Pick up any Bali guidebook (remember those old things?) from 10 – 15 years ago and you’ll likely find Canggu mentioned almost in passing. In 2010, Canggu was generally described as a quiet seaside village mainly attracting surfers looking to escape the busy line-ups down south. At the time, Kuta and Legian had become too brash for many visitors’ liking and Seminyak was absolutely the place to be in Bali.
My, what a difference a decade(ish) makes.
During the years that followed, Canggu has transformed into one of the hottest destinations in Asia. The area’s metamorphosis has been fast and furious. It’s hard to imagine any location that has gone through such a stark transformation in such a short amount of time.
First, Consider the Shortcut
It’s impossible to discuss modern day Canggu without mentioning the Shortcut. This petite roadway was originally built in 2007. In its original form, it was a narrow pathway farmers used to access their rice fields and could barely fit a motorbike.
Since then, the Shortcut has grown into a major artery between Berawa and Batu Bolong – two of Canggu’s hippest subdistricts. As the daily traffic jams and vehicles tumbling into the rice fields became infamous, a major fundraising effort was set up in 2021 to fix the road once and for all. Now, the road has been paved and the surrounding rice paddies are rapidly being replaced by billboards, restaurants and tattoo parlours. This whirlwind makes the Canggu Shortcut the perfect metaphor for Canggu’s rapid transformation.
From Humble Warungs to World-Class Resorts
Before swanky beach clubs and gourmet restaurants serving every cuisine under the sun became the norm, wining and dining in Canggu meant enjoying a plate of nasi goreng with an ice cold Bintang beer in one of the humble warungs lining Echo Beach. This was very much the scene when the area was still mainly visited by surfers. The area was also an expat favourite – a hidden gem that those in the know preferred to keep to themselves. This lowkey iteration of Canggu even had its own members-only establishment in the Canggu Club which first opened in 2006. Still, it was all very much under the radar.
That all began to change in 2010 when Deus Ex Machina opened its wonderfully-named Temple of Enthusiasm.
Initially, Deus was something of an oddity; a restaurant-meets-surf-shop-meets-custom-bike-emporium surrounded by rice fields, a handful of surf shops – and not much else. It was also a trendsetter and a key player in making Canggu the hottest ticket on the island. In 2013, Deus was followed by Old Man’s, a beachfront establishment that has since become a local institution – so much so that it might come as a surprise that the venue has “only” been around for a decade.
In 2016, Finns Beach Club was opened, paving the way for a new breed of beachfront entertainment in Canggu. Venues like La Brisa, Café Del Mar and Atlas have since followed suit. The arrival of Como, a major international brand favoured by the jet set, gave Canggu the ultimate seal of approval. Canggu was now officially a force to be reckoned with.
The Instagram Effect
In many ways, modern day Canggu is a product of social media. Much of Canggu’s appeal lies in its Instagram-ready aesthetics and its heavy presence across social platforms. The area’s transformation into a trendy hotspot has been carefully documented across digital platforms which has helped put the area into more travellers’ radar. That the region has been made famous by social media accounts and memes is reflected in the visitor demographic which definitely skews on the younger side.
During its run from 2014 to 2021, the Gu Guide documented all that was cool and interesting in Canggu, attracting tens of thousands of followers in the process. The still-active Canggu Pole is dedicated to Canggu memes and viral videos. Then there is the Canggu Community which focuses on news, queries and promos in the Canggu area. Though the community has spilled far beyond Facebook, the original FB group still boasts over 150,000 members.
Social media influencers have played a key role in Canggu’s transformation. In 2018, Jack Morris and Lauren Bullen, whose combined following is measured in the millions, documented the construction of their dream home in Canggu. The video has since been viewed over 4.7 million times. This has become an increasingly common trajectory, with members of the global glitterati flocking to Canggu to build the tropical homes of their wildest dreams.
In recent years, Canggu has seen the rise of a new breed of villas you can book with Ministry of Villas: ones that have taken architectural vision and interior design to a whole new level. Villas like The River House, Cala Saona and The Turiya are not mere holiday homes, but meticulously curated and expertly crafted works of art. Unlike older villas which might be spectacular in person but underwhelming in photos, these new villas are ready for their closeup – just as you’d expect from Bali’s most Instagrammable neighbourhood.
Family Friendly, but Make it Photogenic
Canggu’s upward swing has been ongoing for well over a decade now. During that time, many of those original surfers, expats and nomads have coupled up and started families. We’re now seeing this reflected in the local landscape, too.
Nowadays, Canggu is home to several international schools and day-care centres which follow international curriculums and some that champion the Montessori approach. The same goes for family friendly restaurants and playgrounds. Venues like Milk & Madu cater to kids and parents alike by offering a playground, gourmet menu and regular kids activities. Made’s Warung and Parklife even have dedicated day-care centres where you’ll find parents dropping off their offspring before heading out for a surf session or a mani-pedi.
It only follows then that we’re also seeing more and more villas that have been purposefully built with families in mind. Properties like Villa Bogor and Villa Marang come with thoughtful, family-friendly features, including custom built bunkbeds, pool fencing and wading pools for the kids to splash and play. At the same time, these villas are endlessly photogenic and cater to a more mature clientele too: Villa Kasianda comes with a swim-up bar, while Villa Bogor is ideally positioned for parents to stroll down to the beach for an impromptu surf session.
Hotel or Villa?
Hotel Tugu Bali was the first luxury hotel to open its doors in Canggu in the 1990s. The five-star hotel, which is still operational, features 22 suites. High-end venues built during the last decade, including Como Uma Canggu and Haven Berawa, are more than twice that size and feature a minimum of 50 rooms each. That’s nothing compared to the brand new Citadines resort which offers a whopping 224 units.
This “go big or go home” mindset now permeates all areas of life in Canggu. For some, Canggu has become too big and too bold and we’re already seeing some of the action spilling into neighbouring areas – we’re looking at you, Pererenan. But for now, there’s no denying it: Canggu is the place to be in Bali. Developers and major businesses certainly think so, although we think the best option is to stay in a beautiful villa – offering personal service and absolute privacy (of course we do!).
So Much to Do!
Following rapid changes in local infrastructure, shopping in Canggu has shifted from local markets and small warungs into trendy boutiques and shopping arcades. There are now two shopping complexes in in the area: Tamora Square and Tamora Gallery. Both venues are branded as “lifestyle hubs.”
In 2017 the Canggu Club was rebranded as Finns Recreation Club and helped pave the way for businesses to cater to every desire. There are now kids clubs, a bowling alley, tennis centre, equestrian centre, hundreds of boutique shops and restaurants and much more!
There is one structure that stands out. The towering structure which punctures the Canggu skyline, looming large over the whole area is G Swing, a giant amusement ride which swoops visitors 40 metres up into the air, reaching a speed of 100 kilometres per hour in the process.
The location? Right next door to the place that (kind of, sort of) started it all – Deus Ex Machina’s Temple of Enthusiasm.
Want to Know More?
Read our destination guide for Canggu
View all our villas in Canggu
