In Reply to: My first trip was in 1980 and I loved it posted by Fabhaz on Wednesday, 17. January 2007 at 10:26 Bali Time:
My vague memories of Kuta in 1974 were that there wasn't much there, it was mainly a fishing village. I can only remember, (it was a day trip to Kuta as the ship was at Candi Dasa I think), a couple of shops. One hired surfboards, motorcycles etc, the other was a "cafe" which sold excellent mushroom omelets, (or so I was told). We were harassed on the beach to buy trinkets or beer, (whats new there), and the surf was all dumpers. Got back to the ship,HMAS Stuart, tired from all the dumpers, sunburned from the hours on the beach, socially confused from warm beer on the beach, and unimpressed with Kuta, the surfers paradise outside of Oz.
Finally got back in 2003 after the first bomb, when the crowds had thinned, and love it. Went back in 2005, going back shortly, and this time we're going to see stuff outside of the tourist haunts as well.