Kuta

Introducing Kuta

Lombok’s Kuta beach is a magnificent stretch of white sand and turquoise sea with rugged hills rising around it. Surfers are drawn here by the world-class waves, but the village has a languid charm of its own with some delightful hotels and a succession of dramatic bite-shaped bays nearby.

Despite long-slated plans for a succession of five-star resorts, these have failed to materialise, and this superb coast is still all but undeveloped, with far, far fewer facilities than the (in) famous Kuta Beach in Bali. Kuta comes alive during the annual Nyale Fishing Festival (in February or March; see right) and during the main tourist season (August), but for the rest of the year it’s very quiet.

Tourism dominates the local economy, but locals also harvest seaweed for the cosmetic industry in the dry season.

Last updated: Feb 17, 2009