Visiting Kuta Beach: Why This is The WORST Place in Bali!

"I found Kuta Beach to be the tourist mecca of Bali — full of big bars, large hotels and resorts, overpriced clothes, mediocre Western food, and drunk tourists. The beach itself is polluted: the water is brown and filled with things like McDonald’s cups, plastic bags, and other trash, so I wouldn’t recommend swimming there; I felt dirty and like I needed a shower. The restaurants are mostly overpriced Indonesian food and mediocre Western options (I did find a good Mexican place and the famous Madam’s Indonesian restaurant), but the best food in Bali is not in Kuta — for award-winning dining go to Ubud or Seminyak. Shopping is decent and slightly cheaper than elsewhere on the island, with lots of touristy clothes and knockoffs and some name-brand shops, but I was unimpressed and would rather shop in Bangkok or Singapore; the best bargains are in the giant department stores. There are resorts at every price point (from about $50 to $1,000 USD a night), plentiful surfing and very cheap lessons, and a nightlife scene with giant drinks and clubs open until dawn — so if you want to party, shop, and hang out with surfers in brown water, Kuta is for you. Otherwise, it’s only useful as a start/end point near the airport; personally I’d skip it to enjoy the rest of Bali." - Matthew Kepnes