http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/tw/tw_918.html
http://www.smartraveller.gov.au/zw-c...vice/Indonesia
http://www.fco.gov.uk/servlet/Front?...=1013618385558

as previously mentioned I would rather follow advise of people paid to look and listen than some one off poster on here, like I said before these people dont issue these warnings for fun

I was there in February, Nusa Dua, felt secure, but got a couple breaths of the stuff they "fog" for mosquitoes and felt like I'd cough up a lung for the rest of the week.

You didn't say when you're looking at. I can tell you to avoid Bali the first 2 weeks of December this year! There's a UN climate change conference being held there, something like 6,000 people going, so airfares and hotel rates are predictably insane and capacity is packed. I'm glad I went back when I did!

Glad this topic is still going on...

I'm going to be taking a trip Malaysia, Bali and the Phillippines this upcoming february ..and will only have maybe 2 1/2 days in Bali..Flying into Denpasar..So how should i arrange those trips considering the short amount of time?

I thought I should stay in Ubud (heard it wasn't that far from the airport?)
and make a visit to Kuta, Lovina and or Nusa Dua..but which one would be the best ones to visit, what's the cheapest/less time consuming ways to get there & what is there to see & do in those places (heard a lot about diving & scuba diving)?

And is there a waterfall near any of these places that we could see?
I did a search and several popped up a couple hours away/near Kuta..anyone been to one? suggestions?

OK,

First off Bali is FARRRRR more than Kuta, Denpasar, Sanur and Nusa Dua. IMO if you stay in Nusa Dua more than two days to refresh after landing, you are wasting your time and experience; but, too each there own.

Security - have you seen the crime stats for Detroit?? No issues in Bali beyond what we face here in the States just shopping, walking around at night or hitting an event.

Now back to topic. Get out and see Bali - Mengangam, Amed, CaniDasa are three areas and regions I love to hear people experiencing. So much to the interior as well. I have a lengthy trip report that would be of interest to review for advenuture honeymoon trips.

To the previous post - travel in Bali is all about length and inconvenience. It will take a good part of the day to get South to North. Please take this into consideration or you will over chedule and under experience.

Just a few thoughts

Ubud is not close to the airport, it's about an hour away. Kuta is close to the airport, but there is basically nothing to see there. Think of it this way... Kuta:Australians::Cancun:Americans. Downmarket, collegiate, first trip abroad, tons of bars, little Balinese culture. For Balinese culture, you need to get out of Kuta and into the interior or the northern parts of the island. Ubud is a great place to get closer to the Balinese; Nusa Dua is not because it's just a big Western compound of planned mega-resorts. There are lots of waterfalls and opportunities for rafting and suchlike on the Sayan River near Ubud. Ubud has the full range of hotels, from hostels and whatnot for under $50 per day to ultra-luxe Four Seasons Sayan and Amandari for over $500/night.

The first trip Mr. Megatop and I took to Bali lasted five days. We felt like we'd only had a preview of the island, and yet we were in love with it. Went back the next year for another 6 days, and this year it'll be another five. While on our first trip, we met a very nice FTer from California who was on her first visit to Bali. In the ensuing year, she went back six times. I hope you have a similar experience.

thanks for the replies so far..

i know i don't want to go to nusa dua or sanur and i'm not too big on visiting kuta either.
i know for sure i want to go go ubud.lol
a friend told me to make sure i see the pura besakih/mt agung or mt batur, monkey forest, and to witness a kecak dance

and one friend suggested i hit up begudul, git git waterfall, tanuh lot/sunset and maybe check out the adventure park or jimbaran bay/beaches ?

Been to any of those places?
I know my trip is rushed, lol but i can always come back..i see many of you do ;o0

it looks like we'll be in bali from the evening of the 12th until the evening of the 15th.soo..what are the must sees w/in that time frame? esp if Ubud is an hr from the airport and ppl have told me not stay in kuta or denpasar,lol.

are those places completely out of the way too?

Kuta and Denpasar are relatively close to the airport. The issue is that there's not much to see. Kuta is pretty downmarket and caters to surfers and collegiate-type Australians. Denpasar is the "capital city" of Bali, more business- and politics-oriented than tourist-related. Jimbaran Bay actually isn't all that pretty, but it might be worth a visit. Prettier at night. Lots of beachfront restaurants, but the taxi drivers get paid to steer you to one or another. Best to ask a reputable concierge for a recommendation. I'd try to kill two birds with one stone by seeing the cecak dance at Uluwatu Temple at sunset on the southern tip of the island. Very beautiful, and the dance is definitely worth it. Beware the monkeys-- they are aggressive and sneaky and will steal things, especially eyeglasses. The monkeys in the Monkey Forest of Ubud are much more passive, and it's worth a visit if you want to interact with the monkeys or shoot photos of temples with monkeys crawling all over them. Be sure to get outside of Ubud into an area with terraced rice fields-- the quintessential vista in Bali. The volcanoes are worth it, too. Ubud would be relatively centrally located between the volcanoes and Jimbaran/Uluwatu, though it takes a good hour to get up to the volcanoes and possibly 90 minutes to get down to Uluwatu. The distances are not great, but it can really take some time to get around because of small roads and stoplights. It's far worse in peak tourist seasons, I'm told.

http://www.nasty-bali.org/

Suggestions for places to stay in Bali for family??
Mid range - not luxury but not budget either

Sorry - meant Sanur specifically