Since Canggu became the most hip and famous place to visit in Bali, Kuta has been painted negatively. Kuta Bali has been seen by many as a backpacker black hole, dangerous, and full of traffic jams. I had even read about travelers warning other travelers not to spend time in Kuta, Bali. It’s a bit sad seeing Kuta has a bad reputation nowadays. It was the beacon of Bali tourism for a few decades. One vacation to Bali won’t be complete without visiting Kuta Bali.

Seeing many bad reviews about Kuta, Bali on the internet makes me very curious. I sometimes go to Kuta to visit the Beachwalk shopping mall but very rarely stay overnight or even explore the area. After spending 3 days and 2 nights at the heart of Kuta, my view about Kuta, Bali hasn’t changed. There are plenty of reasons to visit and spend a portion of your holiday time in the busiest destination in Bali.

1. The famous Kuta Beach, Bali

Imagine looking at a long stretch of golden sand that meets the gentle waves of the Indian Ocean. That’s the famous Kuta Beach, famous for its stunning sunsets. Kuta Beach Bali was the main reason why tourists flocked to the area and it developed to be the main destination in Bali, and even now when Kuta is seen as a less attractive and trendy destination by younger tourists and digital nomads, Kuta Beach still attracts many local and foreign visitors.

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One of the reasons is that it’s known as one of the best surfing spots in Bali, especially for beginners, thanks to the consistent waves and numerous surf schools offering lessons.

Kuta Beach is lively, with a bustling atmosphere filled with beachgoers, surfers, and street vendors. A lot of tourists have complained about numerous street vendors that have been aggressively selling everything from snacks to souvenirs. When you get approached by one of them, the best thing to do is to strictly say no to them.

On my last visit to Kuta, Bali last month I saw it has been going on a lot of development. One of the things I find interesting is the newly opened Kuta Beach Skate Park, a skateboarding haven for seasoned skateboarders and curious newbies on the vibrant shores of Kuta Beach, Bali.

Despite its popularity and the occasional crowds, what I like from Kuta Beach is it retains a laid-back vibe that captures the essence of Bali’s island life.

2. Staycation in the heart of entertainment hub

The main reason why I can’t stop coming to Kuta, Bali is because it has almost everything. Apart from things to do in Kuta Beach, there are plenty things to do in town. If you’re looking for some stuff, it has shopping malls, street side stalls selling Bintang t-shirts and cheap souvenirs, and a few traditional markets. Meanwhile, the choice of entertainment is endless. I could opt to spend the evening sipping cocktails in a rooftop bar overlooking the stunning view of the ocean to nearby beach clubs, local pubs, bars with pools, live music cafes, sports bars, drag queen shows, comedy shows, and pretty much anything else you can think of. And the best way to enjoy some of the best entertainment Kuta, Bali offers is by having a staycation in the heart of Kuta itself. From the row of Kuta hotels along Kuta Beach, my choice falls to Mamaka by Ovolo. We stayed for 3 days 2 nights in the Kuta accomodation to get plenty of time to explore Kuta Bali.

Nestled right across Kuta Beach and 500 meters away from Beachwalk Shopping Mall is Mamaka by Ovolo, a 4-star hotel. We stayed in Summer Garden Terrace, a pretty spacious room that is well-designed in contemporary style. I like that it has a terrace adjacent to the garden, which is pretty nice for my daughter’s play spot. But what I like the most about the hotel is, that we feel very relaxed here although it’s located in the heart of bustling Kuta Bali.

Since we have our baby, choosing a comfy hotel that has a lot of facilities for family becomes necessary during our vacation. Staying in Mamaka was very nice for us. The room is pretty spacious, it has a rooftop pool, a 24 hours gym, free laundry, and a spa. We ended up spent more time in the hotel Kuta Bali than exploring Kuta haha… especially in the evening, when we feel more social, we went up to their cool rooftop bar, Kuta Social Club, to sip some Aperol Spritz and witness the sun sets behind the stunning Indian ocean.

Mamaka by Ovolo

Jl. Pantai Kuta No.32, Legian, Kec. Kuta, Kabupaten Badung, Bali 80361
Phone: (0361) 8496500

3. Shopping till you drop

Did you forget to buy some souvenirs or artwork you liked in Ubud market but don’t have time to come back there? Easy, Kuta has it all. You can opt to stroll around Poppies Lane or Pasar Seni Legian (Legian Art Market) to find a range of shops selling typical Bali souvenirs such as Bintang t-shirts, wooden utilities, silver jewelry, paintings, etc. Here you can train a new skill of haggling with the sellers. Not fancy haggling? Try to visit several shopping malls in Kuta. My favorite is Beachwalk Shopping Mall since they have a wide variety of global fashion brands and also a souvenir market on the top of the floor. Still, Discovery Mall Bali is also worth visiting. It seems to have just been renovated recently. The mall looks new and it has a Sogo department store on the ground floor that sells stuff. Nearby is Lippo Mall Kuta and you can also opt to go further to Mal Bali Galeria in Jalan Bypass Ngurah Rai which has a duty-free store on it.

Want to see Balinese authentic daily life around Kuta? drive around to Kuta market in the morning to see how sellers and buyers haggling to get the best price for vegetables and stuff.

One thing to note about shopping in Kuta Bali is ther touts. The touts in Kuta would have to be the most insistent in Bali. Walking the streets you’ll be offered massages, invites to shops, transport, and many other things every few meters. It can be annoying, for sure. I usually ignore them all the time. If it doesn’t work for you, try to use a taxi to reach your destination.

4. Nightlife

Nightlife in Kuta Bali is great for budget travelers. Most of them are cheaper than Seminyak and Canggu, but if you’re looking for fancy ones, you can find them in Kuta as well. Having fun in Kuta Bali is great if you are a budget-conscious traveler or at the end of your trip you wanna save the remaining budget you have. It’s well served with smaller, local pubs, bars with pools and happy hour cocktails, and beach clubs that try to bring a bit of class to proceedings. You’ve also got hotel bars, bars with live music, drag queen comedy shows, and pretty much anything else you can think of. If you want to hit some more famous beach clubs and nightclubs, Seminyak is not far.

5. Close to the airport

Kuta, Bali is very close to Ngurah Rai International Airport, hence it’s great to spend the last few days of your Bali vacation in Kuta. You don’t need to worry about missing the plane or being trapped in a long traffic jam in Canggu because you can just hop on a GoJek and in 5-10 minutes, depending on the traffic, you’ll arrive in the airport. My tip is to ask the GoJek driver to drop you off at the GoJek spot near the motorbike parking area then walk for 5 minutes to the domestic departure gate or for 10 minutes toward the international departure gate.

Sure there are downsides of Kuta Bali that will make you feel uncomfortable, but every popular tourist destination has it, like Paris and Barcelona and Kuta Bali is no exception. I will still come back to Kuta Bali occasionally, how about you?

Curious about my adventures in Europe and America ?. You can click the following links to see my traveling videos that have aired on Net TV :

1. Desa Hallstatt, Desa dengan Arsitektur Klasik di Pinggir Danau
2. Imutnya Park Guell, Dunia Fantasi Ala Gaudi di Barcelona
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4. Nyobain Makanan Khas Bosnia, Kaya Rasa dan Pasti Halal
5. The Bean, Seni Kontemporer yang Ada di Film – film Hollywood

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