Hi! I am heading to Bali in about a month with my boyfriend (we are both in our mid 20s) for a week. We have already booked the Bali Spirit Hotel in Ubud and I was looking at doing a bike tour www.balibaik.com but otherwise I am open for suggestions. Mostly it is just hard to know what is worth doing because it all sounds great! Does anyone have any experience with snorkeling/diving for beginners, beaches, temples, restaurants etc. We are not limited on price but it shouldnt be super expensive either (although sometimes we enjoy something very nice). Would love the help. Thanks!

The most "action" at the beach is in Kuta. Seminyak is somewhat quieter. Most beach hotels will have a wide selection of watersport activitiews available.

one of the best ways to see parts of bali is to hire a driver for a day or two....many of us like putu...he is in demand so you would need to book now...

thanks for the replies! does anyone have any experience with sanur? evidentally kuta/seminyak/legion is pretty touristy and sanur is great for snorkeling.

@rhkkmk I have had contact with putu but it seems he is more a guide for the entire day and we are looking for someone who can meet us at a certain time to pick us up etc. do you think he would be suitable for our needs?

thanks!

he is a guide/driver....he is not really one who you would just use for transportation....taxis are readily available in most places for that....

if he has no other jobs on that day, i am sure he would be good for you, but i suspect he has a minimum of 4 hours charge, but i am not sure of that...

we love sanur....we have stayed there 3 times...one at the bali hyatt, once at puri santrian and we finished our last bali vacation at tandjung sari....all were more than decent and some were fantastic...we love the availability of the shops and local restaurants and the board walk along the beach where there are shops and restaurants as well...there are all kinds of accomodations in sanur as well...we have only stayed in the upscale ones..

We always stay at Sanur.

I would also recommend you use taxis for what you describe. A driver/guide like Putu should be used for all day excursions.

kc, All the beach resorts in Bali are touristy: that's exactly the point. The long Western beach starts at Kuta continues through Legian and on to Seminyak. Kuta is the oldest area and has traditionally attracted a surf 'n beer party crowd. Seminyak is newer and more upscale and has some of better clubs, restaurants, spas and shops.

Sanur developed around the same time as Kuta as the counter to the craziness. It is quieter (even the surf is quieter) and has more of a family ambience.

For a couple in their 20's I'd definitely recommend Seminayak.

I wouldn't say that Sanur is great for snorkling. In fact, I don't know of any snorkling/SCUBA opportunities in the southern beaches -- unless you make a day trip by boat to one of the outlying islands. Even then, SCUBA is very advanced (drift diving) and snorkling iffy.

For snorkling and diving you need to go to either East Bali or North Bali. You can accomplish this in a day trip but it's a very long day. If underwater activities are a main draw then you should spend a night or two in one of the areas with access to reefs.

There are plenty of taxis both official and informal all over Bali. You'll have no problem arranging a car and driver to get you from A to B. Just negotiate before you get in! We usually ask our resort to drop us off and pick us up after dinner. Some charge for this service, some don't.

In Ubud both Lamak and Three Monkeys are stylish, relatively cheap, and have excellent food--both on Monkey Forest Road. Try to see the Kecak in Junjungan village--there's a free bus from town, we really enjoyed it. Snorkeling is quite good right off the beach here in Pemuteran where we are now--but that's a 4 or 5 hour drive. And its quite hot and dry. Would recommend getting up to Munduk for some rice field trekking up in the mountains--we stayed at Puri Lumbung and liked it very much. not a lot to do except have a couple drinks, watch the sunset and listen to the frogs. the clove harvest is coming in and the whole town smells great. have fun

In Ubud we had a very good lunch at Indus. It has a great view over the gorge. The satays, samosas and a thai-style chicken/coconut soup were excellent. Likewise, dinner at Terazo was very good. Their summer roll was outstanding, as was their gazpacho and Balinese red chicken. Have fun - and be careful of the monkeys.

We really enjoyed our stay at the Bali Spirit in Ubud. Great staff, comfortable room, gorgeous gardens, nice pool area, good restaurant on site.

A driver could take you out east for the snorkelling and you could visit a few temples, see the countryside and mountains on the way. A trip up to the volcano is gorgeous -- there's a bike ride down but at 20s, you probably are willing to do a bit more pedalling
Seminyak is the 20 something beach -- we were there 2 years ago so not sure if Ku De Ta is still as "hot" as it was then (google them and check out the web site, you'll know in a flash if it feels interesting to you) -- the beaches are all touristy -- just matters what kind of vibe you want.
You'll love Ubud -- have a great time !!

Thanks everyone for the ideas!

I will take everything into consideration and I am so glad to know the taxi situation is nothing I need to worry about. It is almost overwhelming deciding what to do because there are endless possibilities. I appreciate all the advice!

Thanks!

Keep in mind that you can't do everything. Just make some semi-informed choices and you'll be fine. Bali is wonderful. You can do the other things when you return. Many of us have gone on a trip of a lifetime multiple times.