In Reply to: 1st Time Bali, Area? Hotel? Costs? posted by reni on Saturday, 13. March 2010 at 15:07 Bali Time:
than any of the other main areas.
There are parts of Kuta which are in fact significantly quieter.
If you are talking beach front, the strip is pretty much the same in terms of "busyness" except that the Kuta/Legian strip has the beach road seperating the accommodation from the beach.
I am not sure what constitutes "craziness", but if it is night clubs, I would think that the other areas have just as much claim to fame.
If it is rabid salespersons, I find many other areas other than Kuta to be pretty "in your face".
You could look at Kuta Townhouses which is in a quiet part of central Kuta, offering excellent accommodation.
I think the Ubud plan is good, especially as you list sights first and also relaxation as important.
A large bottle of beer will cost 25 - 30K, and a meal, perhaps around 60 - 100K each (Obviously differs a lot from warung to restaurant)
For the birthday meal, perhaps look at Ketupat (Legian) Kori (Kuta) Ultimo (Seminyak) or for a real splash somewhere like Ku De Ta, Living Room or La Luciola.
Good luck and enjoy.