Kuta

Kuta is closest to the airport and the densest tourist strip: shops, beginner surf schools, noise. Many people sleep here one night so they are not crossing the south after a long flight.

DPS can be 15–35 minutes. One or two nights make sense; five nights wear thin if you want quiet or food without a hard sell.

The beach is wide and good for learning surf; ask lifeguards before swimming. The main street is commercially aggressive — haggle at stalls, not at hotels.

Seminyak is north; Jimbaran and Nusa Dua south. Ubud is a relocation, not a daily round trip from Kuta in traffic.