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I contracted amoebic dysentary in Bali, so watch what you eat ;-)
2 tips: local drivers / guides (gypsy cabs) can be had cheaply by the day and can show you "the real Bali" better than any tour bus, but I'd avoid rental cars / wandering due to real security issues today -- Indonesia is the world's largest Muslim nation and Westerners are not welcome in some places -- Bali itself is mostly Hindu, however.
Also, have your driver take you to a place called "sukawati" (spelling is likely off)
If you ask for souveniers / masks / kris / etc. you'll always end up at a pricey tourist shop, but sukawati is "the wholesale district."
In a past life (pre-porn) my ex and I used to bring in container loads of furnishings, homeware, etc. from there, and business can still be "bagus" even today... If you think "Pier 1" has cool stuff, you would love sukawati.
The Bali I had hoped to see, however, died in WWII (there are far more maniacs on motor scooters clogging the roads than there are water buffalo in the rice paddies).
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