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Kuta & Legian neighbourhoods

Jalan Pantai Kuta, Kuta, Bali

Description

Kuta and Legian are contiguous neighbourhoods on the western shore of South Bali. It was one of the first tourist areas to strongly develop on the island and the stretch is known for its long sandy beach, incredible number of hotels, restaurants and bars - making it popular place to surf, party and shop (plenty of souvenirs and fake branded goods of average quality).

Access & Transport

The area is literally just north of the airport with both taxis and minibuses plying the very busy Jl Legian and Sunset Rd. From there, it is 20-25km to Uluwatu (40'), 16km to Nusa Dua, 13km to Sanur and 36km (1h) to Ubud. Taxi, scooter and minibus are all possible options. For Seminyak/Canggu, it is close by on the map but can easily take 30mins depending on traffic... alternatively, you can walk on the beach!

Instructions & Recommendations

Take note that traffic jams are a common occurrence (as in... every day), whether it is afternoon, evening or late at night, so bear that in mind when planning to move around.

Meta review

Online reviews are a little all over for these neighbourhoods and really depend on travellers age, nationalities and interests. The younger crowd mostly enjoy the party atmosphere, live music bars and cheap shopping with the option to spend some time at the beach but there is a significant percentage of tourists who find the area noisy, traffic slow and dangerous (with scooters often going the wrong way up the road), and the hustle from sellers and the sex industry a constant nuisance. Unfortunately, this is not redeemed by the terrible quality of the water with a lot of plastic rubbish.

Environmental & Social

Full of resources intensive hotels, car exhaust fumes, asphalt and poor ocean water quality. Many of the activities, including some "semi-legal" ones, have a negative impact on the social fabric (greed, aggressiveness, etc.) - a net negative in spite of the local employment provided.

Conclusion

For many tourists, Kuta is a byword for Bali (something we find astonishing and unfortunate) and they seldom venture beyond it. Whilst we are not against some nightlife and shopping, everything there is pushed to the extreme and ranks poorly both in terms of environmental sustainability and social impact on the community. By all means, have a look, but the island has so much better to offer.

Key positive

Good place to buy cheap clothing and for live music

Key negative

Noisy, commercial and devoid of cultural interest

Suitability

Accessible for visitors with reduced mobility. Not recommended for children past dinner time

About this Rating

TYPE

Onsite

RESEARCHED IN

June 2024

PROVIDER

Koreval

Included Items
None
Timing
Duration of visit

av. transport time:0h 30m

est. visit time:4h

Sunlight based

Sunrise / early morningNo

MorningOk

Lunch timeOk

AfternoonOk

Sunset / eveningOk

Night – bef. midnightOk

Night – aft. midnightOk

Pricing
Free

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