The culture of multinational surfers, backpackers, wellheeled tourists, families and the forever friendly Balinese ensures South Kuta remains a unique place for tourists.
The Kuta region is Bali’s largest tourist area and most visitors to Bali will visit it sooner or later. Centrally located, it is minutes from Denpasar and the airport. It offers a wide range of accommodation, a plethora of restaurants and tourist facilities in a buzzing atmosphere.
Though Kuta isn’t for everyone, if you enjoy the beach and bar scene it is the best and most exciting place in Indonesia.
Surfing is a hugely popular activity in Kuta with countless shops hiring out surfboards. Lessons and surf tours can be arranged as well.
Australians once dominated the tourist scene however it is now much more diverse. French, English and Japanese tourists are all common and Kuta has become extremely popular with surfers the world over.
Local activities include rafting, diving, bungy jumping and horseriding, which can all be organised through local travel agents. Waterbom Bali is hugely popular with children. It is supervised by lifeguards, and has assorted slides, pools and rides that the whole family will enjoy.
Almost all hotels have a swimming pool and most will allow non-guests to use their pool for a small fee.
Spa establishments can be found throughout Kuta for a true indulgence. Massages are available in most hotels but are much cheaper on the beaches.
Kuta nightlife features music, arak (local alcohol) and happy hours that last all night. The busiest bars and clubs are along Jalan Legian, such as the new Paddy’s and the Bounty Ship.
Merging almost seamlessly with Kuta to the south, is Tuban. It is a little quieter than Kuta but is thriving on tourism. Many tourists opt to stay in Tuban as it’s slightly further out from the epicentre of Bali yet still close enough to share all the facilities. It offers plenty of places to stay, eat and party. Tuban has colourful shops and markets as well as the larger Jalan Kartika Plaza and the Discovery Shopping Mall.
Aside from all this, Kuta still remains a Balinese village with quiet compounds and small offerings to the gods left in every doorway. The culture of multinational surfers, backpackers, wellheeled tourists, families and the forever friendly Balinese ensure South Kuta remains a unique place for tourists.
Legian
The village of Legian was established as an alternative to Kuta and is now almost an extension of it with the two blending into each other along the main streets of Jalan Legian and Jalan Melasti.
There is no shortage of places to eat in Legian, with roadside stalls (warangs) and restaurants in five-star hotels. Many exclusive hotels line the picturesque beachfront and its central location, burgeoning nightlife and accessibility to major tourist attractions make it a perfect alternative to Kuta.
