Kuta is a resort city in the south of the Indonesian island of Bali. Once it was a poor fishing village teeming with evil spirits (as the locals say, in fact, no one checked), in the 60s hippies chose Kuta, and today it is one of the most popular vacation spots among young people. Despite the abundance of pickpockets, weed dealers, prostitutes and the absence of silence as a fact, the flow of tourists here almost never dries up. According to populationmonster, Kuta is one of the largest cities in Indonesia.
The coast is built up mainly with budget hotels, bars and discos at every step, inexpensive Vietnamese restaurants, low prices for any entertainment, excellent conditions for surfing, and local beaches and sunsets are truly heavenly beauty.
How to get to Kuta
Ngurah Rai International Airport is 15 minutes away by taxi. A taxi ride to the resort costs an average of 50 thousand rupees, but if you don’t have too much luggage with you, you can walk an extra 200 meters and take a taxi from one of the companies that do not pay for the opportunity to work at the airport. Then the trip will cost you only 20 thousand rupees.
From any major city or resort in Bali, Kuta can be reached by bus, but bemo minibuses are much less common here than in other parts of Indonesia.
You can also get to Kuta by boat. 20 minutes northeast of the resort is the port of Benoa, which can be reached from the islands of Gili, Lombok and Nusa Lembongan. The ticket price of most companies also includes the delivery of you directly to Kuta itself.
Transport
Taxis in Kuta can be found at any time of the day – taxi drivers themselves will offer their services. It is also easy to rent a car with a driver for the whole day – for about 300-400 thousand rupees. However, driving around Kuta by car is a pleasure for everyone, because traffic jams almost never stop here, and when it starts to rain, cars on the roads almost stop moving at all. So, it is likely that you will spend more time getting somewhere by car than if you went on foot.
If you are ready for a little adventure, renting a motorcycle with a driver is a convenient way out for you. It costs much less than a taxi, not to mention the fact that you can move incomparably faster.
In addition, if you know how to drive, you can rent a scooter without a driver. It will cost you only 30-40 thousand rupees per day, and almost twice cheaper if you decide to rent it for a week at once. If you’re planning on surfing, look for bikes that have been specially modified to carry boards.
If you suddenly forget to give a helmet when renting a motorcycle, be sure to demand it. Otherwise, you will probably be fined by the first policeman you meet, not to mention that it is unsafe. Well, we should not forget about the habit of local drivers, typical for Indonesia, not to think much about either the safety itself or the safety of others.
The beaches of Kuta
The main advantages of Kuta Beach, “discovered” in the early 70s by surfers, are a wide gently sloping beach and crashing surf. The wave here is never too big – most often it’s just “lambs” near the shore. But the beaches here are dirtier compared to Nusa Dua.
Entertainment and attractions in Kuta
Nightlife in Kuta is very busy: you can roam from bar to bar and from club to club until the morning. The streets are well lit and quite busy until at least three in the morning.
The resort has a Waterboom Park water park with water slides, attractions and underwater tunnels, as well as special parks for fans of bungee jumping (Adrenalin Park, Bali Bangy). A lot of discos (one of the good ones is in the Hard Rock Cafe nightclub) and bars that play live music or play videos.
In Kuta, in addition, excellent shopping opportunities: most shops are open until 21:00, many department stores and supermarkets. There are also night markets: the main one, Pasar Senggol, opens after sunset.
If you want a more relaxing holiday, you can visit one of the local spas. They are the cheapest in Bali here, two hours will cost you only 120 thousand rupees, and if you come there during happy hours you can get a pretty big discount.
Be wary of women offering massages on the beach. With them, it is worth keeping track of your things and specifying the price and time as accurately as possible.
Surfing in Kuta
Kuta is considered one of the best surf spots in all of Indonesia. In addition, sandy beaches and lack of rocks make this place extremely beginner-friendly.
The Hard Rock Hotel is home to one of the most famous surf schools in Bali. The introductory lesson is held in the hotel pool, lasts two and a half hours and costs about 450,000 rupees.
There are also surf schools in some shops selling surf products. The cost of classes there is somewhat lower, and the quality of teaching is no worse – usually the same teachers do this as in official schools, who want to earn some money on the side. Also, you can certainly find those who want to teach you how to use the board right on the beach – most likely, the prices there will be even lower, however, already without any guarantees.
You can rent equipment on the beach, but there it is sometimes in such a deplorable state that it almost falls apart in your hands (and if it does fall apart, you will also be forced to pay for it). If you can’t find a decent board on the beach, you can go to one of the surfer shops. Prices there are slightly higher – from 40 to 100 thousand rupees for half a day – but you may well be given a discount as a regular customer.
