Legian

If you like the Kuta action but need a bit of space between, Legian is your kind of place. A beach haven with heaps of shopping covered—from garments to jewelry to surfshops and furniture—and a myriad of delectable restaurants, Legian itself is less hectic than downtown Kuta, (even if it is only a 5-minute taxi ride away) but is not far from the nightlife zone. Here is where old, young, rich, hippie, yuppy, sophisticated locals, expats and tourists find something/s that match/es their interests: ballgames, spa trips, reading, meditation, fitness, culinary adventures, shopping, ad infinitum. When the sun sets and offices close, it springs a life of its own, human swarms in shops, bars, football fields, the beach, restaurants. For the less party inclined, there are also gentler and wholesome nightlife alternatives. But if it’s quiet you seek, this is not where you’d like to be billeted—just keep it in your to-visit list.