Getting in

• Ngurah Rai International Airport / Denpasar International Airport: Kuta is directly north of the airport: allow about 15 minutes in clear traffic, but 30–45 minutes at busy times or in rain. The sensible default is to book Grab or Gojek on the airport Wi‑Fi, then follow the app’s assigned meeting point—typically the multistorey car park’s Level C—rather than taking the first unsolicited driver in arrivals. Expect roughly Rp120,000 under the airport’s posted Kuta zone fare. With light luggage, walk about 200 m outside the airport boundary and take a metered Bali Taksi/Bluebird-type cab; the same run can be around Rp30,000, but it is not worth the hassle after a long-haul flight for most people. Teman Bus K2B is cheapest but not a useful hotel transfer: it requires onward connections and leaves you well away from the beach.
• Benoa Harbour: Some fast boats and cruises from the Gilis, Lombok and Nusa Lembongan use Benoa, around 20 minutes northeast of Kuta without traffic. Use the operator’s included Kuta hotel transfer when it is offered; otherwise arrange a Grab/Gojek or metered taxi from the port. Do not assume the quoted 20 minutes in afternoon traffic.