Central Kuta is walkable, just slowly — the pavements are uneven, traffic is heavy on Jalan Legian and Jalan Pantai Kuta, and the heat is constant. For anything more than a fifteen-minute walk, use Gojek or Grab on the app: motorbike rides are cheap, car rides slightly slower but air-conditioned, and both quote a fixed price that beats negotiating with the kerbside drivers.
Renting a scooter is the local option — small rental shops on every lane will hand you a bike for around five dollars a day. Traffic is chaotic but slow; if you have not ridden a scooter before, Kuta is not the place to learn. Helmets are required and police checkpoints will fine foreign riders without an international driving permit.
To leave Kuta for day trips around south Bali, the easiest thing is to hire a car with driver for the day — every hotel can arrange it, and prices run from thirty to fifty dollars depending on distance.