In Reply to: which language - Bahasa, or Balinese? posted by draughtsman on Friday, 20. February 2015 at 23:32 Bali Time:
I agree with the others who have suggested Indonesian. It is easier to learn, so there's a good reason to begin with. Also, not everyone you will meet in Bali is from Bali so Indonesian will get you further.
My friends' little boy thinks it's hilarious that I don't understand him when he talks to me at a hundred miles an hour in Balinese and told me I need to learn it, but his parents are happy to speak Indo with me as far as I'm able to keep up :)