to offer.