Any tips/itinerary ideas for a solo female traveller in bali for 10 days?

Just my opinion: Seminyak and Legian are very built up and pretty urban. Sanur is less so and has the advantage of being mostly out of the way of through traffic. I don't find the food in Sanur to be that great but there are lots of small eateries both on the beach and out of the way places. It's also much cheaper in general than Seminyak.

Agree with Ubud for your cultural fix, lots of gamelan and dance in various villages around Ubud, temples and local food, crafts and museums. Do try to stay out of the very center of Ubud downtown though as it's now practically like Legian in being cramped together and very touristy. Places like Nyuh Kuning or Pengosekan have lots of touristy stuff without being too busy. Best places to stay are called homestays or losmen as they are more traditional Balinese.

I often stay in Seminyak because we have friends living there. But, it is crazily crowded even in the offseason. We were there in March a few years ago and surprised at how many people there were. The beach is full of people sunbathing, surfing and getting drunk. Legian is exactly the same. It might be a little less in December before the huge onslaught of people for the Xmas/New Year holiday season, but I doubt much less. Jimbaran has less of a party-time atmosphere and a nicer beach. But it was also fairly crowded in March, just a bit less than Seminyak.

You can try quieter beaches like Amed or Pemuteran. The drawback is that they are far from the Southwest beaches and airport. However, they sound more like what you are looking for in a beach experience.

Definitely, take a few days for Ubud and like cuscus says, stay somewhere a bit away from the crazily crowded center area.

I agree with the above - the whole Kuta-Legian-Seminyak area is over-touristed, over-rated and comparatively expensive for value. If you want some relaxing beach time, I too agree with Amed - Lipah beach area particularly. There is reasonably priced accommodation, good local food options, relaxed walks between villages, friendly people who don't hassle you, safe for a single female (provided you take all usually precautions as you would if you were home). It takes between 2 and a half and three hours to reach the Amed area from south Bali, but you could do this on a daytrip and stop at some places along the way e.g. Tirtta Gangga.

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