Understand
With a long, broad beach on the Indian Ocean, Kuta was originally discovered by tourists as a surfing mecca. Alas, today's Kuta is a showcase of excessive development gone wrong - a chaotic, tightly packed mass of concrete and congestion, the beach is overrun with touts and most serious surfers have headed elsewhere.
The 5-km-long arcing white sand stretch of Kuta is still arguably the best beach front on Bali. The beach is safe, clean, well-maintained, although the vendors remain annoying. Kuta is far from the fishing village it once was: it is now a Pacific resort and its streets are clogged with and traffic, particularly during the peak seasons of July and August. The northern beach resorts of Petitinget and Kerobokan are in many ways more laidback versions of Kuta, though they are a bit quieter, less crowded and more suitable for longer stays. Further north still, Canggu and Dalung offer even more tranquility.
Get in
By plane
The misnamed Denpasar Airport is in fact directly south of Kuta, just 10 minutes away by taxi. The fare from the airport to Kuta should be around Rp50,000 but you may get ripped off and be charged more than double. Ask the money changers at the airport how much the taxi ride should be and settle on this price with the taxi driver before you head off. See Denpasar for airport details.
By car
By taxi
The airport taxi counter is immediately to the left as you emerge from customs outside in the International Arrival Terminal and the Domestic Arrival Terminal. And tourists can buy a ticket from the counter for the sedan taxis. Metered taxis operate outside the airport just beyond the entrance. Make sure they start the meter before you take off, or agree on a fare before you get in. If you want to take a bemo, just walk out to the intersection past the entrance and flag one down making the turn north (left) down Jl. Kartika Plaza through Tuban and beyond to Kuta.
By bus
Get around
By taxi
Taxis are ubiquitous on the streets of Kuta and the best way of getting around, especially at night.
Some taxi-drivers charge you more than you should pay, especially when the meter is off. Be sure to bargain before you get in if it is not a metered taxi.
The 'Bluebird taxi' always uses a meter and will not overcharge you. If you have complaints with a taxi-driver anyway you can call the taxi-center and they will take measures to their own taxi drivers (who charge you too much or drive unsave).
There is a bit of envy from other taxi-companies because of the good service from Blue bird. You don't see Bluebird taxis at night near the discos in Legian etc, as other companies have exclusive contracts with these business. However they can be found by walking up the street. The taxis outside the clubs do not use meters at night, offering a fixed price, although this is negotiable. There are plenty of others if one won't play ball.
WARNING: Traffic jams occur some days around lunch and dinner. It can be better to park your car just before you reach Kuta area and walk. Kuta area is only about 1,5 kilometer length by half kilometer wide. But when stuck in traffic, you might spend 30 minutes to travel the 1,5 kilometer. However there are car parking areas in the middle of Kuta (usually Rp5000 for an unlimited stay) including a large one on JL Legian near the top of Poppies II. Kuta Beach has plenty of parking most days.
See
Surf, shopping, party
Do
3-day surfing course in an accredited school costs approximately 100 USD. Bali learn to surf is one of good schools, that offers equipment in good condition and premises for surfing introduction in calm water (swimming-pool). The lesson lasts 2.5 hour, the students are offered transfer from/back to hotel and fresh water. 5-day course includes also "surfari" to some other surfing spot.
It is also possible to rent the equipment from locals on the beach for anywhere between Rp20,000 and 80,000 per half day. If you rent from the same guys for a few consecutive days you will almost certainly get a better price. The equipment quality is worse than in surfing-schools. These guys can also give you some basic lessons and look after your stuff while you are in the water.
Buy
Eat
Budget
Beach-stall food is delicious, filling and very cheap. These are dotted along Kuta and Legian beach beneath trees or awnings near the road.
Mid-range
Splurge
Drink
Every possible drink is available in Kuta - for a price. After the bomb blasts security has been very tight at nightspots though.
Most tourists drink bottled water ( about Rp 2,000 per 1500 ml bottle in the supermarket).
Larger bottles ( about 11 litres) are available at a much cheaper rate.
It's also possible, and even cheaper, to buy "sterilised" water at dedicated shops. These shops claim to use modern and effective filtration/purification methods. Compared to the waste caused by many plastic bottles, they are environemntally friendly as well as much cheaper.
Sleep
Budget
There are a lot of cheap guesthuoses (10-20.000RP PPPN) on Poppies 2, but you can find nicer places on the lanes between Poppies 1 and 2.
Mid-range
Splurge
Stay safe
In the ocean it is prohibited to swim near the special flags, that are put by beach staff near the places where the currents are very strong. You are allowed to swim in the area between yellow-red flags
Get out
Kuta is a town in southern Bali, Indonesia. A former fishing village, it was one of the first towns on Bali to see substantial tourist development, and as a beach resort remains one of Indonesia's major tourist destinations. It is known internationally for its long sandy beach, varied accommodation, many restaurants and bars, and convenience to Bali's Ngurah Rai Airport.
Kuta was the site of the October 12, 2002 Bali bombing (202 killed) and the October 1, 2005 Bali bombing (26 killed).
Kuta is now the center of an extensive tourist-oriented urban area that merges into the neighboring towns. Legian, to the north, is the commercial hub of Kuta and the site of many restaurants and entertainment spots. Most of the area's big beachfront hotels are in the southern section of Tuban.
Legian and Seminyak are northern extensions of Kuta along Jl. Legian and Jl. Basangkasa. They are somewhat quieter villages with cottage-style accommodations, where many of the emigrated designers and tourists live. Also to the north are Petitenget, Berawa, Canggu, and Seseh - new and quieter continuations of Kuta's beach. They are easy to reach through Abian Timbul or Denpasar and Kerobokan. Several large hotels are located in this area: the Oberoi Bali, the Intan Bali Village, the Legian in Petitenget, the Dewata Beach and the Bali Sani Suites in Berawa.
To the south, Kuta Beach extends beyond the airport into Jimbaran.
The Balinese Provincial Government have taken the view that the preservation of the Balinese culture, natural resources and wild life are of primary importance in the development of the island. To this end they have limited tourist development to the peninsula on the extreme southern aspect of the island; Kuta beach is on the western side of this peninsula and Sanur is on the east. To the north of the peninsula no tourist development is permitted.
See also
Tourism in Indonesia
External links
