During my time in the greater area of Canggu on Bali I was able to collect some amazing memories. This is why I can definitely recommend everybody to visit Bali, if you should ever be in Southeast Asia.
Since five years Canggu is the hip hotspot with a pretty easygoing mentality, extremly yummy and healthy food, great places to hang out and a couple of sweet surf spots. No annoying and drunken party tourists, no all-inclusive resorts, but a healthy mixture of locals, expats, surfers, world travelers, backpackers and hipsters. A really great and pleasant mix.
On top of that Canggu is becoming the graffiti and street art center of the island. This is happening because of the Tropica Festival being based here and also the 1UP Boys who left quite an impression here.
If you wanna catch some waves you can do that at one of the spots like Berawa, Old Mans – for the rookies like me – or Echo Beach in Canggu. If you are a beginner I can definitely recommend to get a guide. Surfing is great after you get the hang of it, but those waves are strong and every start is a hard one. Always paddling and feeling the power of the water – and tasting it. After 2 hours in the water my lady and I were dead and were lying on the beach like stranded whales. Happy, but with a lack of energy. This is one of those moments when you should visit one of those amazing restaurants or bars to recharge with some healthy and fresh food. My recommendations for those moments are CRATES, the ORGANIC CAFE or DEUS. You´ll find the best coffee, smoothies, bowls and a lot more. For about 10 Euros both of us got a healthy lunch. If you are into local Indonesian food, you will definitely have the chance to get some great stuff at one of the local Warungs for a small budget. You will be more than full without spending more than one or two Euros.
Talking “bowls”: there are a couple of skate bowls in Canggu. The PRETTY POISON and the KONKRETE are just two of them. Both places with a great atmosphere for a drink, a party or to hang out.
Don´t forget to get your dose of sightseeing. Rent a scooter for around 3 Euros per day (get a helmet!) and you can reach every spot on this beautiful island – even though riding your motorbike during rush hour is quite intense and you need some balls in areas like Denpasar. Rice fields, tons of Hindu temples along the coast, hidden little beaches – there is just a lot to see and discover. If you are into surfing or just watching the pros do their thing, go and hang out at Bluepoint Beach. You can watch the boys and girls getting into the tube while having a drink. Also the city of Ubud is worth a visit as the cultural center of the island. You won´t be there by yourself – tourist alarm up there – but it´s worth the trip. And being all touristy up there anyways a tourist tip from my side: BALI SWING – 3 huge swings between palm trees with a view of a huge jungle valley. It´s definitely worth the invest of $30, but it´s fun and will leave you with a big smile on your face. Yeah!
If you wanna take a permanent souvenir aka. a tattoo back home, SACRED ORNAMENTS in Canggu is the place to be. Super clean, friendly and amazing quality – also my friend MAG1 is working there and he definitely is a great artist and awesome human.
And for the graff enthusiasts among you – I guess there are a couple around: there are graffiti stores in almost every bigger city on Bali and the locals are always super friendly when they see you paint. But experience taught me that graff close to the entrance of a temple is something they do not really like. So you should respect that and find another spot. But there are lots of options to paint. And in the end everybody on Bali loves a colorful piece that makes their hood more beautiful.
My last tip for Canggu is a great, but also cheap place to stay called GRANDPA RESORT. Just a five minute scooter ride from the hustle and bustle of Canggu away located in the rice fields. Clean and large rooms, a fantastic pool and a very friendly team to take care of you.
You gotta go to Bali once in a lifetime!
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