Site-seeing Kuta

Kuta Beach (South Bali) - widest beach, easiest surfing, famous sunset

Kuta is the only place in Bali
where surf breaks over sand instead of coral.

• Party
• Rafting
• Bali Phone Shop - pick up simcard for mobile here (I paid 75,000Rp (AUD$12) with 50,000Rp credit

Kuta & Legian come alive at night with shops and market stalls (handicrafts) & bars, nightclubs and pubs, as well as various cultural performances.

Shopping in Kuta:
DVDS
* In between Popies I & II is a wholesale place. 10,000Rp each for tourists.. no "hard cover" but you can still get the inserts so you can put them in your own covers when you get home, or to fit into the bag ones. I love this place because most of the shops buy from here so it has the most variety and is first to get the new releases.
* Opposite Flora Beach Hotel is Putra DVD, all the DVD's I bought there were 10,000Rp each.
* I bought some for 9,000Rp each at a shop opp. the entrance to the beach Matahari, but I wouldn't recommend going there - they were trying to change the prices at the end of the sale after we had already agreed on the price beforehand.
* There was a great place up-some-stairs that were near the Matahari Shopping Centre, can't remember the street name or how to direct you the right way, so the best advice is to just whisper the words "DVD" in that area, and will have people pouncing on you wanting to drag you into their DVD shops - and THAT gives you bargaining power rather than walking in off the street.
**** In any case, the most you'll pay in Kuta for DVD's is 15,000 which is only about AUD$2.50, so even if you can't bargain or don't want to bargain, you won't get ripped off. (Ubud is another story). ****
Cheap Leather clothes, shoes, and jackets:

Merina Leather: 358 Legian St. Can make within 2-3 days.

Puma: 11 Kuta Theater St. (off legian) Ph 0361 728216 or email majibpumaleather@hotmail.com

Mayong:

Ph 62-361-750549, Clung Wanara St, Beside Matahari Sq.
Designer gold and silver jewellery:
Jonathon Gallery: 109 Legian St
(but best to go direct to source rather than by in 'tourist city' Kuta)
Baby & Kids Clothes:
Kuta Kids/Kuta Classics - Bemo Corner
Smaller household furniture items:
Serendipity Fine Antiques - JL Tunjung Mekan No 176
Designer Shops:
Kuta Square

Nightlife/Bars:
* Tubes bar/restaurant - located in Popies II is the place where all the surfers hang out, with at least one screen that has surfers/waves all day long, and at least 3 x new-release movies everyday. Open til about midnight everynight.
* Popies I & II have a few restaurant/bars that have movies or sport and cater for the tourists.
* Legian St, Kuta (the main shopping street) has the popular Paddies Nightclub (full of drunken Aussies), Bounty Danceclub (full of drunken Aussies and sleazebags and prostitutes), and Apache Reggaebar (full of locals with dreadlocks and a live reggaeband)
* Seminyak (keep going up Legian St about 3km, and you'll get the "new nightlife". Before the bombing, the nightlife used to always be around the Legian St area, but since has moved up to Seminyak, there are HEAPS of places to choose from, they get started around 11:00pm.
* Kuta Beach - Apparantly there are a few good ones here, including one that is supposed to be really popular called Studio 66 or something like that, I didn't end up making the effort to go, cos I liked my Apache.. :)
* Karoke Fri/Sat nights at Kak Man Pub on J1 Teuku Umal


Tourguides
Ivan (1st guy on left) - ivanhut@yahoo.com - 081338712818
Jupri (2nd pic)) - a_joopree@hotmail.com - +628174721627
I recommend both these guys, but only to those of you who are going to be friendly as these guys are my friends now and I saw the way that some Aussies treated the locals and I don't want to be apart of it :) So if you want some friendly company from some guys that know the area well, then definitely give these guys a call and work out your own custom-tour of Bali with them, depending on your budget, and interests. Both can speak English perfectly.
I spent a lot of time with Jupri and he is very intelligent, he really listens to tourists so has more of a clue about what they do and don't like (ie: he won't ever hassle you and will only try and help you have a good time), he knows the area well, knows which places to stay at, to eat at, and by listening to you, will be able to custom-make a tour that suits what you want to get out of bali.
You can usually find both guys hanging around Legian St / Bemo Corner area.

Tours
eco cycling tour AUD $58 per person, min 2
It is a "downhill" cycling tour. I'm definitely going to do it next time, in the end, I got a bit too lazy to do anything, so make sure you organise your tours in the first week :)
This is the little brochure I got, but Nick, a guy I met over there, said that it was really worthwhile and that he had a ball. "Cycling past local craftmen at work, through a landscape with lush and fertile vegetation. This amazing tropical island is still rich with distinctive customs and culture. The smiling faces of the Balinese await your arrival, an invitation to their traditional compound and temple. Fabulous refreshment stops! Continue cycling amongst fields of local fresh fruits and vegetables. Higher altitudes offer scenic views of the beautiful mountains and terraced rice fields. A pleasant walk brings you to the village of Gulingan, Mengwi, famous for its traditional Balinese Cooking Lessons. Enjoy your delicious meal, sit back and experience this wonderful tropical Bali"
Pickup Time - 7.45am, Telephone: (62) 361 237 782, they also have a hotline: (62) 361 248082

More
Surfing, Sailing, Diving, Fishing, Rafting, Camel Rides, Horse Riding
Massage (bargain down to 10,000 Rp 1/2 hr, 20,000 Rp - 1 hr) if backyard dodgy rather than proper salon.