Once a quiet surfer’s village, Canggu has become one of the most popular places in Bali. And between the hundreds of trendy restaurants, luxury accommodations and good surf, it’s not hard to understand why! While it does get very busy, it feels very different to places like Kuta, as many of the people here are digital nomads, expats or backpackers.
Food
If there’s one thing that Canggu excels in, it’s cafes and restaurants. You could stay here for 3 months and never have breakfast lunch or dinner at the same place twice. You’ll have a hard time finding a place that has this many (nice!) restaurants so close together, let alone in Asia.
There are heaps of cuisines to choose from, from Japanese to middle eastern, and of course there are many local warungs that offer delicious food for a small price. A lot of cafes are well suited for working, and you’ll see many people doing exactly this.
Prices are a lot cheaper than in most western countries, especially for the quality you get. A nasi goreng or campur in a warung will cost you around 30-50k, a meal in a trendy western café between 50-100k (3-7$), and if you choose to dine in a very fancy restaurant it could cost you up to 3 or 4 times that amount.
Definitely try as many places as you can, it’s truly a foodie’s heaven!
Surfing
Just as Kuta and Seminyak, Canggu is an ideal spot for surfing. Whether you are just starting out and want to take surf lessons, or are a seasoned surfer who can handle some higher waves, Canggu is the place to be. Surf lessons are about $15 an hour and renting a surfboard is around $3-5 an hour.
Remote working
If there’s one place in Asia that’s perfect for digital nomad, it’s Canggu. There are dozens of coworking spaces to choose from, with comfy chairs, proper desks and a great internet connection. If you don’t want to spend too much money, many people just take their laptops in cafes and work from there. Many restaurants don’t mind, as long as you order something. The wifi is generally really good and you see more and more places that even have a dedicated air-conditioned space for people who like to work in a cool space.
Sightseeing
There is not a whole lot of things to sightsee around Canggu, but if you really want to go out and do something there are a few options! The most popular place to visit probably is the temple of Tanah Lot. It’s about 20 minutes by motorbike and definitely worth a visit. After you have a look at the temple, sit down at one of the warungs on the cliff for a cold drink with a nice view.
Most beaches in Bali are volcanic, meaning that the sand isn’t white, but has a darker color. Sometimes volcanic beaches can be completely black, but in Canggu it’s more of a brownish color. Pig stone beach however, is at close to black as it gets in Bali. Especially around sunset and when wet, it’s really got that moody, dark feel to it. Definitely worth a visit, especially if you’re into photography.
Note: take care with drones! Although we know the beauty of this beach is best captured from the sky, watch out with drones. We found out the hard way that black sand is magnetic, and gets stuck in the gimbal of your drone. Not saying you can’t fly around here, just make sure you are careful during take-off and landing.
Beach/ day clubs
Whether you are a surfer or not, the beaches in Canggu are a great place to relax. There are sunbeds you can rent for the day (usually 50k/3$ p.p.), surf/body boards you can rent and lots of little warungs where you can enjoy a nice cold drink. At the end of the day, the bean bags come out from which you can enjoy the sunset with a beer.
If you prefer a nice pool over the beach, there are a couple of beach/day clubs in the area.
The most popular one is Finn’s beach club, located at Berawa beach. It’s huge, has a huge pool and plenty of day beds to relax on. Entry is free, but if you want to use the beds the minimum spend starts at 1.1 million ($72) per person per day, which is pretty steep.
Atlas
Right next to Finn’s, you’ll find Atlas. This enormous beach clubs often hosts famous artists and is known for its parties! Aside from the beach club there is also Atlas Super Club, which is indoors.
Valle
This one is about a 10-minute drive from the beach, so not exactly a beach club. But, you could argue that the views are even better as it looks out on some stunning rice terraces in the middle of Canggu. There is a beautiful pool, lounge beds and there is no entrance fee or a minimum spend.
Le Bajo
This beach club located in Pererenan is little bit different, because although it’s not on the beach, you feel like you are! It’s quite new, has a beautiful pool and an artificial beach!
Mrs Sippy is not in actually in Canggu but in Seminyak, about a 20-30 minute ride away. This one has an entrance fee of 100k ($7) and a minimum spend for day beds starting at 500k ($33) per person for the whole day.
Hi! We're Sara & Arjen!
In 2018 we quit our jobs and decided to travel around the world. 5 Years later we’re still at it and now we’re sharing our experiences and tips with you!
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