It’s easy to see why so many backpackers in Bali fall in love with Canggu. Consisting of just three main roads and surrounded by rice paddies, Canggu is a little hippie oasis nestled on the coast in Bali. It’s filled with chilled beach bars and a seemingly endless choice of holistic style cafes and restaurants, each equally as good as the last.
After being in Australia for the last few months on my working holiday, I was excited to fly to Bali to meet my friends from home for a five-week backpacking trip. We didn’t know much about Indonesia but we decided to choose Canggu as the starting point for our backpacking trip as we’d heard such great things about it. I know so many backpackers get stuck in this little town, however, it was important for us to pack as much into our Indonesia trip as possible so we were just there for a few days in total.
If you too are planning a trip to Bali and have a few days to spend in Canggu, here are 5 places that you have to check out.
Tanah Lot Temple
Tanah Lot Temple is a must do when visiting Canggu. It’s a stunning ancient Hindu temple that’s built on a rock jutting out into the ocean and it really is one of the most spiritual and romantic places that I’ve visited.
The best way to get there is by local taxi or online taxi such as Go-Jek or Grab (which is cheaper). If you want to save the hassle, try negotiating a price with your driver so that they wait for you while you explore the temple and then drive you back. A reasonable price is around 100,000 an hour (around £5).
Crate Cafe
When it comes to good food, sticking out can be hard in a place like Canggu; Crate Cafe has got it nailed. Featuring an extensive breakfast and lunch menu with everything from brunch classics to buddha bowls on offer, Crate never disappoints. What’s more, the prices are considerably cheaper than other places in town and the cafe’s open space layout means it’s the ideal spot to get chatting to other travellers.
Matcha Cafe
Matcha cafe was another breakfast spot that I really loved in Canggu. It’s a really chilled spot to spend an hour or so and they serve some of the best smoothie bowls around.
The Beach Parties
For such a chilled place, Canggu has a pretty crazy nightlife. There are loads of chilled beach bars to choose from but the most popular place to start the evening off is at Old Man’s Bar. It’s a nice place to watch the sunset earlier on and it gets packed later on into the night. After it closes, the party tends to spill out on to the beach until the early hours of the morning.
The Sunset from La Brisa
La Brisa was by far one of my favourite beach bars in Canggu. This beach bar has a fantastic vibe with unparalleled views of the ocean and a large selection of drinks and food to choose from. It’s the nicest place to spend a chilled day soaking up the sun and there is no minimum spend price so it doesn’t have to cost a fortune. Just be sure to make it until the sunset- it’s spectacular.
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