Indonesia: Nightlife and Surfing in Kuta & Legian Beach, Bali

The Kuta and Legian areas are the tourist centers of Bali. The area is very popular for both its nightlife and surfing. As soon as I arrived in Kuta from Ubud, I set out to find some budget accommodation near Poppies Gang 1 and 2 which are two popular alleyways where many of the budget accommodation are located. I found a reasonable hotel right beside the Bali Bombings Memorial.


Being a very popular tourist attraction in Indonesia, Bali was most definitely prone to terrorist attacks. And the unfortunate incident happened in 2002 killing 202 people, 152 of them foreigners. Bali has moved forward from then and is very much alive and kicking. A monument now stands in what was Paddy's Pub on Legian Street. At the memorial, the names of all the fatalities are carved on a large black marble plaque in the memorial.


I spent the rest of the night walking around the area with its vibrant nightlife.



The next morning, I explored Legian Beach (some refer to it as Kuta Beach) where most of the surfing activity happens. It's quite obvious that surfing is a major thing in Bali since there are dozens of shops that sell surf boards, surfing equipment or offer lessons. Plus the beach is lined with piles of surfboards and trainers offering lessons to those around the beach. And one look at the water, you'll see hundreds of surfers waiting for the next wave.

To bad I couldn't really do much that morning since my flight back to Kuala Lumpur was later that day. But Bali is most definitely one island you must visit in your lifetime!

Indonesia: Kuta Beach in Bali

Since I'm on the topic of Indonesia, I realized I had not written about my trip to Bali last year. So hopefully, I finish that this week. Bali is a culturally exciting destination. The richness of its culture and heritage, so much different from the rest of Indonesia, is most definitely worth the trip.

It's also famous for Kuta Beach which is teeming with tourists, particularly surfers. Since my flight arrived quite late in the evening, I ended up having to rely on the taxi I rode to help me find a place to sleep. I told him Kuta when I should have said Legian which is where most of the cheaper accommodation can be found. Kuta is both a district and a village. Kuta District contains the villages of Kuta and Legian.

Anyway, the taxi took me into one of the small side streets where there were several hotels. I was expecting it to be cheap but unfortunately, the rooms were a bit pricey for budget travel. I ended up having to spend a lot for the room since it was late and I was too tired to look for one.

The next morning, I realized why even the rooms in the interior were pricey. I was in the high-end resort area of Kuta Village. After walking around the beach, I planned my next three days. I decided to take a van to Ubud, Bali's culture town, which would serve as my base as I explore the rest of the island.