Kuta Beach

Kuta, located in southern Bali, was a sleepy fishing village half a century ago, but it has slowly expanded since the 1960s after its long sandy beach was discovered by travellers from Asia and wandering surfers from nearby Australia.

Nowadays Kuta is quite busy and packed with varied accommodation from four-star hotels to budget hostels. Cheap bars and clubs make it a party centre, while local and international restaurants offer great dining. Kuta also offers shopping aplenty, from the chic beachfront ?Discovery Shopping Mall? and Kuta Square to the souvenir shops lining Jalan Kartika Plaza, Jalan Pantai Kuta and up to Legian and Seminyak ? all within easy walking distance. Despite its negatives, Kuta has its own beauty and attractions and remains one of Indonesia?s major tourist destinations; particularly during the peak season from July to August and the holiday season for Christmas and New Year: at these times Kuta will be fully booked by a local younger crowd, Asian travellers and Australian teenagers who are intent on enjoying an affordable vacation in Bali.

Legian Beach

Legian is probably the second most popular area with visitors after Kuta because of its close association with beach life and its parties. Indeed, one of Legian?s main attractions is its extravagant night life. Another attraction is the white sandy beach filled with tanned wannabe celebrities.

For first timers Legian is just like another Kuta but give yourself a day, and an evening walk along the famous Double Six Beach, and a night in a cosy club, then you decide what you?ll do with the rest of your vacation.

Seminyak Beach

A few miles north of Kuta is Seminyak which is the hippest part of southern Bali. More upmarket than Kuta and home to Bali's best bars, clubs and restaurants with new places opening almost weekly. Creative energy is the phrase that best sums up Seminyak, energy which also extends to the fashion boutiques.

Cool comes at a price, featuring strongly are world class hotels and resorts located next to the beach. Expect prices to be a little higher than Kuta.

Jimbaran Beach

Located on Bali's west coast - Jimbaran offers a small secluded beach area, where tranquility and peace are the perfect antidote to a stressful world. The land gently slopes away from the beach revealing exclusive celebrity haunts hidden under a canopy of leafy tropical forest.

Nusa Dua Beach

Bali's most prestigious resort area, Nusa Dua is where you'll find international world - class luxury hotels elegantly lining beautiful white sands.

Quiet and exclusive with superb facilities... you really don't have to venture far from your luxurious hotel room... but if you do, the rest of Bali's attractions are within easy access. Located on the Bukit peninsula, in the southern part of Bali, approximately 10 km from the international airport.

Sanur Beach

While the rest of Bali's beaches have developed at a breathtaking pace, Bali's first beach resort remains largely unchanged.

Sanur is one of Bali's biggest traditional villages but it's also one of the most established tourist areas. Fine hotels, restaurants and modern entertainment venues compliment traditional village activities like drama and dance, so it's a good place to enjoy the delights of a tropical island and gain a real appreciation of Balinese culture and local life.

Tanjung Benoa

Tanjung Benoa, or the Benoa peninsula just north of Nusa Dua, is a scenic 5 kilometres of coconut palms and fine sand. The area is the almost exclusive home of luxury hotels, private villas, fine restaurants, open air cafes and water sports facilities.

The resort has become busier over recent years with with more hotels like The Conrad Bali Resort and Spa joining impressive resorts like the Aston Bali.

Candidasa Beach

Located 85 km north-east of the airport, on the east coast, Candidasa offers a good base for exploring east Bali. A low key, laid back place close to cultural treasures like Pura Besakih (Bali's Mother Temple) and Tenganan Village - a unique village belonging to the original surviving Bali Aga aboriginal communities. It has lots of rustic charm.

Uluwatu Beach & Dreamland

The beaches of Uluwatu & Dreamland in southern Bali were once exclusively the haunt of surfers and could only be reached by traveling over rough dirt tracks. Today, many developments have brought roads, comfortable steps and access paths, enabling everyone to enjoy the beauty of these stunning beaches.

Catch some terrific world-class rides when the surf's up. When the water is tranquil these wonderfully white beaches become languidly quiet lagoons lapped by crystal clear water. The busiest beach is still Uluwatu, especially during a spectacular Balinese sunset.