Bali Ngurah Rai is the principal airport for access to Bali that sits on the edge of Kuta, meaning the once small village now serves as an introduction for most visitors to Bali. Kuta has been the centre for Balinese tourism since it started to increase in the late 80’s due to the pristine beaches, clear waters and beautiful landscapes which has simultaneously made it a haven for partygoers and surfers while taking a toll on the culture and environment. Indeed, the rapid building of hotels, restaurants and resorts has had major effects on levels of pollution and marine ecosystems. We visited Kuta, like many people, at the start of our trip to Bali and after spending some time on the neighbouring Island Java.  Whilst on Java, Indonesian locals and other tourists urged us to spend as little time as possible in Kota, claiming it was full of thieves and other unsavoury characters. Nevertheless, we were adamant on making our own minds up and headed to Bali’s tourism epicentre with open minds. For us, Kuta held the promise of a thriving nightlife which we had been missing in the relaxed towns across Java. 

Unfortunately, our first night in Kuta left us wishing we’d heeded their advice. We learned quickly that the Grab taxi app we had been using across Java is much more controversial on Bali. Local taxi companies have taken to outlining no-go zones for the app-based taxi’s and scooters in a bid to protect local jobs. Sadly, this leads to hostility between drivers and aggressive tactics from taxi drivers when competing for customers. The airport is apparently under one of the no-go zones. At the time we were unaware of the politics involved and many Grab’s cancelled on us before one braved the no-go zone to pick us up. While I respect the plight for retaining local taxi jobs, the use of an app-based is inherently easier, safer and cheaper. Our hostel was located on the main strip and we quickly freshened up before heading out onto the busy street. Normally, the start of a night out and the energy of busy street is nothing but exciting, however, the constant interruptions of taxi drivers and promoters pushing restaurants, bars and more was exhausting. However, I think its incredibly important to note that although the incessant attention grabs are irritating, the fault lies with management and marketing tactics. I hated to see tourists being rude or verbally abusive to the people just trying to do their jobs. 

Countless bars are open along the strip offering a variety of music. Having just started the night, we walked until we found a low key, relaxed bar where we grabbed a couple of cocktails and began a game of pool. The music was classic soft rock and the crowd was quite a bit older so we moved to somewhere we could dance.  One of the biggest and most well-known clubs on the strip is Skybar. Women get free entry before 11 and there’s for an increased fee you have the opportunity to feast on the in-club buffet. The club spans three floors with different music genres but the busiest floor by far was the open-air rooftop with a dance floor, tables, raised dancing podium and music centred early 2000’s (think ‘I’ve got a feeling’ by the Black Eyed Peas). This genre of music seemed to be the norm in most of the clubs on the strip along with live bands playing classic American rock anthems. On the way home from our first night out, dodging taxi drivers and club promoters with increasing expertise, we walked through a small group of men standing on the pavement. As we neared, they all began clamouring at once with drink offers, taxi invitations and more. As we pushed through the group, I felt my phone slip out of my front skirt pocket. Luckily, we weren’t drunk so I realised straight away and also my phone was attached to me* so they couldn’t take it. We hurried back to our hostel, a little shaken but ultimately ok. Kota nightlife has potential to be extremely fun but unfortunately, it’s a place where you always have to be on guard and super aware of your surroundings meaning personally, I couldn’t relax into it as much as I’d have liked.

The second day we spent in Kota was pick-pocket free and a whole lot more enjoyable. We moved to a new hostel away from the strip which meant much less hassle when stepping outside. After spending the morning browsing some of the independent stores in Kuta we came across wonderful shop called Upcycle; a shop that recycles junk and trash into a whole range of wonderful and unique items. For more intense shopping there’s also the very popular Beachwalk mall which is home to many restaurants and international chain stores. Eventually we made it the legendary Kuta beach. The last few years have introduced beach clean ups and protective measures to help look after the beautiful stretches of sand and we enjoyed sunbathing in the afternoon sun. The waves are said to be excellent for surfing and sure enough we saw plenty of surfers along with Instagrammers getting the perfect beachy shots and even a couple of beach BBQs. Naturally, there are plenty of restaurants and bars near the shore for the sun kissed beach-goers to grab a drink or some food and enjoy the music, have a dance or even play some pool.

The tourist scene in Kuta is repeated many places across the world with a strong night life, great beaches and multitudes of hotels and resorts. I would say people should come here if they’re  looking for a fun resort type holiday but not if they’re looking for something different or authentic. The village has turned into a tourist haven and why not? Kuta is stunning and the people love to visit.  

*a little background on my history with phones. Whilst at university I lost or broke 10 phones and so  now and especially on a night out, I tie my phone to my clothes with a makeshift elasticated tope from hairbands. It might not always look the best bit I haven’t lost a phone since!

 

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