Teeming, mad, crazy, nutty, wild and definitely loud. Those are a few words that definitely describe Kuta and Legian, the original tourist places in Bali. There is no choice, either you love or hate it.

Kuta is the original, with its narrow alleys (gangs), hawkers, tawdry bars, cheap hotels and open air cafes peddling cheap Bintang and nonthreatening nasi goreng (fried rice). Every third person you see is carrying a surf board, every fourth wears a new tattoo. If you are in Bali to live cheap, love to party every night and stumble to the beach, this is the place to be.

Legian, Kuta’s sister just a little bit more north, is marginally quieter. It’s the place Kuta lovers go after they have kids. The streets, hotels and bums are all wider but it’s still a place for partying and shopping all day and night.