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Legian is a beachfront town in South Bali, north of Kuta and south of Seminyak. Stretching north from Kuta, Legian offers the same easy access to shops and bars but a slightly more relaxed and less chaotic feeling. It is a low-key area where you can still get the low prices of Kuta without some of the hassle. The northern area of Legian bordering Seminyak offers a bit of an escape from the crowds and is also a popular surf beach.

Understand

Orientation

This is a small area fronting the beach which stretches from Jalan Melasti (where Kuta ends), north to Jalan Arjuna (better known as Jalan Double Six) where Seminyak begins. Most of the popular Legian hotels are on or close to the beach. The whole of Legian is no bigger than a few blocks in a large city, but despite its small size, this area has a very high profile with visitors due to the lovely beach frontage, and proliferation of mid-market hotels.

The most popular stretch of Legian Beach is at the bottom of Jalan Padma, and is sometimes called Padma Beach. It is more relaxed than Kuta, has a better and less crowded surf break, and is home to many nice vendors selling beers under umbrellas. There is easy parking here for Rp 1,000 per motorbike.

There is a long north-south road between the beachfront hotels and the beach, which is only open for authorised vehicles when there is a ceremony being held. Otherwise it is a well paved footpath, and makes for an excellent walking route, allowing users an easy beach-side stroll along to restaurants, bars and nightclubs on Double Six Beach.

The main road is Jalan Legian which can get very jammed indeed. All roads to the beach run westwards, more or less perpendicular to Jalan Legian.

Map of Legian

Get in

The airport is located south of Legian and a taxi or car journey from there will take about will take about 20 minutes. A pre-paid coupon taxi fare from the airport is Rp 55,000.

Kuta and Seminyak are either side of Legian and you can walk, drive or bike in from both those areas.

Get around

Most of Legian can be covered on foot if you are not in a hurry, but taxis are plentiful as are motorbike rental outlets. Expect to pay Rp 50,000 to 80,000 per day for renting a motorbike.

See

Aside from the obvious (the gorgeous beach!), there is not a great deal to see in Legian. It is a place where visitors stay, shop, eat, drink and go to the beach. Legian Beach is one of the best in Bali for viewing the sunset.

  • 1 Mahadeva Art Gallery, Jln Legian, ☏ +62 812-3872-4254. M-Sa 9AM-6PM. Has a collection of interesting paintings. You can also get custom-made paintings here. (updated Nov 2023)

Do

The beach

Surfboards on Legian Beach

Head into the ocean with boogie boards (Rp 20,000/hour) and surfboards hired from at beach or take surfing lessons from the Surf School based at Blue Ocean beach.

  • Quiksilver surf school, ☏ +62 361 791 2220, . Offers lessons lasting 2½ hours for Rp 390,000. They also rent boards for Rp 50,000 per hour, but if you have taken lessons with them, you can get a reduced rate of Rp 20,000 per hour. If renting from locals on the beach, be sure to use this fact to get a good price. 

On Saturday and Sunday evenings, the beach front is packed with tourists, expats, locals and motorbikes, with fire pois and musicians jamming on the beach - you'll be more than welcome to join in.

Almost every evening at about 17:00 a game of beach football begins right in front of de ja vu on Blue Ocean Beach. Visitors are normally welcomed if they want to join in.

A more leisurely beach pursuit is to situate yourself, cocktail in hand, at one of the many beach front cafes on this stretch, and watch one of the world's great sunsets. Be in position by about 17:30.

Spas and treatments

Informal massages, manicures, pedicures and hair braiding, are all widely available while you relax on the beach in this area.

  • Glow Spa At Mandira, Jalan Padma 2 (opposite Padma Hotel), ☏ +62 361 751381. 10:00-20:00 daily. A spa treatment based upon the principles of restoring balance, beauty and harmony to mind and body. From Rp 205,000. 
  • Calming Spa, Jl Melasti (at the Legian Beach Hotel), ☏ +62 361 751711. 09:00-19:09. A full range of treatments on offer including from basic therapeutic massage, to Javanese 'Lulur' body scrub and "Rempah and Honey" treatment, a traditional massage followed by a body mask of honey, clay, flowers and roots. Massage from Rp 200,000, waxing from Rp 80,000. 

Buy

Legian is crammed full of shops selling everything from the latest designer surfware to Balinese souvenirs to take home. This is a shopping destination. Covering the main shopping area in Legian will not take too long. It encompasses Jalan Melasti, Jalan Padma, Jalan Werkudara and Jalan Arjuna, all of which run perpendicular to Jalan Legian on the beach side. Jalan Padma is especially good for beads, shell work and other similar trinkets. Jalan Arjuna is lined with small stores selling sarongs and fabrics. On Jalan Legian look for slightly more upmarket boutiques, and the ubiquitous surfwear/sportswear stores (although the larger of these are in neighbouring Kuta).

There are two markets on Jalan Melasti. Close to the beach at the western end there is a large art market selling Balinese handicrafts and other items for tourists. You could easily buy all of your presents to take home in one visit here. At the eastern end where Jalan Melasti becomes Jalan Sri Wijaya, there is a morning fresh produce market which opens from about 05:00.

Eat

Legian's beachfront restaurants are popular spots for sunset and people watching.

Budget

You can get sup bakso (soup with meat balls), mie goreng (fried noodles) and nasi goreng (fried rice) from the small warungs (outdoor cafes) on the beach. Very cheap and very tasty.

  • Warung Pan Dira (formerly called Warun Swan). 14:00-20:00 daily (roughly). Local joint, run and owned by a Balinese family. Try their nasi kuning (yellow rice with sides), or soto ayam (chicken soup). They also pay a lot of attention to their cleanliness and health standards. From Rp 15,000. 

Mid-range

  • Bali Beach Shack Bar & Restaurant, Jl Sahadewa 7, ☏ +62 819 36222010, . 11:00-midnight daily. Live music daily, Indonesian drag cabaret every Th F Sa at 22:15 and 23:15. Good service, Australian and Indonesian food. Despite the name, it is not by the beach. 
  • Fresh Warung, Jl Legian, Legian (just south of Jl Melasti, right next door to Crown Restaurant), ☏ +62 813 37573332. Fresh Warung specialises in local & international dishes. It is small but cheerful, clean & serves up well-priced quality food. Emi, the owner, is cheeky and provides great service. 
Indonesian cuisine in Legian
  • Gosha Bar and Restaurant, Jl Melasti 7, ☏ +62 361 759880. A huge, cavernous restaurant. The ambience and set up is not great, but the food is very reliable and this is a popular restaurant with Australian visitors especially. Been around since 1985. Broad menu offering seafood, western and Indonesian dishes. 
  • Island Cafe, Jl Legian, Gang #19 (near Air Asia office), ☏ +62 813 5303 7096, . Daily 19:30-22:00. Italian coffee (Segafredo), healthy food choices, Free WiFi and a relaxed environment. Wood fire pizza oven. From Rp 30,000. 
  • Lanai, Jl Blue Ocean (Jl Pantai Legian), ☏ +62 361 731 305. On the site that used to be Benny's Cafe, Lanai serves up big portions and has great views of the beach from the upstairs balcony. 
  • Lemongrass Thai Restaurant, Jl Melasti, ☏ +62 81 333 3392 43, . Dine-in or takeaway Thai food. Lots of seafood and vegetarian options. (updated Oct 2017)
  • Seaside (formerly Cafe Warna), Jl Pantai Legian 14. Open from mid-afternoon. Food is decent, beachside setting very good indeed, and they have great bar. Closest restaurant to Hotel Jayakarta. 
  • Tekor Bali, Jl Blue Ocean (Jl Pantai Legian), ☏ +62 361 735268, . Broad Indonesian menu and all food is beautifully presented. Great for Balinese and Indonesian specialties: try the Bebek Betutu, slow-roasted duck with Balinese spices. Perhaps the best breakfast on the beach in Bali. Midrange prices (entree Rp 50,000-100,000) for upscale food, this is one of Bali's best bargains. 
  • Waroeng Asia, Jl Arjuna 23, Legian, ☏ +62 361 7420202, . Popular Thai restaurant with very affordable prices. Large range of mid-priced meals. Rp 20,000-70,000. 
  • Zanzibar, Jl Pantai Arjuna, ☏ +62 361 733529. A well-established restaurant with excellent Italian cuisine and especially good pasta dishes. On the Blue Ocean beach, and so a good spot to watch all the action whilst enjoying an excellent meal. 
  • 66 Corner Restaurant & Cafe, Jl. Double Six/Jl. Werkudara 23, ☏ +62 361 730 403. Daily 08;00-23:00. 66 Corner offers cuisine from all over the globe. Happy hours from 16:00-18:00 with 30% off all beverages and free wifi is available. Covers also all sports games live on big screen TV, such as rugby, football, F1 and many more. Film nights every Tuesday and Thursday. From Rp 20,000. 

Drink

  • de ja vu, Jalan Blue Ocean 7X (Jalan Pantai), Legian (go to the beach end of Jalan Double Six, turn left and it is 50 m on the left hand side), ☏ +62 361 733 777. A happening beach-side dance bar. Popular with the pre Double Six crowd from about midnight-03:00. Lightweight clubwear is appropriate and they can get sniffy about singlets and sandals. Check local listings for special events and name DJs. 
  • Jaya Pub, Jl Legian (junction of Jl Legian and Jl Nakula - down a small lane, well signed), ☏ +62 361 730937. This live music bar has been around forever and gives a distinct impression of being stuck in a timewarp. Still, the bands are fun and beer is cheap. 
  • Monsoon, JL Werkudara (Near Hotel Jayakarta), ☏ +62 361 762297, . Opening in the afternoon and closing at 01:00. Offers entertainment with a large collection of retro music videos from 1964-2000. A good variety of Tapas and drinks at reasonable prices. Selected smoking areas. 

Sleep

This guide uses the following price ranges for a standard double room:
BudgetUnder US$25
Mid-rangeUS$25-130
SplurgeOver US$130

Squeezed between Kuta and Seminyak, this area has a wide variety of accommodation options, and especially so in the mid-range market. Legian is a bit more upmarket compared to the surfer and backpacker-oriented Kuta, but distinctly downmarket from hip Seminyak.

Usually hotels in Legian are slightly cheaper than in Kuta, but due to many big discounts, there are possibly discounted hotel prices in Kuta that are cheaper than in Legian. Legian has more small cafes than in Kuta.

Budget

  • Blue Ocean, Jl. Blue Ocean (Jl. Pantai Legian). This legendary surfie hangout from the 1970s remains an oasis of crustiness in the midst of the many mid-range hotels on Legian beachfront and beyond. Rp 120,000/night for a large room with a couple of single beds or a double, an outdoor bathroom and kitchen facilities. No pool but the beach is on the doorstep, you'll only get one thin blanket, toilet rolls and towels only if you ask, and a noisy fan. No extra charge for mosquitoes and dust. Air-con is Rp 30,000 more. The place has an ambience all of its own and the staff are a delight once you get through the door. You are likely to be told the place is full, but be persistent as there's often a room available. 
  • Le Lima Hotel, Jl. Popies 2 Gang Mangga, Legian, ☏ +62 361 758317. Deluxe room, 16 m², 4-star hotel. From US$17 discount price with breakfast.. 
  • 1 Sayang Maha Mertha Hotel, Jl. Melasti, Lebak Bene, Legian Klod, ☏ +62 361 751249. In Kuta. Clean budget hotel, pool, inexpensive bar. Good backpacker vibe. Slightly overpriced. From US$18. Sayang Maha Mertha Hotel (Q110978271) on Wikidata 
  • Su's Cottages I, Jl. Pura Bagus Taruna (Jl Werkadura) No 532, ☏ +62 361 758231, +62 881 3659187 (WhatsApp), fax: +62 361 762202, . This popular hotel has a tiny pool and friendly staff. It's 3 min from Legian beach. The cheapest rooms come with hot water, breakfast and TV. Air-con is a bit more. Has wifi but not in rooms and costs Rp 15,000/hour. A lot of long term expatriates stay here. From Rp 275,000. 
  • Si Doi Hotel Legian, Jl. Legian No. 363, ☏ +62 361 754201, . Rooms with a private bathroom, outdoor pool, bar and a restaurant on site. From US$20. (updated Nov 2015)

Mid-range

Mid-range accommodation abounds in Legian and there is an almost endless selection. Shop around and look for the best deals. Outside of the peak seasons you can get substantial discounts from decent beachfront hotels in this area.

Splurge

  • 6 Bali Niksoma, Jl Padma Utara, ☏ +62 371 751946. A boutique hotel on the beach which would happily be at home in chic Seminyak. Beautifully designed with top quality spa, restaurant and large pool. The rooms are contemporary in design and decoration. Forty four rooms in the main building and then several detached cottages including a private 2 bedroom villa. From US$225. Bali Niksoma Boutique Beach Resort (Q111399542) on Wikidata 
  • Maharta Bali, Jl. Padma Utara, ☏ +62 361 752946. All rooms have air-conditioner, private toilet and shower, cable TV, refrigerator, mini bar, coffee/tea maker, balcony/terrace, telephone, writing desk, complimentary bottled mineral water, iron and ironing board. Some of its facilities are spa, restaurant, bars, wedding venues, swimming pool and garden. Rates start at US$100. 
  • Padma Resort Bali at Legian, Jl Padma No1, Legian (on the beach at the end of Jl Padma), . Good spot on Legian Beach. In-house spa, gym and restaurant that serves very good breakfast. From US$220. 
  • Outrigger OCN Apartments, Jl Blue Ocean (Jl Pantai Legian) 88x, Legian, ☏ +62 361 737400. A huge apartment hotel right on the beach. Offers one and 2 bedroom apartments with 4-star standard hotel facilities. From US$197. 
  • Away Bali Legian Camakila, Jl Padma Utara, ☏ +62 361 752877, fax: +62 361 752870, . Check-in: 14:00, check-out: 12:00. From Rp685,000. 
  • Villa Naga Maya, Jl Werkudara, Gg Arjuna 7B, Legian, ☏ +62 361 763387. These holiday villas have resort amenities and provide nice gardens, elegant pools and a traditional Balinese atmosphere. The swimming pool has a unique water curtain and is surrounded by lush tropical landscaping. Nestled back in the quite lanes of Legian, 400 m from Legian beach. From US$150. 
  • 7 Villa Suliac, Legian Kaja Gg. Bisma, ☏ +623613701000, . Check-in: 14:00, check-out: 12:00. 3-bedroom villa, open living area, dining and kitchen, pool with bale at the end surrounded by well-tended gardens while being superbly located in Legian. US$210 per night. (updated Oct 2016)

Cope

A Malaysian honorary consulate is in Legian:

  • Malaysia Honorary Consulate of Malaysia, Alam Kulkul Boutique Resort, Jl Pantai Kuta, ☏ +62 361 752520. 

Go next

  • The airport is a 20-min drive from Legian and once you are out of the often congested streets close to the beach, this area is well connected to the main road network of the island.
  • Walk 10 min north along the beach and sample one of Semniyak's super chic restaurants.
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