Since Corona kuta has become better. No tourists at all. Beach is much cleaner. Lots of locals there on the weekend. Only problem is on the beach a lot of women try and come up and sell you things. But it’s a great family friendly beach. Lush sand. And no coral to cut yourself on.

Its not so good if u r short term visitor but if you stay there longterm its good because its where all your contacts are made and get to know the local people. I lived there for nealy 3 years. Older people remember when it was jungle, not a single tourist or building in sight. Kuta folk can direct you to anywhere in Bali. Whereas if you start in an isolated part of Bali a person could feel disconnected and not get so much information.

I just hope Bali is overall as magical as I’ve been reading about. The photos sure look amazing.

Last time we visited we spent two nights in Seminyak for the nightlife and two nights in Ubud for the relaxation.

@joejoe

You mean go hang out with the real locals who are cutting down the forests to make plywood, cheap furniture and farms?

Kuta is full of cheap (and some upscale) accommodation. It’s easy to get to places like Seminyak by Uber or GoJek.

It’s no more or less authentic of a place than anywhere else. It’s simply part and parcel of the experience. Everyone who has the means and inclination to burn horrendous amounts of fuel to gratify their ego to show they can get off the beaten path on their social media stream is responsible for places like Kuta.