Canggu, located on Bali’s West Coast, has become a popular tourist hotspot in recent years, attracting visitors with its black sand beaches, trendy cafes, luxurious villas, and vibrant surf scene.
Just 10 kilometers from Seminyak, Canggu offers a blend of relaxation and adventure, making it ideal for both tourists and nomads.
The dry season, from May to September, is the best time to visit, although the peak season from July to August brings higher prices and more crowds.
With numerous attractions, including beautiful beaches, cultural landmarks, and delicious food, Canggu is a must-visit destination for any traveler.
Things to do in Canggu:
1. Visit Tanah Lot:
It is located about 30 30-minute drive away from Canggu. It is one of the busiest and most iconic landmarks in Bali. At Tanah Lot, a Hindu shrine perches atop an outcrop, enhancing its attractiveness.
Located in Beraban village in Tabanan Regency, this site is a must-visit for photographers. Visitors can enjoy soothing panoramic views of the sea, crashing waves, and more.
It is recommended to visit before sunset to secure a good spot for the breathtaking sunset. The onshore site features small shrines, and the priest at the fountain blesses visitors by sprinkling holy water on them.
You can also take water in your palms and take a sip to get the blessings of the ‘guardian’. Although the visitors can not enter the temple, for the panoramic view and cultural offerings this place is worth visiting.
On your trip to Tanah Lot, take extreme care of small children and obey the warning signs because the large waves near the rocks are very hazardous. This place opens at 7 AM and closes at 7 PM.
2. Echo Beach:
The local name of this place is “Pantai Batu Mejan”. This branch has a Balinese Hindu sea temple.This beach attracts tourists and photographers due to its advanced reefs, 180-degree seascapes, and relaxing sunset.
This black sand beach is located about 35 kilometres northwest of Kuta and Seminyak. This place offers a great environment to sunbathe and surf. You can rent a surfboard from the shacks in the rows.
During the daytime,e this place is full of professional surfers, showing their stunts. You will find several cafes and dining restaurants lining the alley. Most of them remain open the whole day, but some come up after the sunset with their barbecues and unique boat-shaped buffets.
3. Love Anchor Canggu market:
The Love Anchor Canggu Market is one of the busiest markets in Canggu. This market is located in a small air shopping centre located near Monsieur Spoon.
This is an attractive market and here you enjoy live music and shop for a souvenir, food and drinks, crafts, clothes, and jewellery.
The Samadi Bali market is located alongside the Love Anchor market. In the Samadi Bali market, you can look for organic, fruits, vegetables, hand-made accessories, clothes, and healthy and slow-cooked food.
Both the markets open at 9 in the morning. Love Anchor market closes at 5 in the evening and the Samadi Bali market closes at 2.
4. The Temple of Enthusiasm by Deus Ex Machina:
The Deus is an exotic dining spot. It offers you international and Pan Asian cuisine with cocktails, beers, wines, and non-alcoholic drinks.
The Temple of Enthusiasm is the flagship store of Deus Ex Machina. It is an Aussie company specializing in custom motorcycles, surfboards, and skateboards. This outlet displays unique and vintage bikes and surfboards, as well as a workshop and board factory.
The Temple of Enthusiasm hosts a wide variety of pop art, graffiti, and surf art exhibitions. This spot opens at 7 in the morning and closes at midnight.
5. Bali Island Horse:
This is located at Yeh Gangga Beach, the far northern end of the Canggu area. It offers you horseback riding tours to villages, rivers, local temples, and rice fields. The ride is about 2 hours.
It is suggested to book an evening tour so that you can come back to the beach to enjoy the sunset at Yeh Gangga Beach.
Bali Island Horse also has some other tours, another most loving is the full-day excursion, which includes a 2-hour tour of Canggu on horseback, then a relaxing lunch at Tabanan Monkey Forest then a 2-hour ATV ride and then finally they will drop you at Tanah Lot at before the sunset so you can enjoy the sunset too.
The Bali Island Horse opens from Monday to Saturday and remains closed on Sundays. The timings are 9 in the morning to 6 in the evening.
6. Visit Old Man’s Bar:
It is one of the best bars in the Canggu. Most of the tourists visit here to have a drink or to enjoy the night parties. It serves a wide variety of burgers, salads, and pastas.
Some must-tries are Asian dishes. On Sunday this place transforms into a market full of colourful clothing, accessories, handmade items, organic veggies, and much more.
There is also a table tennis table and loads of seats where you can enjoy the beer.
Food to try in Canggu:
1. Babi guling (Suckling pig):
It is the Indonesian version of a roast suckling pig. To make a mouth-watering Babi guling, the pig’s skin is first rubbed with turmeric and then the body is stuffed with the traditional basa gede spice mixture.
Pork is then roasted on an open fire. This dish has a cultural importance in Balinese tradition. This dish is served usually during special occasions and formal gatherings.
2. Nasi Campur:
It means mixed rice. It is very popular among the locals of Canggu. Nasi Campur is served with other dishes such as ayam panggang, the beef rendang, and hot sambals.
To try Nasi Campur in Canggu you must consider Warung Yess restaurant.
3. Sambal Matah:
There are over 300 types of sambals, but Sambal Matah is Bali’s own version of Sambal. This sambal complements all of the Balinese dishes. It is made up of finely chopped raw shallots, lemongrass, garlic, chili, and lime.
This chopped stuff is then sauteed in hot oil with salt, sugar, and shrimp paste. It is served mostly with fresh fish and chicken. If you want to try this spicy and delicious dish visit EchoBeach House or Jl Pura Batu Mejan in Canggu.
How to reach in Canggu:
Reach Canggu by flight:
The nearest airport is Denpasar Airport. Deboard at Denpasar airport and then hire a taxi or cab to Canggu Island. The taxi or cab will charge you between $9 – $11.
Reach Canggu by roadways:
You will get a number of buses from the neighbouring cities such as Seminyak, Nuse Penida, and Padang Bai. The buses run all over the day.
