BALI
 

Kuta Beach can be full of non-local hawkers that are quite persistent and will follow you for a bit but don't get discouraged - still a good place to visit

Another tip for Bali:

When visiting the many temples in Bali, men and women are required to wear a sarong, a long, often colorful wraparound skirt. One can “rent” a sarong at the entrance to any temple, however, when visiting Kuta or other large city, simply invest in an inexpensive sarong, which you can then use at the beach to lay out with, at the temples and as a souvenir of your trip.

Kuta Beach has an invisible line where the vendors are not allowed to cross. If you do not want to be bothered, set up on the water side of this line---you will rapidly discover where it is since the vendors do not cross it.

Also, if you use money changers on the street, in Denpassar or wherever, be extremely careful to count your rupiah. You will get bundles of small denomination notes that are often rubber-banded. It is very easy to get short-changed. Hotels (e.g. 5*'s) are a bit more honest (er, ah, careful), but you can still be cheated there as well.

I have been all over Bali several times and never been short changed. Simply count the money yourself before you hand over your currency. Be polite but firm even if they become exasperated. Try to deal with Balinese and not Javanese (harsher features) as the latter are more likely to rip you off.


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JBC
If it is to be, it is up to me

Yes, one should always count the money first. That is when I've discovered a missing bundle or two in the stack. Even individual bundles often come up a bit light.