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The town of Canggu in western Bali, Indonesia is one of the best places in Bali to kick back and relax. There aren’t endless things to do in Canggu, luckily as I was exhausted!
After a busy few days seeing the sights around Ubud, driving two hours and back to Lempuyang Temple and falling off our scooter, a chilled Canggu trip was just what we needed. Next, we were visiting Uluwatu and Nusa Penida so there were more busy adventures to come.
Since I came back to Canggu at a later date as a base to work online, I got to know the town pretty well. As well as the main Canggu attractions, I found a few hidden gems and a LOT of great eats that I’m going to share with you.
CANGGU ESSENTIALS
Bali SIM card (30 days, 6GB)
Copy of Lonely Planet Bali
Bali scooter hire
Pre-book your airport to hotel transfer
Accommodation: hotels on Booking.com // hostels on Hostelworld
Tours: GetYourGuide
Travel insurance: True Traveller (European travellers) / Hey Mundo (other nationalities) / Safety Wing (digital nomads)
Related read: the ultimate Bali itinerary
Canggu isn’t packed with activities but there are some cool markets, beaches and cafes you’ll want to check out. For the best places to sleep, drink and eat, how to get around, and the best things to do in Canggu, I’ve got you covered.
Canggu itinerary – day one
Go beach hopping or surfing
The Canggu beaches offer all the usual activities – surfing, sunbathing and watching sunsets. We stayed beside Echo Beach which is a good spot for all three: there are always surfers riding the waves and there are a couple of lively beach bars for dinner and drinks.
Note that it’s not the best beach for swimming because of the reef and strong waves.
Batu Bolong Beach is just as popular with surfers and you can rent boards or opt for a surfing lesson. This is also the home of Old Man’s, one of the most popular spots for Canggu nightlife.
Visit Berawa Beach for more of the same, and Nelayan Beach for a less developed Bali hidden gem where local fishermen can be seen at work in the mornings. This is also a good spot for swimming.
Experience a themed cafe (matcha or avocado!)
Canggu loves a fad! As do I. While I’d encourage you to get stuck into the Balinese cuisine too, there aren’t many other places in Southeast Asia (or in fact the world) where I know of so many speciality cafes.
Probably due to all the digital nomads and bloggers, Canggu has become a foodie haven with a focus on things that attract attention on social media. With 2 days in Canggu, pick one or go crazy and do both these themed cafes…
The Matcha Cafe Bali is very cool with hot and iced matcha drinks (the freakshake is the one to watch) and cakes and doughnuts. It’s out in the rice fields so it’s a very relaxed spot and you can pose with the ‘I love you so matcha’ sign, obviously an Instagram essential.
For quirky main meals, look no further than the Avocado Cafe which is near the centre of town. I was expecting it to be all for the aesthetics but I really enjoyed my avocado burger which had smashed avo, as well as a breadcrumb avocado patty and bacon, alongside purple potato crisps and avocado dip. Very very good indeed!
See sunset at Tanah Lot
While eating and relaxing are great, the ultimate Asia bucket list item in Canggu is a sunset pilgrimage to Tanah Lot.
The crashing waves and sinking sun are typical of Bali but the unique rock temple adds an edge. I’d recommend not hanging around the temple itself but walking to the cliffs on the left side of the beach. From this vantage point, you can get Tanah Lot itself in your photos, too.
How to get to Tanah Lot – to add this ocean temple to your Canggu itinerary, grab a scooter for Rp. 70,000 a day and take a 20-minute ride there. If you’re not confident driving, especially as you’ll be coming back in the dark, hire a driver and jump on the back of his bike or in his taxi.
You can try Grab/Uber if you’re staying away from Canggu centre (government bans don’t allow pick up there) but I’d suggest pre-arranging a ride home, though you’ll likely find someone prepared to take you back if you don’t.
Canggu itinerary – day 2
Graze at Samadi Sunday Market
Why pay for food when you can loiter at Samada Bali’s Organic Sunday Market and eat all the samples? I hope your 2 days in Canggu coincide with a Sunday because this was one of my highlights.
If you know me, you’ll know I’m not joking about eating all the samples. I’m the queen of asking questions about the products and throwing in an ‘I’ll be back’ as I saunter out of sight, never to be seen again…
At the Sunday Market, you’ll find fresh bread, chutneys, quiches, cheese and cakes. It’s all guilt-free because of its organic status, too. The one thing I did buy there was a dessert made with a banana, date and oat base and dragon fruit compote on top. Healthiest cake ever!
Visit Samada Bali from 9am-2pm every Sunday.
Brunch hard
There are just a ridiculous amount of brunch options in Canggu – I swear a third of all local businesses exist solely to serve avocado. Could Canggu have the highest ratio of brunch cafes per square mile in the world? I have no idea but I like it.
This is definitely one of the times you should check my Canggu food guide but I’ll quickly let you know my favourite brunches during my 2 days in Canggu were at The Loft and Canteen for their vibey atmosphere and great food (though The Loft is wildly more expensive.)
I also liked Eden Cafe as an affordable, peaceful to work from my laptop with bargain breakfast deals.
See some street art
Well, it wouldn’t be a Where Goes Rose blog without a little street art, right? I’ve linked all the photos above to their approximate Google Maps location so you can check them out if you’re passing.
Like many places, the street art in Canggu is always changing. Some pieces are in very random places so keep an eye out whilst you’re out and about.
Shop at Love Anchor Market (weekends)
Love Anchor Market is open every day but the biggest and busiest market is held at weekends. If your Canggu itinerary coincides with a Saturday or Sunday, be sure to squeeze it in. You can pick up jewellery, bags, clothes, souvenirs… Basically everything you’d want from a Southeast Asian market.
Because of how touristic Canggu is, you won’t be getting a bargain unless you get your haggle on hard. I know you can do it!
See some sunsets
Due to its westerly coastal location in Bali, every single sunset in Canggu is a killer. Red, purple, orange, pink… They change every day but they’re never less dramatic. Can you believe I didn’t even plan for the photo below – I caught it over the scrubland while walking to buy cake!
Eat the local food
As you probably already know, Balinese cuisine is seriously good all over the island. Foodie capital Canggu is no exception.
There’s a section in my Canggu food guide for Indonesian food but if I had to pick one favourite I’d say Warung Bu Mi. This spot is busy and popular with tourists and you can see why: it’s cheap, delicious and right in the middle of town.
Related read: The best Balinese foods to try
Where to stay during your Canggu itinerary
There are tons of accommodation options in Canggu for all budgets. I would recommend…
Hotel – Bima Sakti
The best bit about this little hotel is its location halfway between Echo Beach and the centre of town. You can get everywhere easily and it’s a two-minute walk to the Avocado Factory – I mean what else could you need?
Swimming pool access and a decent breakfast are included. There’s a hostel with the same name so don’t mix up the two. Check availability for $16.
Hostel – Farm Hostel
I hear great things about The Farm Hostel which has dorm beds for Rp. 200,000 a night. A little expensive for a backpacker hostel but apparently it’s gorgeous with a pool, rice field surroundings and friendly staff and guests.
Sounds like what you’d want, especially if travelling solo. Check availability here.
Browse all hotels on Booking.com // hostels on Hostelworld
Thanks for reading my Canggu itinerary!
Check out my other Bali & Asia posts:
- The top attractions in North Bali
- 2 week Bali itinerary
- Bali solo travel guide
- The 10 best Balinese foods to try
- How to spend 2 days in Uluwatu
- 18 hidden gems in Bali
- 3 month Southeast Asia backpacking route
- 101 Asia backpacking tips
- The ultimate Asia bucket list
Ubud blogs:
- How to spend 3 days in Ubud
- The 20 best things to do in Ubud
- 11 best warungs in Ubud
- Where to eat brunch in Ubud
- Ubud coffee & cafe guide
- Hiking Mount Batur at sunrise
- Guide to visiting Lempuyang Temple
Nusa Islands:
See you next time for more adventures,
Ps. Liked my 2 days in Canggu guide? Pin it for later!
Bali useful links
Flights – I use Skyscanner to find the best-value flights, using the ‘search by month’ tool to find the cheapest dates. You can also use the ‘to anywhere’ feature if you’re flexible on where you’re going.
Get around Bali by hiring a scooter.
Stay connected with E-sim data plans that don’t require delivery or collection; just scan the QR code.
In my opinion, Lonely Planet offer the best guidebooks. Get the latest Copy of Lonely Planet Bali.
I use Booking.com for accommodation. They have the best range of hotels and self-catering apartments, plus you can filter by review score and price to find the best-rated budget places. For hostels, I use Hostelworld.
To save money on accommodation, I use Trusted Housesitters, a website that connects homeowners going away and travellers who can sit their homes & pets.
For activities, I use GetYourGuide and Viator as they both have a huge range of affordable tours.
Need travel insurance? I use True Traveller (for UK & Europe residents) since it’s affordable but covers everything you’d need including various activities, valuables and pre-existing conditions. Unlike some companies, they insure you if you’re already travelling / don’t yet have your flight home booked. Get a quote.
For travel insurance for other nationalities, I recommend Hey Mundo and for long-term digital nomad travellers, I suggest Safety Wing.
Check out my resources page for more travel discounts and tips!
