Bali, Indonesia

toothpickandsandal in Bali

Road to Kintamani

Bali from the sky

Kuta Beach Road

Things you need to know :

Majority of the population here are Hindus and therefore, pork is widely served in many restaurants.
Dress appropriately when you visit any of the puras (temples)
Most of the locals do understand a bit of Bahasa Melayu.
Bali is UTC +8 time zone, same as Kuala Lumpur, Hong Kong and Singapore.
Denpasar is the capital of Bali where the Ngurah Rai international airport is located.
Upon arrival at Ngurah Rai, claim your baggage as soon as possible to avoid the authority scam. Some airport officials insisted to take our bags for us, walk through the custom (less than a 10 meter walk) and of course demanded a big tip.
Take note that airport tax is not included in your departure fare. Prepare some cash in their local currency Rp 150,000/pax to be paid when you arrived at Ngurah Rai international airport.
Weather in Bali is hot and humid. Wear something light and comfortable when you are there.
The peak season in Bali is from July - September and December. Traveling in April or May is highly recommended as it is less crowded and things are much cheaper.
If you are at Jimbaran for the seafood, only dine after the sun has set, otherwise be ready to feast with hundreds of flies.
If you intend to take a tour, do avoid the full-board tour. It can be very lengthy and our tour brought us for Chinese food instead of Balinese food most dinners. Furthermore, many of the tours' itineraries involve cramming in 3 temples in a day which is tiring and can get boring as it involves many hours of traveling just to see a temple for 30 minutes. Do look for a guide that has a good sound knowledge of the history and story behind each temple as it would make the visit there much more meaningful.
Stay in Kuta or Legian if you are seeking for nightlife, entertainment and shopping. Choose Nusa Dua if you want a cleaner and quieter beach. For more privacy, book yourself a luxury villa in Seminyak or Uluwatu area and spa relaxation in Ubud.
Although we didn't get a chance to, do try to go on the Bali Dolphin tour. Word around is, it is a great and fun experience, especially if you have kids or happen to be a Dolphin lover.
The famous Kintamani tour (Kintamani is Bali's active volcano) is overrated. The tour involves going up to a hill opposite the volcano to have buffet lunch in one of the many restaurants there, while enjoying the view of the volcano. In actual fact, the view of the volcano seems incredibly far away and the buffet meal is packed with flies. The visit was really nothing special. Additionally, the walk up to the restaurant was very dusty and dirty.
Visiting 3 temples during your entire trip is sufficient. If I had to narrow it down, I would say visit only Tanah Lot, Uluwatu and Ulun Danu.
Beware of the monkeys in Bali. They can get rather aggressive and may scratch or bite you. Like most aggressive monkeys, they may sometimes steal your sunglasses or etc.

The quiet side of Kuta

2002 Bali Bombing Memorial

Jimbaran Seafood

Indonesian cuisine usually consists of large portions of rice accompanied by a few side dishes. Balinese food is no exception, except that pork is also part of their diet such as the infamous Babi Guling (roast suckling pig) and Urutan (spicy pork sausage). Other notable dishes include; Bebek Bertutu (duck topped with herbal paste), Sate Lilit (minced seafood satay) and Ayam Panggang Bumbu Merah (grilled chicken with red chili and shrimp paste).