Bali - Kuta, Legian, Seminyak

Three resort towns "Islands of the Gods"Bali - Kuta, Legian, Seminyak stretch in a chain closely adjacent to each other on the beach, washed by the waters of the Indian Ocean, in the southern part of the island. These resorts are very conveniently located, literally adjacent to the international airport of the island. The boundaries between cities are erased, and are determined only by the conditional separation that runs through the streets.

A former fishing village, Kuta became one of the first cities in Bali to actively develop tourism, and today this resort is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Indonesia. It is known far beyond the borders of the country thanks to its long sandy beach, a large number of restaurants and bars, and has also received recognition from surfers all over the world. The town is a popular holiday destination among low-income tourists and Australians who often visit it on weekends and holidays.

Some believe that the city is a den of sin, with numerous bars, drag queen shows, and so–called “Kuta cowboys” - young and slender Balinese gigolos seducing rich foreign women who shower them with gifts and give them a taste of the good life. Over the years, the city has been steadily developing, turning from a small fishing village along a clean beach into a dynamically developing resort with lots of nightlife. Kuta by and large attracts young people looking for various entertainments. After sunset, the city plunges into the atmosphere of night entertainment.

After the end of World War II, the Indonesian government came to the conclusion that Kuta could become a popular tourist destination and bring great profits. By the end of the 1960s, it was listed among the popular routes in Southeast Asia among eco-tourism enthusiasts and hippies from Australia and Europe. By the early 1970s, surfers began to visit the then small fishing village more and more often. Tourism developed at a slow pace until the 1980s, and with it restaurants and hotels gradually grew. In those years, they talked about three K's: Kathmandu in Nepal, Koasan Road in Bangkok and Kuta in Bali - a popular hippie route in many countries of the world at that time. In the 1990s, the rampant commercialization of Kuta generated a number of environmental problems related to frequent traffic jams and waste disposal issues, as well as the influx of illegal immigrants and intrusive street vendors. Farmers who were forced to sell their fields due to the ever-expanding construction suffered the most. Those who did not want to sell their agricultural plots were no longer able to farm due to the cessation of water supply. Thus came the end of the agrarian era of Kuta, which marked its transformation into one of the most developed areas of Bali.

Surfing, beach holidays, shopping and evening entertainment are the main activities and recreation in Kuta, there are practically no interesting sights here. The beach is very beautiful, but almost always crowded. Kuta has received special recognition among surfing enthusiasts. The long sandy beach with no dangerous rocks or corals makes it especially attractive for beginners. Large, Western-style shopping malls are practically absent in Bali, but the best of them are located in the Kuta area. Here you can taste many dishes of international and local cuisine. Restaurants, as a rule, are either very cheap or in the middle price category. There are few exclusive restaurants, but there are some. The most prestigious restaurants are located in the nearby city of Seminyak. All bars and restaurants serve alcohol freely.

Due to the increasing popularity of Bali Kuta continues to develop constantly, having, at the same time, an unsightly, poorly planned development, often chaotic and oversaturated. Some streets have potholes in the road, and the rules of the road mean little to its participants. Most roads are crowded with scooters, taxis and private cars. Local motorists give audible signals during overtaking or when squeezed into a limited space on the road between other vehicles. Often drivers fold the side mirrors of their cars, maneuvering on a narrow strip of road among parked cars. However, such disorder does not repel tourists, and every year hundreds of thousands of visitors choose Kuta as their vacation destination.

Today, tourists enjoy free Wi-Fi access in local shops, restaurants, cafes and hotels. Traders are persistently trying to sell something to tourists while walking along the streets or sitting in restaurants.

Five kilometers of sandy strip along Kuta are considered the best beach in Bali. The beach is safe for swimming, partially clean, and is constantly maintained by utilities in good condition, although beach vendors are constantly annoying with a great desire to offer you a massage, haircut, sell cigarettes or rent a surfboard. The long wide strip of sand is often crowded with sunbathers, and although most experienced surfers practice elsewhere, many continue to surf on the main beach of Kuta, especially during the peak tourist season. As you move along the coast to Legian and Seminyak, the beach becomes less crowded.

In the morning, you can see the residents of Kuta making donations (usually rice and other food), throwing food into the sea or just leaving it on the beach. Especially often such a picture can be seen when Nepi - the Balinese holiday "A Day of Silence.” The time of its celebration is chosen according to the Lunar calendar, and the next day the Hindu New Year is celebrated. "Day of Silence” residents of Bali (Hindus) they observe peace, do not eat, meditate, and any entertainment on the island is prohibited. Although this is a Hindu holiday, other residents (non-Hindus), as well as tourists, adhere to the generally accepted rules of silence out of respect for Hindu believers.

Kuta is a very convenient tourist destination in Indonesia. It is located a few kilometers from the airport of Ngurah Rai, often referred to as Bali International Airport, the second largest airport in Indonesia, and 10 km from Denpasar. Almost everyone speaks basic English, there is a huge selection of accommodation options, delicious cuisine, the opportunity to make a good shopping trip and a beautiful beach attracts very, very many.

Kuta stretches along the beach all the way from Bali International Airport to the city of Legian, and narrow branches of roads from the beach stretch into a densely populated residential area. Legian and Seminyak are within walking distance of Kuta. Legian is located north of Kuta with the same large number of shops and bars, but the atmosphere here is calmer and less chaotic. Legian is a small town, but despite its small size there are good hotels here, and the beach is less crowded.

The next city north of Legian, Seminyak, has the most prestigious hotels, restaurants and bars. The atmosphere is much more relaxed and relaxed than in Kuta. Seminyak has a large number of spa salons and is considered the shopping capital of Bali. This area is very famous for accommodation prices, some of the highest on the island. Due to the high density of fashionable boutiques combined with expensive restaurants, it quickly became one of the most famous tourist areas on the island.

It is hard to imagine that only fifteen years ago Seminyak was a small village. Its transformation into a tourist center took place literally before our eyes, absorbing all the free space that previously separated Seminyak from Legian. At present, it is almost impossible to determine where the Seminyak ends and the Legian begins, or where the Legian ends and the Kuta begins. The whole area is oversaturated with buildings.

There are no special attractions in Kuta. But still I would like to highlight two places.

The Hard Rock Hotel Wanted

The Hard Rock Hotel Wanted (Hard Rock Hotel) is something like a tourist attraction, and it is definitely worth a look. Located opposite the famous Kuta beach right in the very shopping center, Hard Rock Hotel is the first music-themed hotel in Asia.

The walls are decorated with images, memorabilia and illustrations of famous musicians of the 1950s - 1990s. The hotel is a place where visitors immerse themselves in the atmosphere of rock and roll culture from the early 1950s to the late 1990s! Music lovers can try out their vocal skills in a specially designated studio of this hotel. It offers tourists a huge swimming pool, Spa salon, sauna, steam room, gym. The restaurant offers a wide selection of local and international dishes.

Memorial to the victims of the Bali terrorist attack

As a result of the terrorist attack on October 12, 2002, 202 people were killed in the Sari nightclub and Paddy's Pub, of which 164 were foreigners. Two years later, on the site of the destroyed Paddy's Pub on Legian Street, a memorial was opened in memory of those who died on that tragic day. The memorial is made of carved stone, to which is attached a plaque with the names and citizenship of all the victims. The memorial was opened on October 12, 2004 on the second anniversary of the tragic events.

The terrorist attacks of 2002 and 2005 caused the flow of tourists to stop (newspaper headlines were full of the names "Paradise Lost"). A few years later, despite the real threat of terrorism, tourists gradually began to return to Kuta again.

Located in the tropics near the equator, the Indonesian island of Bali almost always has a hot and humid climate. From April to October is usually the dry season. Precipitation during this period of time is practically absent. The rainy season lasts from November to March. Unfortunately, after the rain, streams of water wash away a lot of abandoned plastic bottles and other garbage into the sea. The peak of the tourist season in Kuta falls in the summer, but tourists come here throughout the year to enjoy the sea and the beautiful beach.