The Canggu (& Beyond) List 

When I first visited Canggu over a decade ago, it was little more than fishing villages and rice fields along a volcanic-sand beach, where surfers came for the breaks at Batu Bolong and Echo Beach. Then development crept from Seminyak, the digital nomads arrived, and the Instagram-ready cafés followed. Today, it’s almost unrecognizable. But just beyond it you can still find places that feel special for their surroundings and their more authentic Balinese culture, and for what Bali does best: eating and feeling well.

I’ve been back a couple of times since. The first time was for two weeks in 2023, when I finally met Milou Neelen, my book partner for The Pleasure of Leisure, in person (we’d been working together oceans apart for three years). After working on our second edition book launch in Seseh, I spent a few days exploring the Canggu coast on my own. Then Milou and I set off on a five-night adventure with one scooter, and many cameras and rolls of film, exploring the island’s lesser-known corners. We rode together though jungles full of monkeys, hiked to hidden waterfalls, and hunted down the best mulberry pies with ease, with the same curiosity about all of it. On my most recent trip earlier this year, we spent three weeks revisiting old favorites and making new discoveries in Canggu and the towns along the coast to the north. 

Canggu

Despite Canggu’s busy-ness, it is still worth coming for its lively and international energy. Parts of Canggu remind me little of Los Angeles’ Venice Abbott Kinney, with lots of healthy options and delicious restaurants, specialty coffee cafés, people coming from their padel matches and laptops at cafes where their next ideas are formed. There’s a spell of optimism and possibility in the air. If you’re wanting a place with lots of variety from day to night, this could be your best base point.

STAY

Como Uma Canggu – The perfect place to stay in this area, located directly on the beach. There’s little reason to leave, which I was guilty of during my 2 night stay—with a large pool, wellness center with an extensive treatment menu, yoga, gym, and a post-workout health bar for juices and smoothies. There’s beachfront dining for breakfast, lunch, cocktails and dinner. Or stay in bed (ideally a room overlooking the pool and palm trees) for in-room dining. During my stay, I became addicted to the endless pots of the COMO signature hot tea made of lemon, ginger and honey. Everyone is so lovely here, you really feel the Balinese hospitality. They even offer surf lessons through TropicSurf, where you can surf at Echo beach. It’s on my list for next time, as my surfing skills need a little brush up!

Hotel Tugu – A nod to a traditional Indonesian stay on the Canggu beachfront, where villas and bungalows are built in-between lush gardens and lily-pad ponds and rooms are filled with art, batik and carved wooden furniture. The restaurants on site offer traditional flavors and decor. There’s a pool to laze by and a wellness sanctuary with a menu of treatments to explore.

FOOD + DRINK

Shady Shack – One of the original healthy and organic spots for smoothies, juices, bowls, and breakfasts emphasizing vegan and vegetarian. Open for brunch, lunch and dinner.

Sensorium – Modern Australian with Japanese influences, a great breakfast and lunch spot.

Bali Buda – One of Canggu’s original organic cafes offering an all-day breakfast. Try the baked goods—the passion fruit butter and fruit bread are excellent.

Giselle – Using sustainable local catches that vary each day, the light, airy decor and Mediterranean flavors make you feel as if you’re sitting by the sea on the French Riviera.

Yuki – An open-air Japanese fusion restaurant just off Canggu Beach—think teak interiors with communal tables and plates designed to share. The scallop carpaccio was especially good and the cocktails were amazing.

Meimei – Open from 5pm daily: dine in for minimalist interiors, delicious cocktails and Southeast Asian barbeque. So many delicious dishes on the menu—if you can’t decide, try the tasting menu, or let the chef choose via the signature chef’s selection.

Motel Mexicola – Colourful and fun Mexican bar and restaurant—think tacos and margaritas; a day-to-night spot.

La Brisa – Fantastic beach club with direct access to pools and the ocean—a place to have drinks, a bite from their menu of sustainably sourced dishes, and watch the sun go down.

Segno – Dimly lit, sophisticated spot for a nightcap, open from 7pm until 2am.

SHOP

Earth Island – Surf shop carrying clothing, swimwear, boards and books (including The Pleasure of Leisure).

WELLNESS

Goldust Spa – Find the spa by walking through the boutique to the front desk; after confirming your appointment, you’ll be invited to wander through an archway of palms into the lounge, then welcomed with a drink and cold towel before treatment. I booked a Balinese massage and left feeling relaxed with shoulders significantly unknotted.

Spring Spa – A contemporary space with a great spa menu—an all-around elevated experience. There are a few other branches around the island and on Nusa Lembongan.

Tonic Spa – Look out for the pink accents and find yourself at Tonic, great for Balinese massage, scrubs and flower petal baths.

SURF

Old man’s Beach – Great surf for long boarders.

Sand bar at Echo beach – Good for advanced short board surfers.

Pantai Berawa – Ideal for surf beginners, a little further south of Canggu.

Pererenan

Pererenan is the next town north of Canggu, and has a slightly more relaxed vibe while fast becoming a buzzy town. You can mark Perenenan beach by Gajah Mina Statue, which shines golden against the black sand beach. This neighborhood stretches from the beach inland, with lots of great spots to refuel and rehydrate. For me, this is a great middle ground—not too busy but with plenty of energy and aesthetically pleasing options from shopping to hotels to dining. It takes 10-15 by scooter or car to get here from Canggu.

STAY

Further Hotel – The hotel is hidden behind a uniquely designed terracotta exterior by MORQ. Hotel rooms have sunken beds and dappled light filtering through the exterior. Drink and dining options are on the lower floor while the pool is on the rooftop.

FOOD + DRINK

Putri Fresh Organic – My go-to organic health-food store for glass bottles of organic coconut water, spiced nuts and freshly pressed juices bottled—loved their fresh ginger and lemon bottle to mix with hot water. 

Barō – Coffee and very good pastries.

Fuglen Bali – A favourite from Tokyo has opened here. A great cafe with excellent coffee, matcha and pastries, which turns into a cocktail bar at 5pm. No cash, card payments only.

St. Ali – A taste of Melbourne in Bali: specialty coffee and baked goods, for breakfast or lunch.

ACME – Speciality coffee (or tea) and baked goods—savory and sweet. Dine in or take away.

BAKED. Batubolong – Inside The Slow, coffee of all kinds (batch brew to canned), yuzu iced tea, matcha, pastries and breakfast classics in a contemporary designed space.

The Hula – Across the road from ACME, open 6.30am-5pm, great for breakfast/brunch/lunch—loved the matcha, smoothies, fresh coconuts, eggs (including shakshuka), and açai bowls. Dine in, or do Gojek delivery.

Milk and Madu – Australian spot open from 7am until 10pm, great for boozy brunches—ricotta pancakes, eggs, specialty coffee, and burgers—plus it’s family friendly with a playground for children. 

Woods – A leafy spot for all-day breakfast, lunch, dinner and cocktails.

Portion Rooftop Pool and Bar – Head upstairs to the Moroccan riad-style open roof, with cushioned daybeds and a few tables for lingering over local and western snacks, wine and cocktails. Make a booking to confirm your spot, also open to non-hotel guests. Pool hours from 8am until 7pm daily, 

Bar Vera Bistro + Wine Bar – On the ground floor of the Further hotel, a buzzy, European-vibed spot to meet friends for a drink—the cocktails are excellent, or try their natural wine selection.

Ettore Gelato – This gelateria gets quite busy at night with its minimal seating. The range covers all the classics—as a big pistachio fan, I was impressed.

Shelter – A leafy Mediterranean/Middle Eastern hot-spot to order share plates. It can be quite loud and buzzy, so get a smaller table if you want to have a conversation; otherwise enjoy the vibe. (And book in advance.)

HOME by Chef Wayan – Run by local Indonesian Chef Wayan Kresna Yasa, who’s worked in Michelin-rated kitchens in the USA, at Potato Head, and has brought his passion back home to share his own homestyle Indonesia and Balinese dishes. Everything was amazing.

Red Gunpowder – Cozy Indian restaurant serving great curries, with live music alternating with Bollywood vinyl.

Rize Cafe – Indian flavors and western influences, all prepared from scratch in a bustling atmosphere. And a great hot chai.

Le Bajo – Family-friendly pool club with a big beautiful pool, great for long leisurely lunches and patio drinks. Open until 11pm.

SHOP

Faithfull The Brand – This Australian brand just opened their first store in Bali, perfect for high-quality cotton and linen dresses—my go-to summer outfit.

Myrah Penaloza Shop + Tea Sanctuary – There’s a tea room inside where you can enjoy a relaxing tea ceremony.

Oaken Lab – On the ground level at Further Hotel—fragrances, body wash, incense sticks and candles.

SURF

Pererenan River mouth—Good for advanced short-board surfers.

Seseh

Seseh is the next neighborhood north after Pererenan, where things still feel relaxed—you’ll see rice paddies between housing complexes and can breathe a little easier. Things are already changing, so I’m not sure how long it will remain like this. It takes 15 mins by scooter or 30 mins by car from Canggu, sometimes longer depending on the traffic.

FOOD + DRINK

Seseh General Store – Great coffee and breakfast just minutes from the beach.

Chotto Motto Ramen Seseh – Really great ramen next door to Seseh General store. 

Warung Pantai Seseh – A casual beachside warung for food and coconuts.

Thalassa Sunset Pantai Seseh – A popular place for sunset—or sit on the grass where locals gather. 

WELLNESS

AIR Seseh Recovery Club – Treat yourself to these recovery spaces, sauna, ice bath, and pool and be sure to book a private massage. Or come for a juice/coconut water, or to order something fresh from the intentional slow-food menu. A place to relax all day. 

FlowerBoy Run Club – Every Wednesday and Saturday at 6am rain or shine, everyone is welcome to join the 5km run club meeting at FlowerBoy, a small coffee window in Seseh. Open to all levels and no need to sign up.

Cloud Spa – A range of massages and facial treatments, open daily 10am-9pm.

Cemagi 

Cemagi is the quietest of the neighborhoods, with a black sand beach. More rice fields, which makes Bali feel like Bali and little gems popping up in between. It takes around 7 minutes from Perenenan to get here by car, and about 15 minutes by scooter and 30 minutes by car from Canggu.

FOOD + DRINK

Remix Juice Co. – Locally sourced organic breakfast spot with coffee, juices, smoothies, booster shots, matcha and more.

Gado Gado Dottie – Just a little outside of Cemagi, a hidden gem that my local contact took me to. Run by a local couple who can explain the freshly made menu in English. Order Indonesian homestyle dishes like gado-gado, ketoprak and lontong sayur, either to eat in their cozy diner, or to take away. 

SHOP

Batik Boy Ruko – This is next to Remix Juice Co and based on an Indonesian concept of rumah tok ––kind of like stepping into someone’s house and being able to buy all the beautiful pieces that are sourced around the Indonesian archipelago, the perfect souvenir to bring home! There are weekly live recordings with DJs, both local and from afar, and where a community can come together. This was just about to open so I didn’t get to experience it, but I can’t wait to go when I’m back.

GETTING AROUND

It’s pretty easy to get around Bali with the ride-share app Gojek—you can book a car or jump on the back of a scooter and be driven almost anywhere on the island. They also offer food and parcel delivery services, so definitely download the app upon arrival. If you’re doing longer journeys around the island, it’s best to hire a driver and van. Hire a scooter if you’re a confident scooter driver—it’ll give you freedom to explore at your leisure. 

Depending on where you are on the island and what time you’re traveling, traveling to Canggu can be quite busy, especially by car as you can’t weave through the traffic. You’ll see a sea of scooters on the road. It may take you 35mins from Seminyak, 1 hour from Ubud and the airport—always allow for longer! If you’re traveling to the airport from Canggu or these coastal towns, locals recommend allowing at least 3 hours travel time. Sunday’s are usually a little quieter. Hotels like COMO offer transfers between their hotels, with everything taken care of—it’s a seamless and relaxing way to travel.

You can walk short distances on the footpaths, but expect Gojeks to ask you if you need a lift. If you prefer to walk, just say “jalan jalan,” which means walk-walk, like you’re taking a leisurely stroll and don’t need a scooter.

It’s possible to walk to each village (Canggu, Pererenan, Seseh) along the beach at low tide, which is actually a lot faster than a scooter these days, if you don’t mind getting sandy feet or crossing a low river mouth. It’s especially nice to do so at sunset—the whole beach comes to life with tourists and locals.

And make sure you have WhatsApp—it’s the main form of communication to book massages, restaurant tables, and how hotels communicate with guests.

I also made a map with all the places on this list, so it’s super easy to find on your travels or when you’re planning your trip—you can download it for free here.