often jokingly, might I add, refer to Bali as my least favourite part of Australia. This is because, like Cancun for Americans, Cuba for Canadians and Magaluf for Brits, this is where Aussies come to get fucked up.
The epicentre of this is the Legian and Kuta area of Bali. Pretentious people will bitch about the place, but in reality it does what it says on the tin. This is where you come to get fucked up and party cheaply in Bali.
Table of Contents
What the Legian Guide?
Legian is a busy tourist district on the west coast of southern Bali, sitting between Kuta to the south and Seminyak to the north. It developed from a coastal settlement into one of Bali’s major package holiday and nightlife destinations as international tourism expanded from the 1970s onwards.
Its long beach, hotels, restaurants, bars and nightclubs helped turn the area into a major destination for Australian holidaymakers in particular. Bali received approximately 6.95 million international tourist visits in 2025, although separate figures for Legian alone are not published. The district remains one of the island’s best-known places for cheap accommodation, drinking and partying.
What Is There to Do in Legian?
You come here to party and, or transit to other places, such as the rest of Bali, the Gili Islands, Java or beyond. Of course, there is also the beach here, but it is far from the best in Bali.
You can check out my Bali guide here.
The vast majority, though, come here to party, with booze, food, drink, drugs and even sex being available. In reality, it is one of the more expensive places in Indonesia, but that still means it is incredibly cheap by Australian standards, and they are the ones that matter.
5 Best Pubs in Legian
Much like you get football and an English breakfast in Ibiza, in Legian you get rugby league and pies. There must be hundreds of these places, with W Sports Bar, for example, being shit. Others are good.
- The Goat Melasti: Jl. Melasti No. 8, Legian, Kuta, Badung, Bali 80361. An Australian-style pub with live sport, beer, pub food and plenty of screens. A good option for the NRL, AFL and other televised sports.
- Y Sports Bar: Jl. Padma Utara No. 4, Legian, Kuta, Badung, Bali 80361. Another sports bar aimed squarely at the Australian crowd, with the usual pub grub and live sporting events.
- Chook and Roos Sports Bar: Jl. Raya Legian No. 458, Legian, Kuta, Badung, Bali 80361. A sports bar catering to people who want Australian sport and a familiar pub atmosphere.
- Pavilion Surf Club: Jl. Pantai Legian No. 10, Legian, Badung, Bali 80361. A beachfront venue where you can combine drinks, food and sport with views of the ocean.
- The Barrel Pub & Grill: Jl. Arjuna No. 88X, Legian, Badung, Bali 80361. A pub and grill serving international food and drinks, with live sport adding to the appeal.
5 Best Restaurants in Legian
Again, there is lots of shit pub grub, as well as vegan restaurants for the eat, prep, queef crew. You can, though, still get a decent mie goreng or curry if you desire.
- Makan Place: Jl. Padma No. 1, Legian, Kuta, Badung, Bali 80361. An Asian fusion restaurant offering a broader menu than the usual tourist pub, making it a good option when you want something beyond burgers and chips.
- Warung Kampung Indonesian Restaurant: Jl. Melasti No. 20, Legian, Kuta, Badung, Bali 80361. A place for Indonesian staples, including rice dishes and noodles, without having to head far from the main tourist strip.
- Nasi Bali Restaurant: Jl. Raya Legian No. 155, Kuta, Badung, Bali 80361. A useful option if you want Balinese food rather than another Australian-style pub meal.
- Moo Moo’s Steakhouse Bar & Grill: Jl. Padma No. 17, Legian, Kuta, Badung, Bali 80361. A steakhouse serving meat-heavy meals and international favourites. It is also known for its large food challenges.
- Mozzarella by the Sea: Jl. Padma Utara, Legian, Kuta, Badung, Bali 80361. An established restaurant serving international dishes in the Padma area, handy for anyone staying near the beach.
5 Best Nightclubs and Girly Bars in Legian
Bali is not Angeles City, but it is still pretty liberal. We partied one night in Brothers nightclub. Again, it is not all that cheap compared to Indonesia, but 11 cocktails or so only come out at about $90.
Oh, and while they were far from topless, they were go-go style and dressed to kill.
- Brothers Club Bali: Jl. Raya Legian No. 36, Kuta, Badung, Bali 80361. This is the place we visited, with go-go-style entertainment and cocktails. It fits the Legian nightlife scene perfectly.
- Sky Garden: Jl. Legian No. 60, Kuta, Badung, Bali 80361. A large nightclub on the main strip, with DJs, multiple areas and late-night partying.
- Engine Room Discotheque: Jl. Legian No. 66, Kuta, Badung, Bali 80361. A long-established name on the Kuta nightlife strip, catering to people who want loud music and a late finish.
- Legion Party Club Bali: Jl. Legian No. 177, Kuta, Badung, Bali 80361. A late-night bar and club on the main strip, with music, drinks and a party atmosphere.
- Brandys: Jl. Legian, Kuta, Badung, Bali 80361. Another nightlife venue in the Legian area. Check locally for its current opening status and entertainment programme.
Brothers is the one I’d pick if you’re specifically looking for the go-go-bar atmosphere. The other venues are primarily nightclubs and bars, so don’t assume they all offer the same entertainment.
5 Best Hotels in the Legian Guide
Hotels in Bali, and Legian in particular, are INSANE. Basically, for $15 a night you get a relatively clean room which has a pool on site. Go up in price each time and you just get better and better.
We stayed at Kamini Legian Hotel, which was the aforementioned $15. I personally stay at the Best Western Kuta, which, while not technically Legian, offers a private pool for $45 a night.
Here are five options, going from the cheap end to somewhere a bit more luxurious. Prices are approximate nightly rates and will vary according to season and availability.
- Kamini Legian Hotel: Jl. Legian, Gang Troppozone, Kuta, Badung, Bali 80361. Around $15 per night. A budget hotel with a swimming pool, air-conditioned rooms and a location convenient for the main nightlife strip.
- Siesta Legian Hotel: Jl. Bunut Sari No. 8, Legian, Kuta, Badung, Bali 80361. Around $15 to $25 per night. A budget-friendly hotel with a pool, restaurant and rooms within walking distance of the beach.
- Legian Village Hotel: Jl. Padma, Legian, Kuta, Badung, Bali 80361. Around $20 to $35 per night. A straightforward tourist hotel with a swimming pool and easy access to restaurants, bars and the beach.
- Best Western Kuta Beach: Jl. Benesari, Pantai Kuta, Kuta, Badung, Bali 80361. Around $45 per night. Technically Kuta rather than Legian, but it is close enough to use as a base for both areas.
- Bali Mandira Beach Resort & Spa: Jl. Padma No. 2, Legian, Kuta, Badung, Bali 80361. Around $150 to $250 per night. A more upmarket beachfront resort with landscaped grounds, swimming pools and considerably more facilities than the budget hotels.
The beauty of Legian is that you can spend $15 on a room and still have a swimming pool, or spend ten times that and get a much more polished resort experience. You really can choose your own level of comfort here.
Street Food Legian
A subject I have written about with regards to Bali. Overall, though, I actually sum up Legian as having a limited and simple street food scene. Legian street food tends to pop up around bars at closing time and is, for the most part, satay, noodles and the odd doner kebab.
Honestly, food here is often done to fit Australian tastes and is therefore part of one of the weaker culinary areas of Indonesia. That doesn’t mean you cannot eat well, but if you’re travelling around the country for the food, Legian is hardly where I’d spend most of my time.
The best bet is to look for local warungs tucked away from the busiest tourist strips. You can still find nasi goreng, mie goreng, satay and other Indonesian staples, often for considerably less than you’d pay in the pubs. The late-night stalls are useful when the bars close and you need something to soak up the beer, but don’t expect a street food paradise on the scale of Yogyakarta or Jakarta.
Dangers and Annoyances of Legian
There are touts fucking everywhere in Legian who can get quite aggressive. Most are just taxi drivers, although these are drivers you should never use. Grab exists for a reason.
They will also offer you drugs, girls and, at times, worse. Now, I am no prude, but do not fuck around with drugs in Bali, or at least not from someone you don’t know. People literally die in Bali and beyond on drugs every year. The same goes for girls. The industry very much exists here, so just cut out the pumping middleman.
The other annoyance is the constant sales pitch. You can barely walk down some stretches of the main road without somebody trying to sell you transport, tours, souvenirs or something else you don’t need. A polite no will often do the trick, but some people will keep going, so don’t feel obliged to stop and listen to every pitch.
Use Grab or Gojek for transport rather than accepting random offers from drivers on the street. Agree prices before getting into any vehicle that isn’t booked through an app, and keep an eye on your drinks when you’re out partying. Legian is busy, boozy and generally geared towards tourists, but that doesn’t mean you should switch your brain off.
Getting In and Out of Legian Guide
Legian is fun, but it’s best to know when to get out, too! This basically gives you three options: travelling around Bali, usually by car; taking a ferry somewhere, which will involve a car or transfer; or flying, both domestically and internationally.
The airport is 10 to 30 minutes away depending on traffic, pretty much. During busy periods, allow longer, because the traffic around Kuta and the airport can be a complete nightmare.
Getting Around Bali
Approximate driving times from Legian, assuming ordinary traffic:
- Kuta: 10 to 20 minutes.
- Seminyak: 10 to 30 minutes.
- Canggu: 30 to 90 minutes.
- Sanur: 30 to 60 minutes.
- Ubud: 1 to 2 hours.
- Uluwatu: 1 to 2 hours.
- Nusa Dua: 45 minutes to 1.5 hours.
- Padang Bai Harbour: 1.5 to 2 hours.
- Kintamani: 2 to 3 hours.
- Munduk: 2.5 to 3.5 hours.
- Amed: 2.5 to 3.5 hours.
- Lovina: 3 to 4 hours.
- Gilimanuk Harbour: 3.5 to 5 hours.
These are estimates rather than guarantees. Bali traffic can turn a short journey into a long one, particularly around the southern tourist areas.
Ferries Out of Bali
There are several ways to leave Bali by sea, depending on whether you’re heading to Java, Lombok, the Gili Islands or the smaller islands off Bali itself.
- Java: Ferries run between Gilimanuk in western Bali and Ketapang in East Java. The crossing usually takes around 45 to 60 minutes, with frequent departures throughout the day and night. From Legian, allow approximately 3.5 to 5 hours to reach Gilimanuk by road.
- Lombok: Fast boats operate from Padang Bai to Bangsal and other destinations in Lombok. The boat journey generally takes around 1.5 to 2.5 hours, depending on the operator and destination.
- Gili Trawangan: Fast boats from Padang Bai usually take around 2 to 3 hours. Some services also stop at other Gili Islands along the way.
- Gili Air: Boats from Padang Bai typically take around 2 to 3 hours, depending on the route and stops.
- Gili Meno: Connections are available through fast-boat services, although some journeys require a transfer from another Gili Island.
- Nusa Penida: Fast boats from Sanur generally take around 30 to 45 minutes.
- Nusa Lembongan: Fast boats from Sanur usually take around 30 to 45 minutes.
- Lombok by vehicle ferry: The public ferry runs between Padang Bai and Lembar. The crossing takes roughly 4 to 5 hours, before accounting for the road journey at either end.
Padang Bai is around 1.5 to 2 hours from Legian by road, while Sanur is considerably closer. For the Gili Islands and Lombok, a fast boat is usually the most convenient option. For Java, the Gilimanuk to Ketapang ferry is the standard route.
Domestic Flights from Bali
Ngurah Rai International Airport, usually called Denpasar Airport, is the main gateway for flying around Indonesia. There are direct domestic services to a range of destinations, although routes and frequencies change.
Common destinations include:
- Jakarta: Around 1 hour 50 minutes to 2 hours.
- Surabaya: Around 1 hour.
- Yogyakarta: Around 1 hour 30 minutes.
- Bandung: Around 1 hour 40 minutes.
- Lombok: Around 40 to 50 minutes.
- Labuan Bajo: Around 1 hour 10 minutes.
- Makassar: Around 1 hour 20 minutes.
- Kupang: Around 1 hour 50 minutes.
- Balikpapan: Around 1 hour 40 minutes.
- Banjarmasin: Around 1 hour 30 minutes.
- Manado: Around 2 hours 30 minutes.
Other domestic destinations are available depending on the airline and season. Jakarta and Surabaya are particularly useful hubs if you’re connecting onwards to other parts of Indonesia.
International Flights from Bali
Bali is also well connected internationally, which is one reason Legian works as a convenient base for a longer trip around Asia or Australia.
Common direct international destinations include:
- Singapore: Around 2 hours 30 minutes.
- Kuala Lumpur: Around 3 hours.
- Bangkok: Around 4 hours.
- Ho Chi Minh City: Around 3 hours 45 minutes.
- Manila: Around 4 hours.
- Hong Kong: Around 5 hours.
- Taipei: Around 5 hours.
- Seoul: Around 7 hours.
- Tokyo: Around 7 hours.
- Perth: Around 3 hours 30 minutes.
- Sydney: Around 6 hours.
- Melbourne: Around 5 hours 30 minutes.
- Brisbane: Around 6 hours.
- Doha: Around 9 to 10 hours.
- Dubai: Around 9 hours.
- Istanbul: Around 13 hours.
There are also direct services to destinations in China and India, with routes depending on the season and airline. Not every route operates daily, so check the timetable for your dates before building a connection around it.
So, yeah, that’s Legian! It’s not cultural, but sometimes you don’t need culture. You need the familiar, but with better weather.
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