This book made for a great read on the flight over. Being a history buff I really enjoyed it and it gave me a great sense of the place. But when I got to the island I found that the book was just about useless. I got lost all over the place, which for some is half the fun but not myself. People with the LP's-"southeast asia on a shoestring"fared much better than I at half the volume. I'm all for for making an effort at understanding the country you will visit, but a guidebook that can't guide me.

I was so excited about my first trip to Bali that I used 4 guides. By far, the Moon Guide helped me most to understand Bali and the Balinese. I was even able to impress the cab drivers with my new found understanding of Balinese religion, culture and customs. Although I disagreed with many of the hotel and restaurant recommendations - the real reason for visiting Bali is to get in contact with a culture that exists nowhere else in the world. This book will help you do that better than any other. The section on quick indonesian language is very helpful and the Balinese love tourists who try to adopt their language greetings. The maps are mediocre, but there are no good maps of Bali - most roads are nameless and unsigned.