"drxym's new Bali Page" a Indonesia Travel Page by drxym

I went to Kuta in Bali and stayed in a lovely hotel called the Ramada Bintang. Having seen some of the others, I'd say it was one of the best in the area, being at a quiet end of the beach by itself but not too far to walk to the shops.

So far my advice falls down to this:

o Cash dispensers are everywhere, literally every 100 metres along the street.
o The local beers are Anker, Bali Hai and Bintang and are all prefectly drinkable. Don't waste your money on imported beer. The cost of a large Bintang (pint) should be a paltry 9,000 or 10,000 rp during happy hour or 15,000rp otherwise.
o Touts are *everywhere* selling you tours, timeshare, transport, drugs and so on. Unless you like to be hounded you're much better saying no thank you and walking away.
o Don't make eye contact with sellers or eye their wares unless you're genuinely intrerested in a piece or you'll regret it.
o Meter taxis are safe, ubiquitous and *much* cheaper than people offering "transport" (i.e. not taxis). A taxi trip on the meter shouldn't cost most than a dollar to travel from end of kuta to the other. Be sure to have small change to pay the fare and be sure to check the meter is started when you get in and not before. Anyone asking for more than 10,000rp to take you from one place to another in the vicinity is scamming you.
o Touts and traders often ask questions such as where you are staying, how long you've been here, what your job is, if you're on honeymoon etc. It may be in your interest to lie because your answer will affect the prices of everything.
o Before buying goods from a street vendor see how much the same item costs in a department store like Matahari. Often vendors will charge double or triple what a piece is actually worth. Matahari isn't exactly cheap but it give you a rough idea of a price.
o Me and my girlfriend were constantly hounded by people wanting us to take tours. We were even given a 45 minute sales pitch by the manager of the restuarant we were in last night! (Benny's near Kuta Sq). My advice if it happens is to boycott the place. If possible try and work out a story in advance to put them off (e.g. "we've been on the trips we want", "we're leaving tomorrow" etc). Unfortunately it can be extremely difficult get out of a pitch no matter what you say without appearing rude.
o It's cheaper to get a taxi to Ubud or Denpasar than by booking a trip. We went to Ubud and back for only 150,000rp ($15) which is about a quarter the price a tour would cost. The rule of thumb should be get a taxi to anywhere with a significant population and save yourself a pile of cash.
o Hotel prices for food and drink are outrageously, ridiculously expensive and don't necessarily reflect quality. If you're hungry or just want a beer you should head outside of your hotel and enjoy the same kind of food for a third of the price.

Despite the touts and other other annoyances, the place generally feels safe and it was very enjoyable. I reckon Kuta is a considerably cheaper, livelier and most importantly fun place to vist than either Sanur or Nusa Dua. If you have a choice between the three choose Kuta.

Have fun!