From Dawn To Dusk Around Kuta, Bali: 1-Day Itinerary Of Natural Beauty, Adrenaline & Good Food

Catch a beautiful pink sunrise at Kuta!

Be a morning goer and welcome the rise of sun in the horizon to mark the beginning of your new day. Kuta beach in the morning is just awesome. Unlike sunset that is typically orangey, the sunrise here looks pinkish!

There are three beaches in the Kuta area (Kuta, Legian and Seminyak beaches) and they are within walking distance (around 30-minute walk from one beach to another). Entrances to all the three beaches are free. These beaches offer just the same sunrise view (it’s the same sun, isn’t it?) and depending on where you stay in Kuta, you can go to any of the three beaches for the view of sunrise. You should reach the beach before 6am, as the sun usually begin to rise anytime between 6.15 to 6.45. If you love jogging, what can be a better idea than jogging and watching the morning sun?

Get wet at Waterbom Park!

After sunrise, go back to your hotel and get ready for some adrenaline pumping wet rides in a water park named Waterbom. Opening at 9am in the morning, the park that is located on Jalan (Street) Kartika Plaza in Kuta is a must-go park in Bali, not only because it is the best among the other two waterparks in Kuta area, but it is actually also the best in Asia and has been ranked as the world’s third best water park only after Siam Park in Spain and Beach Park in Brazil! Now you know Bali is not just an island of the Gods with breathtaking beaches and landscapes. One of the world’s best water parks is here too!

The park charges 20 USD per adult and 17 USD per child. It has 13 rides and it is a perfect place for the young and those who are young at heart, as there are the rides that make you swoop, fall and loop around from the height of some 20 meters above the ground! Well, what about for those who are “old at heart”? Can they still have fun? Haha! The old at heart does not necessarily mean elderly folks, as they can be more daring and adventurous than youngsters! For the faint-hearted, you can try the lazy river ride, and enjoy tranquility amidst the excitement around you. You will drift along a river with some cascades and beautiful foliage along the way.

What about kids? Are the rides safe for children? There are some safety requirements regarding the minimum height. Children under 6 must also be supervised by adults.

Eat Bali’s most popular dish: Babi Guling (Suckling Pig)

Feeling hungry after some series of rides? Why not try Bali’s most popular dish, babi guling? In English, it is known as suckling pig, although the term “suckling” does not precisely translate the meaning of “guling”. Guling means bolster in English, which means a thick pillow longer than normal and typically in Indonesia, many kids are used to hugging this long pillow during their sleep and it doesn’t have anything to do with the act of suckling.

Okay, don’t bother with how it is called. It is actually a barbequed pork (the term “guling” may come from the fact that the whole pig that is barbequed looks like a “bolster”) that is served with rice and other food assortments like lawar (a mix of veggies and meat, cooked in coconut milk), rambak (pork skin cracker), etc. This is also called “nasi campur Bali” or “Balinese mixed rice”. There are nice restaurants that sell babi guling, but you can only find good babi guling in a warung (typical small Indonesian place to eat with very casual service).

There are some warungs that sell babi guling but Warung Babi Guling Pak Malen, located at Sunset Road no. 5, Seminyak, is most crowded with hungry customers. The pork’s crunchiness perhaps makes this place the best for babi guling lovers.

Get some good bargains at Kuta Square

After the babi guling hunt, you may want to return to your hotel to cool down (outdoor temperature can reach 35 degree Celsius during day time) before heading to the beach for a sunset view. On the way to the beach, especially in Kuta Square, you will see many hawkers selling various souvenirs (handicrafts, T-shirt, bags, etc.). They may look appealing, but these hawkers tend to set much higher prices for international tourists. If you bring a local tour guide, ask him/her to make the bargain or else you need to make it yourself. Your bargain should start from 50% of the price mentioned by the hawker and you may increase your bargain price little by little till you reach the compromised price.

Catch a gorgeous sunset

You can see both sunrise (in the East horizon) and sunset (in the West horizon) at Kuta and just like the sunrise, sunset is gorgeous too. However, you will see more people hanging out during sunset, as most of them prefer or are not used to getting up early in the morning. Seminyak beach, also known as Double Six beach, is a better option if you want more tranquility. It is the farthest from Kuta Square shopping district and people normally come over to Kuta beach before continuing their stroll to Kuta Square for more shopping or dinner.