In Reply to: my bali experience posted by rossw on Thursday, 24. December 2009 at 18:07 Bali Time:
trip was from June 1983 till Mar 1984 with my girlfriend (now wife).
We stayed at Eddies Garden in Legian Kaja. There were 5 freestanding bungalow's set in a beautiful garden. Most were occupied by surfers on a long standing basis. Our bungalow cost AUS$2-50pn by the month. Still the best place we've ever stayed at in Bali, it wasn't until about 2000 that we stayed anywhere else.
Things were cheap, a motorcycle was $3-50 per day and a small bintang was RP600 if you bought them by the case, Nasi Bungkus was just RP600.
Over that 9 month period we went everywhere in Bali, down every alluring side road that we spotted. Great times.
We ate at Places like Dew Drop Inn and Glories. There were no restaurants open at night in Legain Kaja, so we would catch bemos down to Kuta. If we weren't out of the restaurant by about 8-30pm there would be no bemos and we would have to walk the 2k back to our losmen. Usually done right down the middle of the road as there was no traffic.
We had to walk or ride down the old track to get to Ulus. No bridge of course at Padang. Places like Bingin and Green Ball were secret spots. We occasionally scored even Sanur and Kuta Reef
with no-one out and dreamland was just that.
There were only a couple of night clubs and they operated on particular nights only.
Its a lot different now, the past really is another country. After a lot of stays I can appreciate Kuta/Legian, but not for too long. There are still lots of places little changed in the country, but I've found that I need to go elsewhere in Indonesia to get that same combination of good uncrowded surf and that happily livable village lifestyle where you know everyone and they know you.
Still spend at least two moths in Indonesia every year, and always a couple of weeks in Bali.
Cheers everyone,
Dave