Legian sits perfectly located between Kuta and Seminyak on a stretch of golden sand beach. With many cafes restaurantes and bars it is the perfect location for families and groups of frends travelling to Bali.
Legian offers the same easy access to shops and bars but a slightly more relaxed and less chaotic feeling than neighboring Kuta. It is a low-key area where you can still get the good prices of Kuta without some of the hassle. Sejuk Suites is located at the northern end of Legian which borders Seminyak and offers a bit of an escape from the crowds. It is also a popular surf beach. The beach itself if beautiful and more relaxed and less crowded than Kuta Beach to the South.
There is a long beachfront road which is pedestrian only and opened to traffic only for ceremonies. It is an excellent walking route, allowing users an easy beach-side stroll along to restaurants, bars and nightclubs on Double Six Beach and all the way down to Beachwalk Shopping Mall at Kuta Beach. The main road is Jalan Legian which is lined with tress and hosts a large number of boutiques selling clothes from local designers, jewellery and homewares.
The airport is located south of Legian and a taxi or car journey from there will take about will take about 20 minutes. A pre-paid coupon (recommended - turn right as you exit the arrivals terminal) taxi fare from the airport is Rp 60,000.
Transport?
Legian is a small town which covers only a few blocks and can be covered easily on foot. Taxis are plentiful as are motorbike rental outlets. Expect to pay Rp 60,000 to Rp100,00 per day for motorbike rental. Rental cars, with English-speaking driver, are available for around Rp 500,000 per ten hour day. This usually includes petrol and parking fees.
Legian Activities
Beach
Aside from the the beautiful beach), Legian is a great place to stay, shop, eat, drink and go to the beach. Legian Beach is one of the best beaches in Bali for viewing the sunset.
If you're only interest is relaxing on the beach, you can hire sunbeds for about Rp50,000 per day. The late morning and early afternoon sun is string so wear sun protection (even if its cloudy).
Legian Beach has an excellent surf break. Boogie boards can be rented for around Rp 20,000/hour. Surfboard rental is also available and Legian beach is a great place to learn to surf owing to its beach (as opposed to reef) break. We recoomend the Ripurl Surf School as the most professional and lessons can be booked through Sejuk Suites. Email us or let us know on your arrival if you would like us to arrange surf lessons for you. On Saturday and Sunday evenings, the beach front is busy with tourists, expats, locals and motorbikes, with fire pois and musicians jamming on the beach.
Cafes and Restaurants
Legain is suprisingly one of the very few areas of Bali which has beach front cafes and restaurants and its almost obligatory to watch the amazing sunset from Legain Beach which is perfectly orianted to take in the setting sun. Sunset begins around 6pm and usually sets at 6.45pm.
At the cafes (known locally as "warungs") a beer should set you back around Rp20,000 and soft drinks Rp10,000. The price of food varies wildly in Bali with fried rice or noodles (nasi goreng or mie goreng) from a waryungs arounf Rp25,000.
Restaurant fare is generally more expensive and restaurants usually charge additional tax and service of between 10 and 21% so check the menu 1st to avoid any suprises. Its fair to say though that the quality of food in the restaurants of Kuta, Legian and Seminyak is very good and the variety equally so. Good places to visit include Seaside Cafe and Zanzibar (Legian Beach), Made's Warung (Jl Legian) and Ryoshi and Sip(Jl Seminyak). Ryoshi, a Japanese restaurant with a very informal atmosphere hosts a great jazz night upstairs every Tuesday.
A great place to enjoy the sunset and an early evening cocktail is Anantara Roof Top Bar, a short beach walk to the north at the Anantara Hotel. Plush with sweeping views the bar often hosts big name DJ's and a glamorous crowd.
Spas and Treatments
Bali is famous for its spas and the range is vast. From informal massages on the beach to small spas around Legian offering manicures/pedicures to more luxurous spa services at the likes of the Legain Hotel in Seminyak. Recommended spas in the locale are Jari Menari and Glow Spa. For the real spa traveller head off to Jimbaran to the Thermes Marins Spa at the Ayana Hotel in Jimbaran, voted the "Worlds Best Spa" by Conde Naste Traveller readers. Prices are more expensive so check the menu in advance.
Shopping
From street hawkers to factory outlets, from chic local designers to shopping malls Bali has great shopping. and Legian itself is a great shopping destination. Shops selling everything from the designer surfware to Balinese souvenirs. Covering the main shopping area in Legian will not take a long time and encompasses Jalan Melasti, Jalan Padma, Jalan Werkudara and Jalan Arjuna, all of which run between Jalan Legian and the beach.
Jalan Padma is especially good for beads, shell-work and other similar trinkets. Jalan Arjuna is lined mainly with small stores selling sarongs and fabrics. On Jalan Legian has some great boutiques selling clothes, jewellery and homewares by local designer. Jl Legian also has some large surfwear stores.
Legian boasts two markets on Jalan Melasti. Close to the beach at the western end there is a large art market selling Balinese handicrafts and other items for tourists. You could easily buy all of your presents to take home in one visit here. At the eastern end at the corner of Jalan Melasti and Jalan Sri Wijaya, there is a morning fresh produce market which opens from about 5AM. Not really a market for tourists the market sells fresh fruit and vegetables.
At the end of Legian at the very Northern end of Kuta Beach is Beachwalk, the latest addition to the shopping portfolio of Bali. A large open air beachfront shopping mall it offers well known brands including Armani Jeans, Y3k, Pull and Bear, Stradavarius, Nike, Addidas and Gap (to mention a few). It also has a great fish restaurant (Fish and Co), a Starbucks Cafe as well as an american style diner.
