Kuta Lombok Travel Guide – Visit Kuta Lombok – Budget Travel In Indonesia

Visit Kuta in Lombok to experience spectacular views and some of the best beaches in the region, making it a must-visit for surfers and backpackers alike.

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Where Is Kuta, Lombok?

Kuta is located on the south coast of Lombok island in the Indonesian province West Nusa Tenggara.

How To Get To Kuta, Lombok From Senggigi

We travelled with a private car from Senggigi to Kuta which took around an hour. We got a decent price with our driver as we’d used him twice whilst staying in Senggigi. It was only just more expensive than the bus and he provided a door-to-door service. On arrival at our hostel, he told us we were, “in a great location, right in the centre.” Things were off to a good start.

Where To Stay In Kuta, Lombok

These are some of the best budget hostels in Kuta, Lombok, according to user reviews. These are affiliate links to the Agoda web site. I found Agoda to be much better than booking.com in Southeast Asia. I receive a small amount for any bookings made through these links at no extra cost to you.

• Ariata Arya Hostel
• J.A Hostel
• The Livingroom Hostel
• Mellow Hostel
• Sentul Hostel
• Telage Indah Homestay

Mellow Hostel

We had booked to stay for 2 nights at ‘Mellow Hostel’ (map) which was perfectly located on a side street just off the main road in Kuta. On arrival, the place seemed to live up to its name. There was a very basic reception/kitchen area near the dorms and our cabin was just to the back. The cabin had outdoor tables and chairs and a hammock. It seemed we were in for a mellow stay.

The room was very basic and the bathroom definitely needs renewing. There was no lid on the toilet cistern and the shower was not attached to the wall properly. The property has no hot water.

Thankfully, the WiFi and the air-con both worked fine. We have stayed in better places than this but it was suitable for two nights. The owner tried his best to arrange trips for us but we didn’t need any, apart for our journey to the airport which I’m sure we could have got cheaper if we’d bothered looking.

Overall, this was a decent place to stay for a couple of nights.

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Click here to stay at Mellow Hostel.

Things To Do In Kuta, Lombok

Kuta Beach Lombok

After check-in, we headed to Kuta Beach, stopping for a good coffee at ‘Bucu Restaurant and Bar’ (map). The beach was immaculate (compared to the ones we’d seen in Senggigi) and the water was crystal clear.

We were surprised at how quiet it was. In fact, it seemed the majority of people were locals trying to sell us bracelets. We experienced this a lot in this area. We even had them coming into cafes and hassling us to buy. After a few shakes of the head, they will leave you alone. Sometimes with a look of disgust! It appears that mothers send their children in to the cafes as they are more likely to make a sale.

There are a few warung style restaurants on the beach and I had some reasonably-priced chicken satay before returning to our hostel.

Balkan Food In Kuta

As darkness fell, we headed out for some food. There was not a lack of choice. Besides Indonesian, we found many restaurants offering western food. Perhaps the biggest surprise was ‘Balkan Grill’ (map). I had a wrap containing 5 cevapi meat rolls with fries and Joanna had the falafel version. It was a real welcome change from nasi goreng. They even played balkan and klezmer music whilst we ate.

We finished the evening with a few beers and snacks outside our terrace, bought from the excellent supermarket ‘Fresh Market Kuta’ (maps).

Batu Payung

The next day, we decided to walk to Batu Payang and search for the ‘umbrella rock’. The walk was around 90 minutes, according to Google Maps. I figured we’d walk there and, if needed, we could always take a taxi back.

Not long into the walk, the road turned into a dirt trail and we were soon walking amongst the local communities. There are stories of the locals becoming hostile and aggressive towards tourists but we didn’t encounter any such behaviour. The dogs were sometimes a little scary.

Unfortunately, the walk is not the most scenic. You cannot see the sea most of the time and you simple follow a dirt trail for the most part.

Kuta Umbrella Rock

After a long, sweaty journey, we finally reached the area where the rock was located. We tried to reach it from the east of the cliff but the tides made this impossible. So we tried from the other side but with the same result. We had walked all this way and were unable to reach our goal. Still, the views were not too bad. We later discovered that the Umbrella Rock no longer exists. It fell into the sea years ago.

Batu Payung was VERY quiet, even compared to Kuta. There was no way we were going to be getting a taxi around here, meaning we would have to walk back. Knowing this, we decided to rest a while in a beach cafe.

We headed back to Kuta, passing the same scary dogs who were just as unhappy to see us in their territory as they were the first time. It was a long walk, particularly as it was scorching hot, and not a particularly interesting one.

Felice’s Vegetarian Restaurant

We arrived back in Kuta and had some lunch at ‘Felice’s Vegetarian Restaurant’ (map). The nasi goreng was very good and a great price. The lime juice was wonderful and was just what was needed after such a long day walking.

The Treehouse Bar

In the evening, we decided to go out for drinks and we found a wonderful treehouse bar called ‘Juice and Booze Bar’ (map). We had a cjhoice of sitting on floor cushions, beds, swings or even a boat whilst enjoying our happy-hour cocktails and cold beer. They played great chill-out music and I could have spent all night there. Definitely check this place out!

Kenza Cafe

On our last morning, we had a few hours to kill before heading for our flight back to Bali. We spent a good hour or so in ‘Kenza Cafe’ (map) drinking good coffee and updating the blog. The staff were fine with us using their premises and WiFi, even though we only bought one drink.

Bush Radio

We then had one last wander around Kuta before having lunch at the wonderfully bohemian ‘Bush Radio’ (map). Friendly staff, great music and excellent food made this a fantastic finale to our time in Lombok.

Is Kuta, Lombok Worth Visiting?

I really enjoyed my time in Kuta. There were plenty of cool bars and coffee shops to keep me happy. Whereas Senggigi seemed more aimed at holiday-makers, Kuta felt more like a travellers’ choice, with a more laid-back, hippy-surfer vibe. The beaches are much cleaner than Senggigi. It is definitely worth including on your Lombok itinerary.