Legian Beach Holidays
LEGIAN BEACH
Like the filling in a fun sandwich, Legian Beach is wedged between frenetic Kuta & fashionable Seminyak, with a tempo midway between the two. The draw is the beach, then the bars & the buzz. Recreation comes first – but it’s revitalising rather than rowdy.
LEGIAN BEACH IS THE PERFECT PLACE FOR….
……beach-lovers who want to be close to the pulse – but at arm’s length from the throbbing throngs of Kuta. It will suit those who want to enjoy the sun and sand, and be able to dip in and out of the action, with a choice of things to do and see within a stone’s throw.
THE SCENERY
Legian Beach has a lovely palm tree lined ocean frontage, and a paved walkway now runs between the sand and the seafront hotels, starting at Kuta Beach Road until JL Double Six. This has not only created a nice place to walk, but has also reduced the traffic noise compared to Legian’s neighbours.
Most of the best hotels are on, or very near, the beach. As with the rest of the coast here the sand on the long, smooth flat expanse of beach is greyish, but it’s because of the specks of volcanic silica, not because of dirt. The start and stop points between Kuta to the South, Seminyak to the North and Legian squished in the middle, have now been blurred by development, but the closer to Seminyak the quieter Legian becomes. In addition to the smart rows of sunbeds belonging to some of the bigger hotels, the beach is dotted with deckchairs and umbrellas which you can rent from one-man band operators by the hour or day.
THE VIBE
With an atmosphere that can be both lively and low-key, Legian Beach is a squeak louder than Seminyak, and a squawk quieter that Kuta. The sunning, swimming, surfing, spa-ing and shop-browsing, makes Legian a good place to combine sloth, sport and socialising. In addition to the mingling and meditating, there are lots of beach activities such as volleyball, canoeing and soccer, and the party time DJs who visit Double Six Beach are gaining it a reputation as Bali’s answer to Ibiza. The entire beach itself acts like a stage for such feast of sights, sounds and experiences - hawkers, high waves, hair-braiders, masseuses, musicians, fire-twirlers – that people-watching is an activity in itself. The nightlife is more geared towards socialising and having a good time, rather than hard core carousing, and the commercial whirl is less dizzying than in Kuta.
THINGS TO DO IN LEGIAN BEACH
- Beach football : Nearly every evening at around 5pm, as the sun sinks into the sea, at least one impromptu game of football takes place. The locals kick it off, but visitors are usually welcome to join in.
- Boogie boarding : Even complete surf virgins could be tempted to take the plunge – or rather the barrel - here, where the reef-free water creates a good place to learn, and boogie/body boarding offers a much quicker learning curve than upright surfing. The basics are swiftly picked up, and there are lots of places along the beach to hire boards from about 20,000 Rp (approx. 2.21 AUD) an hour.
- Weekend Festivals : The usually buzzing beach scene ups it tempo on Saturday and Sunday evenings with informal ‘festivals’, featuring fire twirlers and assorted jamming musicians.
- Pura Tanah Lot : About 10 kms away from Legian, at Tabanan, is the pilgrimage sea temple of Tanah Lot, which sits photogenically on a large rock a few yards from the shore. It’s been part of Balinese mythology since the 15th century when the rock was chosen for its beauty as the perfect holy place to build a shrine to worship the sea gods. It makes an evocative visit, even with the souvenir stalls lining the path down to the sea.
EATING OUT IN LEGIAN BEACH
Being on the well-used Kuta coastal strip, there’s a cornucopia of choice for eating and drinking lining the beaches and streets in Legian Beach. Families are well-catered for, and the prices are usually great value. The warungs on the beach offer dirt cheap, lip-smacking local dishes such as nasi goreng(fried rice) and gado gado (vegetable salad with spicy peanut sauce). For peckish night owls, good food is also served at some of the slick clubs and music lounges, such as Bacio in Double Six Street.
- The Flying Piano, JL Werkudara : Expect Swiss and Thai-influenced food in this casual and entertaining restaurant, where Pedro the owner loves to tickle the ivories on his grand piano for guests.
- Blue Ocean, JL Double Six : One of the first losmen (bar) on the beach back in 1969 is now a bit of a Legian legend. With its spacious, tree-shaded ocean view terrace and affordable, international menu it makes a classic, casual Bali hang-out to watch the world go by.
- Yut’z Place, JL Werkudara : Both romantic and child-friendly, this Swiss/European eatery has become known for its well-priced steaks and iced margaritas.
- Pearl, JL Arjuna : Part of a boutique hotel a five minute stroll from the beach, this French restaurant at the end of a lantern-lit driveway has had rave reviews from customers for its romantic setting and “wow” food marrying tropical produce with French cooking.
THE WAY THERE
For a rip-off free, fairly-priced taxi to take you from the airport, head for the official taxi counter – turn right as you leave the arrivals hall – and tell the attendant where you want to go. Or to save a dollar, you could flag down one of the distinctive blue and yellow Blue Bird taxis from outside the airport – they’re metered and reliable. Because Legian is confusingly also the name of Kuta’s main street, make it clear where your hotel is. But nothing around the Kuta district is that far apart, and all the fares are fixed. A pre-paid taxi from the airport to Legian Beach should cost about 55,000 Rp (approx. 6.08AUD).
Distance from airport: About 7kms, a 20 – 30 minute drive.
THE WAY AROUND
Rush-hour congestion on the roads along the Kuta coastal strip which includes Legian Beach are legendary. But the opening of the much welcome Sunset Road – which bypasses Seminyak, Legian Beach and Kuta – has definitely taken the pressure off the once clogged streets.
It’s only a ten minute walk North along the beach to Seminyak, but if you fancied exploring further afield a comfortable option is to hire a car and driver. You can expect to pay between 250,000 – 600,000 Rp (approx. 28.82 – 66.79 AUD) per 10-hour day.
