How Legian has changed since 1993

On my first trip to Bali in 1993 I ran into and American friend who had been coming to Bali for a few years. Jumping on his motorbike I got to see a bit of the expat scene back then, not just the Kuta bar scene.

My friend took me to Goa Cafe, on the junction of Jl. Legian and Jl. Double Six. This was THE place for many years, as far as Bali expats were concerned. What I remember about Goa Cafe was it had an impressive bamboo roof, a hip crowd and felt like it had it going on. Long time expats have told me, that before cell phones came along, the way you’d get into touch with another foreigner, was to go to Goa and leave a message. You’d know they would be in there sometime during the day. One guy who worked as a hairdresser, said he got all his clients from Goa, as friends would recommend him. Anyway Goa closed around 2000 because the rent went skyrocket. Another Bali icon bites the dust.