What To Do in Canggu

What To Do In Canggu Contents

Beaches | Tanah Lot Temple | Cheap Food | Where to Go Out

Canggu was relatively unknown until only a few years ago but it’s now one of the most popular places in Bali so the list of things to do in Canggu is now huge.

It’s a different type of crowd in Canggu to Kuta. Most of the foreigners in Canggu are travelers or digital nomads rather than those who are on holiday for a week wanting to drink as much as they can in a very short amount of time! There are still people who are on holiday for a week or two in Canggu but they tend to be a bit more chilled out than those who frequent Kuta.

The flip side of that is that it’s got a bit of a reputation as hipster ville. Although what that does mean is that if you’re looking for great food in cute café’s or places to do work online it will be perfect for you. But it does mean you’ll encounter a lot of people “doing it for the gram” ?.

Along with Ubud it has the highest concentration of expats and digital nomads.

If you’re planning on hanging around Bali for a bit and trying to build a bit of a life there Canggu or Ubud would be the best areas to base yourself. Fair warning though, you’re not going to have a particularly authentic/local experience in those areas as they are packed with hipster cafés and foreigners.

Canggu is also great for surfing and there are a lot of surf and yoga retreats there. It’s also incredibly beautiful and while it’s a very popular area now you can still see a rice field or two even in the center of Canggu.

Even better, if you drive just 5 minutes out of the center you’ll be surrounded by rice fields everywhere you look which is where the photo at the top of this page was taken.

Beaches in Canggu

Batu Bolong Beach

This is the main beach in the center of Canggu below, it’s straight at the end of the road called Batu Bolong.

This is the best place to take beginner surfing lessons in the area. But do be warned it’s a reef, rather than sand beach, which means there’s a good chance you might cut your feet up a bit when you fall. The wave is also decent there for more advanced surfers however it’s better for longboarders than shortboarders and it gets really busy. It’s not unusual for there to be more than 50 people in the lineup.

If you’re on a short board I’d suggest going to one of the other surf breaks nearby as Batu Bolong beach is a much better wave to surf on a longboard or at least a mini mal. The wave is fat.

And it’s crowded AF.

Much better off driving a bit up north and going to Kedungu where the photo below was taken.

The Lawn

A new addition to Canggu is a little spot just along from Batu Bolog beach called The Lawn, turn right along the gravel road just before you hit the beach. It’s a patch of grass with deck chairs, beanbags and matts plus an old VW campervan that sells coconuts, juices and popcorn. Best of all you don’t have to pay to use the seats, just buy a drink.

****EDIT: Ahahah The Lawn is just a tinsy bit different to what I described above now.  It’s now fancy and expensive and a lot more like the beach clubs all around Canggu and Seminyak. The night to go there is Fridays and there is a good happy hour until about 10pm if I remember correctly which makes the drinks almost an ok price during that time! The music is good for a dance on a Friday too.

Old Mans Surf Spot

Just to the right of Batu Bolong, past The Lawn is Old Man’s Surf Spot. If you’re an intermediate surfer or short boarder this will be a better bet for you than surfing at Batu Bolong.

Echo Beach

A black sand beach with little bars and restaurants along it. The waves are consistently bigger at Echo Beach, so if you’re a more advance surfer skip Batu Bolong and just head down there.

Berawa beach

A short scooter ride from the main area of Canggu, Berawa beach is less busy and also has some good waves. They occasionally have live bands and BBQs down on the beach there for sunset and early evening too.

There is also now a beach club called Finn’s right at Berawa beach. It’s expensive but worth checking out if you fancy a pool day and don’t have one where you’re staying.

Day trips from Canggu

Tanah Lot Temple

Tanah Lot Temple is the most famous temple in Bali. It’s a 20-30 minute taxi or scooter ride from Canggu so easy to pop up there to watch sunset and back in a couple of hours.

I must admit, I was however somewhat underwhelmed when I went to Tanah Lot Temple. You see so many incredibly beautiful photos of it online and there’s so much hype around it but the reality is much less impressive. Yes, it’s possible to get a beautiful photo there however as somewhere to actually enjoy the experience of being there and watch the sunset it’s not that great. I’d much rather go to Uluwatu Temple personally, even with the scary monkeys.

This is the type of thing I probably shouldn’t admit to but I actually much preferred the view looking out over the other side of Tanah Lot, over the water, than of Tanah Lot itself. He’s a clip of what it looks like the other side.

I have no idea what this is about or why but in the area surrounding the temple at one of the restaurants you have to walk past once you’ve paid to get in there are just these giant bats chilling there.

Where to get cheap food in Canggu

There are countless incredible food options in Canggu. Literally just go into any of the cute cafes you drive past and you are sure to find delicious healthy food. If you want to explore an extensive list of the delicious Western Food options available in Canggu check out the Gu Guide which details pretty much all of these restaurants or this round up of what Canggu’s really like with of some of the most popular restaurants. Much harder to find in Canggu is cheap local food but there are still a couple of local restaurants tucked away in the area.

The best ones I’ve found are:

Bu Mie

Situated just as you drive into Canggu Bu Mie offers Nasi Campur (the selection of dishes from the counter where you get a bowl of rice and then can chose what other food you would like to go with it). It’s cheap for Canggu and the food is good.

Warung Heboh

Similar to Bu Mie, Warung Heboh sells Nasi Campur but is closer to Berawa beach just the other side of the shortcut (ask anyone where the shortcut is and they’ll know).

This is the shortcut road in Canggu. It’s the most famous road in Canggu as cars fall in the rice field on an almost daily basis and bikes occasionally too, proving great entertainment for everyone not involved! Warung Heboh is at the end of this road.

Where to go out in Canggu

Old Man’s

Just in front of Batu Bolong Beach is a large bar/restaurant called Old Man’s. It’s open every night but Wednesday, Friday and Sunday are the nights to go to Old Man’s if you want a party. They stay open till 1am on these nights and on Wednesday it’s the busiest place without fail in Canggu. After the party at Old Man’s on Wednesday’s if you want to carry on till the really early hours of the morning, head onto Sand Bar at Echo Beach (UPDATE: echo beach sand bar closed and it now happens on the beach just in front of Old Man’s, much more convenient).

Sand Bar

Sand Bar is basically the after party bar. After Old Man’s on a Wednesday and Deus on Sunday night it’s where everyone goes. The party is right on the beach and goes on till about 5am (although to be honest I’ve never made it till the very end there so I can’t confirm the exact time, if ever, they actually make everyone leave!).

Deus Bali

No complication of what to do in Canggu could possibly be complete without Deus being mentioned. Deus is where everyone goes on Sunday night. And I don’t just mean where everyone in Canggu goes, I mean everyone even from down in Seminyak. They have live music earlier in the evening and then a DJ as the place gets packed with people later.

Also on a Tuesday they have a tacos and tattoos night where if you buy a taco you can get a free tattoo. The tattoos are good too. But get there early as they only do a certain amount each Tuesday.

Where to Stay in Canggu, Bali

If you’re looking to stay right in the center of Canggu Pondok Canggu Homestay is beautiful, reasonably priced and close to everything. As it is The Farm Hostel.

AirBnB is a great option for Canngu too with plenty of private villas available or as I mentioned when talking about where to go in Bali Facebook groups are a good way to find affordable accommodation all over Bali.

How Long to Spent in Canggu, Bali

The only nearby cultural attraction to see is Tanah Lot, which you can go to in an afternoon, so how long to spend there will just depend on how long you want to relax surrounded by the beauty of rice fields, good surf and good food.

How Long to Get From Canggu to Ubud

It only takes about 30-40 minutes to drive to Canggu by scooter which would be my preferred way to get there as the drive there is incredibly beautiful along vast expanses of rice fields so it’s more enjoyable to be able to take it at your own pace. Otherwise your best bet will be to get a taxi through your accommodation.

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