1: Kuta Beach
Bali's fabled tourist Mecca
Begin your exploration on foot after breakfast, but if shopping is your primary interest there’s no point starting until the stores open at 9am. But remember: walking around Kuta/Legian is rarely pleasant and never easy: pram-pushers will find it impossible, and dual-tasking walker/texters have been known to disappear down drain holes. Take your time, and don’t forget that taxis are very common and cheap.
The best place to start walking is the center of the original Kuta, where Jalan Legian starts at the corner with Jalan Pantai Kuta. This intersection is still known as “bemo corner,” although this form of public transport disappeared from Kuta years ago. About 200m (218yds) east, a traditional produce market is set up every morning, but understandably dissipates before the traffic starts snarling at 8am. Continuing along Jalan Pantai Kuta towards the beach, Kuta Square is dominated by the old-fashioned Matahari department store, but is outclassed these days by the massive Discovery Shopping Center 800m (874yds) south along Jalan Dewi Sartika in Tuban. Easy to spot just south of the Matahari, the Kuta Art Market is a misnomer as most stalls sell nothing but T-shirts, sunglasses, and watches—unless phallic-shaped bottle-openers count as “art.” The adjacent Pura Dalem Pakendungan temple proves that some normality can still prevail amongst the Kuta chaos.
Further south, parts of Tuban are reminiscent of a fishing village and worth detouring along the delightful, shady path as far as the airport fence (see Best Walks on page 112). The beaches are a bit scruffy, especially where hotels have no vested interest, but noteworthy because they’re set up for the Balinese and Indonesian tourists, not foreigners. If you head south along the path through Tuban for about 1km (0.62 miles), you will come across Pura Dalem Tunon, the most elegant beachside temple between Tanah Lot and Ulu Watu. In contrast is Waterbom Park, an immense assortment of pools, slides, and rides more popular, it seems, with adults than kids (see page 93). It’s along Jalan Dewi Sartika, 350m (382yds) south of the art market.
Only meters south from where Jalan Pantai Kuta meets the beach is the Sea Turtle Information Center, obvious from the giant statue of a penyu outside. It offers a limited display about their laudable efforts to conserve these graceful creatures. Continuing north along the beach road is Pura Batu Bolong temple, incongruously located between the familiar “golden arches” and the massive new Beachwalk shopping and entertainment complex, which is particularly popular with kids (see page 93).
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