Although Legian was once upon a time a tiny fishing village to the north of Kuta, as time has gone by and Kuta has rapidly become one of the world’s great tourist destinations, the rapidly developing Kuta central has grown to encompass and absorb the smaller Legian, which is nowadays mostly considered part of Kuta, but with its own distinctive feel.

While Legian shares a lot of characteristics in common with its sister city, Legian has a calmer feel than its frenetic neighbour. Legian still has many of the same attractions as Kuta, with a thriving marketplace, spectacular beaches and busy nightlife, it also has a more grown-up vibe than Kuta. Legian holiday deals are notable more for its busy restaurant scene, around which much of the region’s social life is arranged, and its social life has less of the relentless party-hard atmosphere of Kuta, while still managing to maintain a respectable party vibe. You’ll still find plenty of nightclubs in Legian, but these take second place to the restaurants, and are ideally suited to those who have outgrown the hard-partying for which Kuta is famous. In fact, Legian is most often noted as being Kuta’s more relaxed older sister – still able to party when she wants, but not as excitable as her sister.

That said, many of the activities in Legian are much the same as in Kuta, and Legian beach offers the same kind of spectacular beachside holiday as Kuta, with much less hassle. Legian is renowned for having fewer aggressive hawkers and vendors, and is generally known for its more spacious and laidback atmosphere. In other words, while Legian doesn’t party quite as hard as Kuta, Legian knows how to relax – the perfect ingredient for a great Bali holiday.