The peaceful little south-coast fishing village of KUTA , 54km from Mataram, has a wide, white-sand beach and is rapidly becoming the favourite choice of Lombok travellers. The big swell here makes the sea good for surfing and there are lovely beaches within walking or cycling distance, but no diving or snorkelling.

Coming from the west, buses and bemos run to PRAYA from Mandalika terminal, Sweta. From Praya, bemos ply either to Sengkol, where you can change, or right through to Kuta (1hr). From the east of Lombok, bemos run to Praya via KOPANG on the main cross-island road. Perama also runs tourist shuttles to Kuta from all destinations on Bali and Lombok.

There are several moneychangers near the losmen. If you want to book tourist shuttle tickets, the Perama office (7am-10pm) is attached to Segare Anak. They have daily departures to destinations on Bali and Lombok, although some require a stopover. In addition, Segare Anak can book Mabua Express or Bounty Cruise tickets to Bali. Segare Anak is also a postal agent and you can use them for poste restante (get mail addressed to you at Segare Anak, Kuta Beach, Lombok Tengah, Nusa Tenggara Barat 8357, Indonesia), otherwise, the nearest post office is in Sengkol. There is a wartel (8am-11pm) in the village offering phone and fax services and Internet access (Rp800 per minute). Ask at your accommodation or at Perama if you want to charter transport (Rp60-80,000 for a one-way trip to Lembar, Mataram or Senggigi) or rent motorbikes (Rp25-35,000 per day).