Kuta

Kuta really is a nightmare. Everyone who advised us where to go in Bali added a warning to avoid Kuta at all costs. I trust and value the opinions of people who told me this and therefore didn't spend a night in the overcrowded, tacky and noisy city that hardly resembles the rest of Bali at all anymore. But I succumbed to the idea of an afternoon there... bad move.

Walking down the street in Kuta is like being the target in a shooting range. Every vendor has their eye on you and sit poised ready to attack when the moment is right. This may sound like a ridiculous over-exaggeration but I was pulled or lured into stores by almost every vendor on the street, forced into a manicure, beaten down with offers to buy coconut oil etc. etc. Not only is the atmosphere nasty but the beach is littered with plastic bags and trash and touts. While the rest of the island is filled with a gentle, spiritual and calm feeling, Kuta is brash and loud. Take my advice and that of those who went before me, don't go to Kuta.