:: Kuta Beach Bali Travel Guides ::
Kuta in addition to being
the Sunset Site Number One, with its daily spectacular
sunsets, it is also the centre of night life activities
in Southern Bali and a shopping mecca, with its lines of
shops, boutiques, and galleries. Restaurants line up the
streets as well as the Bachfront,Hotels, ranging from a
small, inexpensive homestay to a luxurious resort, will
ready accomodate you.
The beach of Kuta is one of the first favorite beaches
discovered by tourist. On the south, the beach is fenced
by the airport’s runway, which gives you a breathtaking
landing experience. The beach stretches as far north as
the eyes can see. As short walk away north, waves will
invite you to test your surfing
Kuta is very short drive away from the airport, and
transportation is readily available to take you from and
to Kuta to and from anywhere else in Bali
Kuta Beach is the most famous beach in Bali and the
first one most people see.
Its proximity to
the
cheap guest houses on Poppies I & II as well as Jl.
Benesari and the budget hotels on Jl. Melasti make it
super accessible for a surfer just arriving for the
first time. For someone staying at hotel Bounty on
Poppies II for example you only have to walk for about 3
minutes and you will be at the beach.
At the bottom end of Jl. Pantai Kuta you will see the
lifeguard tower which is in operation from 6am to 7pm.
It is equipped with 2 jet-skis, a Toyota Landcruiser and
a surf rescue longboard. There have been over 300
rescues in 2004 as well as 14 drownings.
Being a sandy beach break most of the surfers you will
find on Kuta Beach are beginners or intermediates taking
it easy. Any time there is swell expect a lot of
Balinese in the water as well as Japanese, plus a
sprinkling of other nationalities.
Best times to surf this beach are at high tide.
The
slope of Kuta Beach is very gradual and you can walk
out 100 meters and still be only chest high in the
water, a perfect place for beginners. The waves come in
flat meaning you are not going to get a very long ride.
Kuta Beach itself has the densest beach activity of any
place in Bali with drink, sarong, carving sellers all
over the place. Boards of all sizes are available for
rent. There seems to be someone with a rack of boards
every 10 meters under the trees. You can also get a body
board if that is your preference. I asked a number of
renters for a rate and they ask 50,000rp for 2 hours
with the body board and 75,000-100,000rp for 2 hours for
a surfboard. This is their asking price of course and
the realities are somewhat different. If you persist you
can probably get them down a lot. Remember you can rent
a motorbike for a day for 40,000rp.
Expect to be hassled like mad by massage ladies and all
kinds of vendors as soon as you sit down for a break.
Getting to know a single drink vendor will help if you
are planning to stay around for a while, because as
trust develops they will guard your belongings as they
see you as a regular customer. I still would not bring
too much cash or valuables to the beach.
For people planning to spend
the whole day at the beach there are a million drink
vendors. A Coke goes for 5,000rp and a small Bintang for
10,000rp.
Indonesian food vendors are all over too selling quick
snacks that are popular with locals including rujak, the
spicy concoction of unripe fruits sprinkled with salt,
chili and caramel sauce.
Close to the life guard tower at the bottom on Jl.
Pantai Kuta there is a toilet / shower facility which
charges 1,000rp for the toilet. There is another similar
facility on the beach across from Poppies Lane II and
another at Halfway and another at Jl.Pantai Legian a
little ways up the beach from the turn off at Jl.
Melasti.
Across from the beach down by Poppies I is a Circle K
and a McDonalds which may please some people. There are
also free-standing ATM machines in this area as well in
some of the Circle K’s.
Warungs offering cheap food are within a 2 minute walk
on Poppies Lane I so no need to get sucked into a
beachside restaurant and high prices.
As a rule of thumb the swell hits harder the further you
head north in regard to Kuta Bay. The surf schools often
are based in the Kuta Beach area across from Poppies I &
II. If you head up to Kuta Halfway which is halfway up
Jl. Pantai Kuta to Jl. Melasti, at the end you will have
way less of everything, food options, drink sellers ad
shade as the trees
have
not grown here much, although there is a new Circle K
next to the Aussie-themed Southern Cross restaurant
serving an assortment of western food. Black pepper
steak is 45,000rp and red snapper is the same price. For
people surfing at Kuta Halfway your nearest budget food
options are on Jl. Benesari a minutes walk south.
South Kuta Bali is more that
just a great beach......it is conveniently located just
a short distance from Bali's International aiprort and a
comfortable stroll form the nightlife and excitment of
central Kuta.
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