In Reply to: What area for us? posted by Excited Newbie on Friday, 6. August 2010 at 11:24 Bali Time:
is a great idea in my opinion. You could have a week in 2 places or a week in 1 place & 2 short stays elsewhere.
Kuta/Legian/Seminyak are all very "full on" and I found 2 weeks was too long in that area (& that was back when I was a single, shopaholic party girl!).
Having now travelled to Bali twice with a toddler, I prefer splitting time between Legian/Seminyak for shopping etc and somewhere much quieter for relaxing time with the family. My hubby also surfs so I have stayed in places I wouldn't ordinarily consider but ended up loving.
We stayed in Balian for 5 nights last December which was fantastic - it is 2.5 hours north of Legian/Seminyak. There is very little there - no shops, a few restaurants etc but it was a highlight of our trip. We stayed in accommodation called "Balian Breezes" but ate most of our meals at Pondok Pittaya on the beachfront - fantastic value for money & the BEST location in Balian. Pondok Pittaya also has a beachfront swimming pool where I would hang out with my daughter while my husband surfed - you can use the pool if you order drinks & food from the restaurant.
Sanur would be a great place for you with a bub - the footpaths are much more "stroller friendly" & there is a great path which runs the length of the beach. We walked much more often in Sanur due to this. It is probably a good place for a 1st timer to start their holiday - you are close enough to go by taxi to Kuta/Legian/Seminyak without the shock of staying in amongst all the craziness! My husband didn't surf in Sanur due to injuring his shoulder in Balian but tried paddle boarding (resulting in another injury!!). It is a cheap boat ride out to the surf break.
As Heatherbelle mentioned, surf conditions in different places vary at times of the year so if it is a big factor, get hubby to check out surf info before deciding where to stay.