Author: Matt and Danielle
11 May 2023
Canggu is located along the South East coast of Bali, with beautiful oceans on one side and luscious green rice fields on the other. It's a thriving area full of digital nomads, surfers, and backpackers all looking to live a laidback island lifestyle. It is a little bit different to other areas on the island though. Uluwatu has the best beaches and Ubud, Sidemen & Munduk have the best waterfalls...so what makes this one of the most popular places in Bali?
Canggu offers epic nightlife, mouthwatering restaurants, beautiful villas, beaches and picture-perfect sunsets. If you're planning a trip to this Indonesian Island paradise then here is our Canggu travel guide to help you plan the perfect Bali itinerary.
Canggu is a lively part of Bali full of people all looking to enjoy themselves. It's home to the best restaurants and cafes and there are enough places to make sure you never eat at the same place twice (unless you love it of course!). With so many things to do in Canggu, it would be easy to miss out on a few of them during your visit. Here is the travel guide you need to ensure you tick all the best parts of Canggu off your Bali bucket list.
First up is one of the best things to visit from Canggu. Tanah Lot is one of the most impressive Balinese Temples you can find in Indonesia. The best thing about visiting Tanah Lot is that you can have two completely different experiences based on when you visit. If you visit during high tide you will see the temple sat off the mainland on a little island surrounded by water. Visit again at low tide and you can walk all the way to the base of the temple and see the different rock pools left behind.
It's around 30 minutes drive from Canggu so not difficult to reach. It's one of the best places to visit in the area, you can't go to Canggu and not visit one of the most unique temples in Bali.
One of the most unique beaches you will have ever seen. Cemagi Beach is a black sand beach tucked away, and a hidden gem to add to your itinerary for when you're visiting Bali. Being more hidden away means that fewer people visit, or at least that was the case for us. If you've never seen a black sand beach before, then it's going to take you by surprise. This isn't one of those situations where the beach is slightly discoloured...it is jet-black! The sand gets its colour from volcanic material that has eroded over time.
Be careful of any devices when taking photos. The sand is magnetic and will get stuck in phones, cameras, headphones etc. It will also get stuck in places you cannot get it out from!
Location: Jalan Pura Batu Mejan, Canggu, Badung, Bali, Indonesia
Possibly the most popular beaches in Canggu, and a very popular surf spot. The reason I provided the location above is because Echo Beach is a nickname, which has largely replaced the original name of the beach. This is where people come to learn to surf in Canggu, watch sunsets, eat, drink and enjoy being by the ocean. There are surf schools, beach clubs and you can find this sandy paradise.
Speaking of surf schools, Canggu is one of the best places to surf in Bali. While Uluwatu has nicer beaches and larger waves, the majority of surf spots there are for more advanced surfers. Here you have Echo Beach, Batu Bolong Beach and Berawa Beach all right in the heart of Canggu, which are amazing for surfers at any stage. If you're looking for lessons then you can book them here. If you're already adept at tackling the surf breaks then there are a bunch of surf shops and shacks close to the beach that rent boards. Board rental should be 50,000 IDR per hour.
Make sure you have great travel insurance before stepping on a board...not that it's too dangerous, but just to be safe.
You can't travel to Canggu and not catch some epic sunsets over the ocean from the beach. No trip to Bali would be complete without somewhere you can see those candyfloss skies that you've seen all over social media. During your time in Canggu, you should head to the beaches for sunset, grab a coconut or a beer and watch the show! You will see a lot of other people doing the same. People sitting with friends and others walking their dogs. Everyone is all there for the same thing...those epic Bali sunsets.
No trip to Canggu would be complete without visiting some of the best beach bars in Bali. After crushing the waves there's not much better than falling on a bean bag on the sand and listening to the waves rather than riding them. There are tonnes of bars lining the coast of Canggu so you won't struggle to find somewhere relaxing to rest up. You have places like Como Beach Club or Finns Beach Club, and either is a great beach club in Canggu to relax for the day. Grab a couple of cold ones with some friends and sit tight while you wait for an epic sunset!
It's not only about where to eat in Canggu, as this is also where the night comes alive. Whether you want to party on the beach or visit some of the bars in town, you'll find something going on every night of the week. Deus Ex Machina was one place we enjoyed, and they had a comedy night every Monday. On other nights they would have live music.
When we were living in Canggu there were a few places shut due to covid, but now they're all back open and bustling. One place we always wanted to visit was Old Man's but it wasn't open. Since then we've been and we can confirm it's a pretty awesome night out!
If Ubud is known for waterfalls, Uluwatu has its beaches then Canggu is definitely most known for the best places to eat. You could easily visit a new restaurant and bar every night of the week and still not scratch the surface of great eats in the area. You can get great Indonesian food, but here is where Western food has taken over. Canggu has everything you could have a craving for! Bars and restaurants aside there are also some amazing cafes that serve big delicious breakfasts as well.
If you have dietary requirements, allergies or you're vegan then Canggu will be your favourite place for food.
The best cafes and restaurants in Canggu that we found are:
Rise & Shine Cafe: Incredible breakfasts. The price you see is the price you pay and they have 15K coffee 1-3 pm daily.
Crate: A very good option for anyone with a large appetite. The portions are HUGE, taste very good and the price is cheap. Everything here is only 55k IDR
Nu Delhi: The best Indian we managed to find in Canggu. The menu is small, but it's well-priced and tastes delicious.
Milk & Madu: Sundays are the best day here with 2-4-1 on pizza. There is a tonne of pizza places in Canggu, and this is up there as one of the best.
Ithaka Warung: Very good Indonesian food at a great price. It was one of the first places we tried in Canggu and we went back a few times.
Superfood Canggu: Amazing healthy food. They have great vegan options too, and the smoothie bowls here were the best.
Warung Local: Incredible and well-priced local food. It's a buffet so you select the options that you want and that dictates the price. You can get a mountain of food for around 40K IDR!
La Baracca: A very nice Italian with well-priced wine and some delicious options. We would recommend the gnocchi that comes in a bread bowl. They give you a free little starter and then shots of limoncello after your meal too which are nice additions.
BGS: The best coffee you will find in Canggu, without a doubt. A lot of people move to Canggu as a digital nomad and you will often see people pitched up here with their laptops working throughout the day. It can also be quite a good place to meet people too, so swing by for a great cup of coffee!
Whether you have rented your own scooter, or you use Grab for getting around, you have to make your way to Kuta and/ or Seminyak for a night. Seminyak is about 40 minutes outside of Canggu, and Kuta is around an hour. It's easy to get a taxi between them all because of how popular they are. If you want to come and go as you please then renting a scooter or motorbike is the only way. These are the only places in Bali that can rival the restaurants and bars in Canggu.
There are so many boutiques, markets and places in Canggu to top up your wardrobe. You will want to increase your Bali budget for Canggu in general as things are more expensive here than in other areas. It's got a much greater Western influence, which means things cost more. It's also where a lot of the very nice clothing stores and markets are, so you pay for what you get at least. If you're looking for a new outfit or two then this is the place for it.
Love Anchor is a large bazaar in the centre of Canggu which runs markets every day of the week. Stop by to see if they have what you've been looking for!
Getting a massage falls under one of the top things to do in Bali for sure. The Canggu area is full of great spas where you can get a quality massage for a fraction of the cost back home. Sure, you can get it cheaper in quieter places like Sidemen, but you can't get a massage on the beach there! If you're staying in a beautiful Bali villa or hotel then you can even have someone come to you! That's living a life of luxury.
Waterbomb is in Kuta, which is an hour from Canggu but it is well worth the trip! It's the largest waterpark on the island and one of the most fun spots in Bali! We had a great time running around for hours on end like kids! If you're looking for family-friendly activities in Canggu, fun couples days out or somewhere to have a laugh with your friends then this is it!
That covers all the must-see and do things as well as the best places to eat in Canggu. What else do you need to know before you visit this part of Bali though?
The best way to get around Canggu: As with everywhere in Bali our favourite way to get around is by hiring a scooter. You can expect to pay around 50,000 IDR per day, and it means you can get everywhere on your own schedule. If you're not confident on a scooter then you can hire a driver or use apps like Grab to get around. The roads in Canggu are in good condition, and even the infamous shortcut has even been fixed now! This road used to be a nightmare and has caused many foreigners to fall into the muddy rice fields on either side of it. It got so bad that recently a lot of people put their money and influence together to get it fixed.
Best time to visit Canggu: For the best chance at amazing weather you will want to visit Canggu between June and August. Be aware that this is the peak high season so it will be very busy. If you're happy to be a little bit flexible on the weather to visit Bali when it's quieter then you can look at the off-season. We visited Bali during the Wet season and it wasn't all doom and gloom. In fact, it didn't rain often during the day, only at night when we slept. One of our best travel tips would be to look at arriving just before or after the high season. That way you usually get great weather with fewer people!
Where to stay in Canggu: The villas, guesthouses and hotels in Canggu are excellent. With the high quality also comes a higher price tag than other parts of Bali. You can find a nice romantic stay, a party hostel and every other kind of accommodation you can think of. Batu Balong is the place to stay, as that would be right in the heart of everything. You would be minutes from the beach and get to avoid any dreadful Bali traffic, which is always great.
It's slightly out of the way, but somewhere very good that we stayed was Wiras Village Canggu. It's a great room at a very good price and it was really sociable. We met some amazing people here.
Book your Canggu accommodation now.
From the Bali International Airport to Canggu, it's about an hour's drive. You can pre-book a taxi with your guesthouse, hotel or villa...or use Grab the moment you land. Grab is like Uber in Asia, and it makes it very easy to get between the main tourist spots.
Canggu is very different to other parts of Bali. It doesn't feel like you're actually in Indonesia while you're there because of the strong Western influence. It has its positives and negatives. On the one hand, it's great having a few days partying by the beach and eating similar food to back home. On the other, you don't want to fly all that way to feel like you're still in your home country.
We stayed in Canggu for one month and for us, that was enough. It's not very close to the waterfalls and best beaches, which is why we moved on to other areas like Ubud and Uluwatu. When we do return to Bali it is unlikely that we would return to Canggu, because we simply prefer other parts. You can still find some beautiful nature by driving around the rice paddies that surround Canggu. Other than that there isn't a bunch of the amazing out-of-this-world nature that Bali is known for. If you want to stay somewhere to party, where it's busy and thriving then this is your place.
We hope this Canggu Guide helps when you're planning your ideal Bali trip.
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