Alright! Let me be honest with you about this. When I went to Bali, everyone I met there told me I shouldn’t stay in Kuta. Well, you know me, I like to make up my own mind about stuff so I went there anyway, ended up spending a few days and got here to tell you all about it.
First things first, let me tell you what I liked about accommodation in Kuta. We’ll then go over a few drawbacks to keep in mind and review the hotels I stayed in.
Kuta Bali – What’s to like about it
Kuta’s location is one of its most convenient advantages so if you’re planning on staying there, you’ll have easy access to the following:
- The Denpasar Airport (also known as the Bali Ngurah Rai International Airport)
- The most beautiful beaches of Bali (south of the island)
- The Sanur port where you can get on a boat and go to Nusa Penida or Nusa Lembogan
- Ubud
- Seminyak and Canggu (if you’re looking for trendy night blubs and bars)
- Tanah Lot
If you’re planning on strolling around Bali and only going back to your hotel in Kuta to sleep, then you should be fine.
Speaking of hotels, you can find very cheap accommodation in Kuta. You can stay at this hotel for only less than $5 per night, dinner included!
You will also find many stores to buy souvenirs from, if you’re looking for souvenirs of course. I was relieved to find a battery charger for my camera in Kuta, I wasn’t able to find any in Ubud.
I think I mentioned all the positive aspects I could think of, let’s look at the few drawbacks you should consider.
Kuta Bali – What’s not to like about it
What could be an issue for you (I know it was for me) is the tourist population in Kuta. Imagine a bigger Khao San Road (Bangkok) with even more tourists who spend days and nights there, that’s what Kuta looks like. With such crowds, things don’t always go as smoothly as you’d like them to, starting with traffic.
If you find yourself on Kuta Beach road between 7 and 10 PM, you’ll get what I mean. That road is a one-way street but there’s no way to avoid a traffic jam in the evening. To make things easier for everyone, motorbike riders usually don’t care if it’s a one-way street or not so no wonder things get messy very quickly.
By the way, I mentioned Kuta Beach earlier. It’s a famous beach I know, but I wouldn’t get too excited about it if I were you.
You should also be aware of the fact that unlike Bali, Kuta is a bit of an exception when it comes to safety. Robberies are common in Kuta so be careful if you decide to hang out at night. Local people will also approach you to try and sell you drugs. Do I need to tell you to avoid those people as much as possible? Apparently, there are even cops who pressure tourists into buying drugs to get them into trouble.
Alcohol is relatively cheap in Bali and people tend to drink a lot. I don’t like generalizations but tourists in Bali are known for losing their cool rather quickly when they’re kinda tipsy. Look at this guy who has obviously had too much to drink.
Don’t get me wrong and don’t cross Kuta off your list yet. There are great things to see in Bali but things are not always as beautiful and peaceful as you’d like to think. I think it’s important to be aware of both the positive and the negative aspects of a country before visiting it.
I tell you what, if I were to travel to Bali again, I’d stay a few days in Kuta anyway, just because of its strategic location. I wouldn’t mind everything else.
In fact, the time I spent in Kuta wasn’t really significant; I would leave in the morning and head to the beach on a motorbike and only go back late at night to my hotel.
Hotels I Went To
I spent the first nights of my trip in the Eden Kuta Bali and everything went very well there. I think the great thing about it was its cost-effectiveness. I mean you can have a great double room with access to a pool for just about $45.
The rest of my trip I stayed in the Hard Rock Hotel Bali which is located right on front of Kuta Beach. It was my first time in a Hard Rock Hotel and I can honestly say I liked the rock’n’roll vibe even though I’m not really into that sort of thing. The hotel offers a huge swimming pool and top notch equipment.
There’s even a recording studio where you can record songs and have them on a CD!
I hope this blog post helped you plan your trip to Bali and decide whether you want to stay in Kuta or not. If you have any questions or comments about what I have or haven’t covered in this blog post, please share them down below!
I’m still traveling all over Asia and letting you all know about it on social media via my Facebook page, Instagram, and Youtube, so don’t forget to subscribe!
See you around,
MF
This looks really awesome and excellent photography.