Kuta, Bali: greed.

 

My word for Kuta: greed…of the consumer, the supplier; the visitor and the native.

Kuta draws in its visitors firstly because of its fabulous surfing and secondly because of its laid back party vibe.  Arriving at Bali’s International airport in Denpasar was almost like arriving in Australia.  Tall, dark, blonde, ripped surfer boys from Oz piled out of airplanes, collecting their surfboards and heading straight for Kuta…a place perfect for the “surf all afternoon, drink all night, sleep all morning and do it all over again” type. 

Not being tall, dark, blonde, or a ripped surfer boy (or a boy at all for that matter), I didn’t think Kuta would be my cup of tea, but I do love beaches and beach vibes so I wanted to give it a shot at winning me over. 

The plane arrived from Singapore into Denpasar around 10pm, and after going through customs, getting my Visa On Arrival, collecting my backpack, and making my way out to the taxi bay amongst the sea of tall, dark, blonde, ripped surfers, it was around midnight.  After two solid days of travelling all I wanted was a bed, a shower, and i wanted it 17 hours ago.  I spoke to a few locals, and a few avid Bali vacationers, and got in line for a taxi to take me to Poppies Lane 1 in Kuta.  Poppies Lane (there is 1 and 2), I was told, is the budget area for the beach seekers, so off I went, sharing a taxi with an Australian girl there to meet her friends for a vacay.

I combed the majority of Poppies Lane 1 looking for accommodation in my price range and safe looking, finally going with Pesona Inn after it being recommended to me by a local guy, Zack, and two Americans, Todd and Brian.  The room was clean, had air conditioning, and hot water; it included breakfast and had a beautiful pool as well.  A little bit over what my budget will be for the rest of my trip, but ok with me after 2 days of travelling. 

My first full day in Bali was spent having a surf lesson from Zack, and chilling on the beach with him and his friends, one being a very lovely girl from Sweden who was on a two month vacation in Kuta learning to surf and checking out Universities for graduate school. 

After surfing I laid around my pool reading and sleeping, followed by a nap in my air conditioned room.  I walked to the beach on my own to get some pictures of the sunset, which was quite stunning.  I met with Zack and Todd for dinner, and upon Zack suggestion I had Gado-Gado, a delicious Indonesian dish consisting of a mountain of steamed vegetables topped with a fabulous peanut sauce.  Exhausted and with a BIG day ahead I went to bed after dinner, pleasantly full and my taste buds having a party.

The surfing was awesome, the beach was beautiful, the food was delicious…I can see why so many people go to Kuta and stay there, however I was right in my assumption that it just wasn’t my cup of tea.  Had I gone there 4 years ago, maybe.  Now, no.