In Reply to: Is Kuta Really This Bad - Read On posted by octagonmike on Monday, 6. June 2005 at 04:05 Bali Time:
All of the problems encountered by the lady who wrote that article do happen. Not always on the same day, though. And if you cram all the bad experiences into one short letter, then it makes it seem worse than it is. Notice that she didn't elaborate at all on the lovely people she had met.
Open sewers are around, and can be a bit stinky, but they are not everywhere. Just step around them and soon you won't notice them.
The traders can be a nuisance, and some may grab your arm even though that is socially unacceptable. If you just go stiff and look at their hand, they will remove it. Just say "thank you" very coldly and walk away. Most traders accept a simple "no thanks with a smile. Sometimes you need to say it four or five times, by which time there will someone else trying to sell you something.
Kuta is probably my least favourite place in Bali for all the reasons mentioned in that article, but I do have a few favourite spots there, and have met some great people. If you are going to Bali to party at a disco, you won't be disappointed. But shopping is best done in the villages, or in Java, if you have a low tolerance for being constantly hassled and shouted at.
The beach is crap. I have no idea what all the fuss is about. And while the beach sellers may be politer than the traders in the streets, they are still omnipresent, so you can't just sit on the beach and think.
The scenery outside the city is spectacular, and the pace is more like a holiday, if you're going to relax and want to leave your hotel. It just depends on what you're looking for.