I did not like getting my CC number stolen and having some guy spend thousands of dollars in Taiwan.

It felt like there was someone at every corner trying to rip me off. Not a terribly pleasant experience.

Go check out the 'mother temple' (can't recall it's Indonesian name), and any other temples you can find. If you e-mail me I might be able to hook up a guide for you. Read up on Hinduism and learn some of the customs. This will ensure you won't offend any of the locals and will explain alot of the customs. The Barong (sp) dance and the other ritual dances are amazing. Note the music and the instruments they use. There's a large Christian and Muslim population too.
Kuta Beach is an optimal locale to stay.
Do you surf? Looking for a resort or hotel? Want to check out the whole island or jus' chill on the beach?
Hit me,
-K
kpillers@hotmail.com

More towards beach and relaxing, but would like to get some culture along the way. Its not like I'll be there again soon! Many have suggested teh Ritz Carlton since it is so relatively cheap to the States--i have to appease the little woman and stay in nice digs.

---

"ah-hem...the time is yours."

been there many times. loved it. spent much time in Ubud (central bali) where there are numerous luxury hotels and many very inexpensive ones as well. Make sure to go up to the temples in the volcanoes in central bali and don't skip the beach just becuase it's crowded. Stay away from Nua Dua (huge luxury hotels) - they are very nice but not extremely different then you would find anywhere (hawaii, mexico, etc..) but do go to the Uluwatu temple in southern bali on the south tip. good surfing and scuba diving all over if your into that sort of thing.