[...] I know our RA experts Elias and Bill will have some ideas for how to arrive a few days early for not too much money and allow us to be sure to make the boat.
Ideas guys??? Thank you!
Probably the best place to fly in early is Bali, simply due to how well connected the Denpasar airport is and the variety of activities available.
Since individual itineraries and budgets will vary, I'll try to be brief and just provide some loose threads for people to pull on when doing their own trip planning.
DIVING
Nusa Lembongan / Nusa Penida
This is my go-to place for diving when I have extra time on Bali. These islands are part of Bali, lying just SE of the big island. Regular ferry service (both tourist class and local class boats) runs out of Sanur. Expect sloping reefs, some walls and good currents for some nice drift dives. Unfortunately it will not be Mola Mola season but there is good reason to love the diving here all year around. My recommended operator is Two Fish Divers, <http://www.twofishdivers.com/>,the only five star PADI dive center in the area, but I generally stay across the road at some very nice, cheaper accommodations run by a sweet family, Lembongan Tropical Guesthouse, <http://lembongantropical.com/>. If you have the ability to make a significantly longer trip, Two Fish can arrange diving safaris to their other dive centers in Lembeh and / or Bunaken as well. There isn't much to do besides diving and exploring the islands but that is part of the attraction since you won't find hoards of drunk surfers, abusively overpriced bars and restaurants, long streets full of crappy souvenirs, dodgy massage places and streetwalking prostitutes, obnoxious touts, ripoff taxi drivers, thumping nightclubs, etc. like you do all through Denpasar and especially in the Kuta / Legian / Seminyak areas.
Liberty Wreck / Tulamben / Amed
My number two area for diving and widely included in lists of the best wrecks in the world, sitting close to shore in shallow water and with a tremendous amount of marine life on / around it. It is possible to just stay anywhere in the Tulamben area and rent tanks for $5 each from the guys with a compressor set up in the parking lot at the beach. Then just make a shore entry and swim out over the black sand to the wreck -- Easy as. There are some other really good sites in the Tulamben / Amed area, which are accessible by boat and any one of the numerous dive centers can help you with. Amed also boasts some really good sites that are worth investigating but you may want to change accommodations between the two areas to save the time driving back and forth.
Candidasa
This is an area along the South coast of Bali, East of Denpasar. Day trips are made to sites along the coast as well as to Nusa Lembongan and the Liberty Wreck (although I think most places charge extra to cover the related transportation costs). The closer dive sites aren't as special but you would have the option of various land-based day trips that can be made from here, to the most holy temple at Mt Agung; the Ubud rice paddies; the Tirta Gangga water temple; etc. Although I have checked out some of the dive sites, I haven't stayed in this area so unfortunately I can't offer any personal recommendations on resorts or dive centers.
North West Coast
There is some good diving to be found around Menjangan Island and the Tasman National Park on the NW part of Bali. The diving tends to be seasonal, with the monsoons affecting visibility, but Jan / Feb / March are a good time to explore the sites in the area. It's some effort to get there but you'll leave the tourists behind and be able to do some cool land based stuff in the region as well, as there are hiking trails through the national parks, waterfalls to swim in, hot springs to soak in, etc. If you're interested in mining some diving and some non-diving days then Lovina offers a nice place to base yourself. Check out <http://lovina.net/>for some good local info.
NON-DIVING
I mentioned Mt Agung, Tirta Gangga and Ubud above, but there are literally tons of other things to do on Bali. The rice paddies around Ubud are UNESCO listed and very impressive. Ubud itself is a lovely place to hang out, do yoga, get massages, explore the nearby villages and other temples, the volcano, coffee plantations and so on. Many places in Ubud offer half or full day tours that combine several of these.
The north coast is also very nice (and I prefer it over Ubud due to the number of Eat, Pray, Love types that flock to Ubud for yoga courses and whatnot). As above, there are loads of hiking options, more temples, waterfalls, hot springs, more relaxed beaches than you find in Kuta / Legian / Seminyak, and some tour companies that offer day trips to all of the same places you can reach from Ubud.
The West part of Bali is basically a big National Park that sees very few visitors and has lots of cool endemic animals and migratory birds. If you get in touch with them in advance, there are some cabins you can rent through the National Park office and the rangers will show you around the park to help you see the cool and rare things.
South of Denpasar, the Nusa Dua region is a bit more upscale as far as accommodations go, but there are golf courses and long stretches of beach to explore. Besides Mt Agung, Uluwatu is probably the second most important temple on Bali and found on the Western point of this southern part of the island (head out there for sunset if you are curious, you won't be disappointed).
Regarding tours, it is often just as easy to hire a driver for the day as it is to book a tour. This allows you to go at your own pace and customize the day to your interests. Most guesthouses and hotels will know someone to call if you are interested in this option. This stuff can really be arranged at the last minute very easily and there is no reason to book far in advance for tour related activities.
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Hopefully Bill can add some things where I have erred on the side of brevity and left egregious holes above. Let me know if you have specific questions, I'd be happy to address them and / or make more specific recommendations. I think I may even still have contact info for a reliable and fairly priced driver that is willing to cart you all over the place. 
Cheers!
Edited by Elias, 25 May 2015 - 12:09 PM.
