It’s official: Canggu is the coolest neighbourhood in Bali. What was once the sleepy rural neighbour of Seminyak frequented by diehard surfers and those looking to get away from it all, is now home to a thriving community of surfers, creatives, locals and yep, more than a few hipsters. Check out why Canggu should be your next destination in Bali.
Restaurants
The best way to recognise an emerging destination is to check out the food scene and on that front, Canggu really is thriving. From epic brunch spreads to vegan delights and from fusion cuisine to scrumptious desserts, you’ll be spoilt for choice when dining in Canggu. You’ll find plenty of choices simply strolling down Jalan Pantai Berawa or Jalan Pantai Batu Bolong.
A few of our favourite restaurants in Canggu
The Shady Shack
A gorgeous restaurant serving yummy vegetarian food overlooking the rice fields. The holy grail of stunning smoothie bowls and lazy breakfasts in the Gu.
Location: Jalan Tanah Barak No. 57, Canggu
Milk & Madu
One of the most popular restaurants in Canggu, Milk & Madu serves scrumptious all-day breakfast, great pizzas and fresh wraps. A big boon for parents: during dinner time, kids dining with parents get a free pizza.
Location: Jalan Pantai Berawa No. 52, Canggu
Satu-Satu Coffee Company
Satu-Satu offers fantastic coffee made from local beans. They also serve great breakfast and lunch – the pancakes are yummy! Satu-Satu is very popular but spacious, so you’ll be almost guaranteed to find a seat among Canggu’s hip and beautiful.
Location: Jalan Pantai Berawa No. 31, Canggu
The Creamery
For dessert, you just can’t go wrong with The Creamery. This cute café serves amazing ice cream and other desserts – but wat we really love is their epic ice cream sandwhiches! Guaranteed to be a big hit with the kids.
Location: Jalan Pantai Berawa No. 8, Canggu
Parties and Live Music
Canggu can really throw a party, but don’t worry – the scene is nowhere nearly as rowdy as that in, say, Kuta. In Canggu, a fun night out means beers on the beach, tempting happy hour offers, great live music and dancing barefoot with a mixed crowd of tourists, expats and locals.
Where to let your hair down in Canggu
Old Man’s
Old Man’s is an iconic beachfront restaurant with a laid-back atmosphere, great burgers and epic live music sets on the weekends. The relaxed venue is also very family-friendly. Grab a seat and a cold drink and check out the surfers heading out for the line-up.
Location: Jalan Pantai Batu Bolong, Canggu
Deus Ex Machina
Another Canggu heavy hitter, Deus Ex Machina defines categorisation. The venue serves as a surf shop, motorbike outlet and an art gallery and it’s also a popular restaurant and bar. Deus is known for Tacos & Tatts Tuesday (free tattoos!) and Sunday Sessions, which means amazing live bends under the stars.
Location: Jalan Batu Mejan No. 8, Canggu
Gimme Shelter
Taking its name from the Rolling Stones song, Gimm Shelter is a no-nonsense rock dive that hosts live bands every Wednesday and Saturday. A rock’n’roll club in the tropics? Heck yeah.
Location: Jalan Lkr. Nelayan No. 444, Canggu
Pretty Poison
Pretty Poison is a super cool venue located at Canggu’s infamous shortcut. The venue has a skate bowl and hosts rowdy live bands. Sip a beer on the side-lines or try your hand in the bowl.
Location: Jalan Subak (shortcut road), Canggu
The Lawn
The Lawn offers the perfect setting for a relaxed night out. The beachfront venue has a spacious lawn (duh) where you can enjoy a cold drink (or three) and listen to laid-back live music while the sun sets into the Indian Ocean. If the heat starts getting to you, simply jump into the pool.
Location: Jalan Pura Dalem, Canggu
+ Fun for the Whole Family: Finns Recreation Club
Canggu offers plenty of fun for the kids, too. Finns Recreation Club (formerly Canggu Club) is a real one-stop venue for family-friendly fun and games. The club has its own water park, trampoline centre, fitness club, several restaurants, starlight movie nights… and more.
Location: Jalan Pantai Berawa, Canggu
Shopping
Thanks to a steady stream of international style connoisseurs, Canggu is seeing a steady stream of cute boutiques and cooler than cool shops opening pretty much daily. Some of Bali’s coolest fashion and hippest home décor really does live in the Gu. And good news for those looking to do some cooking: there are also plenty of great markets and shops for picking up groceries in Canggu.
Cool shops to check out in Canggu
Bungalow Living
If your cool Canggu digs have inspired you to recorate your home, you need to visit Bungalow Living. This boho heaven offers everything you need to create your own private oasis, from seashell chandeliers to jewel tone textiles and beach bags.
Location: Jalan Pantai Berawa No. 35, Canggu
Love Child
Love Child is a “style pad for bubs and fairy god mammas.” In other words, cool apparel for Canggu kids and yummy Bali mummies.
Location: Jalan Pantai Berawa No.10, Canggu
The Beach Store
The Beach Store offers just what the name suggests: everything you need for the beach. Beautiful swimwear in all the colours of the rainbow, ranging from one-pieces to teeny tiny bikinis. Finish the look off with a breezy cover up.
Location: Jalan Pantai Batu Bolong No. 66, Canggu
Deus Ex Machina
Deus offers iconic motorbikes and drool-worthy surfboards, but if your wrestling with baggage restrictions, don’t worry. You can also pick up some cool apparel and accessories or maybe a cool surf print to hang on your wall back home.
Location: Jalan Batu Mejan No. 8, Canggu
Markets
Canggu offers many events and gatherings that make this hip borough really feel like a community. Some of the best ones to visit are the lively weekend markets, where you can pick up unique souvenirs and local produce as well as check out the who’s who in Canggu.
Weekend markets in Canggu
Bazaar at Love Anchor
Love Anchor restaurant hosts a sprawling Sunday bazaar every week. The event brings together some 50 vendors and the laid-back atmosphere is bound to charm the pants off you. You can shop for handmade curious and vintage fashion or simply snack on some yummy local food. Hippy jewellery, temporary tattoos, trendy bikinis… It’s all here.
Location: Jalan Pantai Batu Bolong No. 56, Canggu
When: Every Sunday between 10 am – 6 pm
Samadi Sunday Market at Samadi Bali
Samadi Sunday Market takes place at the Samadi Bali yoga studio. This is a wonderful event with a super friendly ambiance with local farmers selling organic local produce and other feel-good products.
Location: Jalan Padang Linjong No. 39, Canggu
When: Every Sunday between 9 am – 2 pm
Canggu Market at Old Man’s
Canggu Market is a monthly event which takes place at Old Man’s beachfront restaurant. This is the biggest market in Canggu with vendors offering everything from fashion to snacks and from pre-loved goods to one-of-a-kind jewelry. Canggu Market is a very lively community event and well worth checking out even if you’re not planning to shop.
Location: Jalan Pantai Batu Bolong, Canggu
When: Last Sunday of every month between 8 am -3 pm
Accommodation
One of the reasons we find ourselves buzzing around Canggu are all the gorgeous villas in the area! As of yet, Canggu’s skyline isn’t obstructed by concrete hotels and in stead, you’ll have your pick of gorgeous villas which actually complement the local scenery. Whether you’re travelling with a group of friends or bringing your young children, or maybe want to mark a special occasion in Bali, there’s a Canggu villa waiting for you.
Some of our favourite villas in Canggu
Villa Santai Canggu
Villa Santai exudes bohemian beach vibes. The three-bedroom villa has a fresh white design, private pool and you can reach the beach in a three-minute stroll. With prices starting at just USD$300 for six guests, this beautiful beachy villa is one of the best deals in the Gu.
Villa Santai Canggu
Price: From USD $300 / night
Villa Mana
Travelling with kids? Villa Mana has a beautifully designed bunk bedroom that’s perfect for little travellers. And the six-bedroom villa is not only great for the kids, but also offers a world of luxury for the grown-ups. The villa has an 18-metre pool, epic rice paddy views and frankly, some of the most beautiful bathrooms we’ve ever seen.
Villa Mana
Price: From USD $525 / night
Arnalaya Beach House
If you’re looking to wow the crowds, Arnalaya Beach House is the way to go. This five-bedroom estate offers a private tennis court, spa, gym and 20-metre swimming pool. And oh yeah, did we mention that the villa sits right on the beach? It’s really no wonder this villa is super popular with wedding parties.
Arnalaya Beach House
Price: From USD $1,659 / night
The “Real” Bali
Although Canggu is getting hipper by the minute, the area still maintains an unmistakable feel of the real Bali. Just minutes from the coolest shops and restaurants, you’ll find local Balinese temples and emerald green rice paddies cascading as far as the eye can see.
Since this is Canggu, you just might find a few graffitis lining those rice fields.
Ministry of Villas offers more than 100 hand-selected villas in Canggu. Contact our team to find out more.
