How To Spend 2 Days in Canggu, Bali

• Canggu itinerary – day one
• Go beach hopping or surfing
• Experience a themed cafe (matcha or avocado!)
• See sunset at Tanah Lot
• Canggu itinerary – day 2
• Graze at Samadi Sunday Market
• Brunch hard
• See some street art
• Shop at Love Anchor Market (weekends)
• See some sunsets
• Eat the local food
• Where to stay during your Canggu itinerary
• Hotel – Bima Sakti
• Hostel – Farm Hostel
• Thanks for reading my Canggu itinerary!

The town of Canggu in western Bali, Indonesia is one of the best places in Bali to kick back and relax. There aren’t endless things to do in Canggu, luckily as I was exhausted!After a busy few days seeing the sights around Ubud, driving two hours and back to Lempuyang Temple and falling off our scooter, a chilled Canggu trip was just what we needed. Next, we were visiting Uluwatu and Nusa Penida so there were more busy adventures to come.
Since I came back to Canggu at a later date as a base to work online, I got to know the town pretty well. As well as the main Canggu attractions, I found a few hidden gems and a LOT of great eats that I’m going to share with you.

CANGGU ESSENTIALSBali SIM card (30 days, 6GB)Copy of Lonely Planet BaliCheck visas requirements: iVisaBali scooter hirePre-book your airport to hotel transferAccommodation: hotels on Booking.com // hostels on HostelworldTours: GetYourGuide
Travel insurance: World Nomads

Related read: the ultimate Bali itinerary

Canggu isn’t packed with activities but there are some cool markets, beaches and cafes you’ll want to check out. For the best places to sleep, drink and eat, how to get around, and the best things to do in Canggu, I’ve got you covered.

Get ready for a chilled Canggu itinerary…

Canggu itinerary – day one

Go beach hopping or surfing

The Canggu beaches offer all the usual activities – surfing, sunbathing and watching sunsets. We stayed beside Echo Beach which is a good spot for all three: there are always surfers riding the waves and there are a couple of lively beach bars for dinner and drinks.Note that it’s not the best beach for swimming because of the reef and strong waves.Batu Bolong Beach is just as popular with surfers and you can rent boards or opt for a surfing lesson. This is also the home of Old Man’s, one of the most popular spots for Canggu nightlife.
Visit Berawa Beach for more of the same, and Nelayan Beach for a less developed Bali hidden gem where local fishermen can be seen at work in the mornings. This is also a good spot for swimming.

Experience a themed cafe (matcha or avocado!)

A must for 2 days in Canggu

Canggu loves a fad! As do I. While I’d encourage you to get stuck into the Balinese cuisine too, there aren’t many other places in Southeast Asia (or in fact the world) where I know of so many speciality cafes.Probably due to all the digital nomads and bloggers, Canggu has become a foodie haven with a focus on things that attract attention on social media. With 2 days in Canggu, pick one or go crazy and do both these themed cafes…The Matcha Cafe Bali is very cool with hot and iced matcha drinks (the freakshake is the one to watch) and cakes and doughnuts. It’s out in the rice fields so it’s a very relaxed spot and you can pose with the ‘I love you so matcha’ sign, obviously an Instagram essential.
For quirky main meals, look no further than the Avocado Cafe which is near the centre of town. I was expecting it to be all for the aesthetics but I really enjoyed my avocado burger which had smashed avo, as well as a breadcrumb avocado patty and bacon, alongside purple potato crisps and avocado dip. Very very good indeed!

See sunset at Tanah Lot

While eating and relaxing are great, the ultimate Asia bucket list item in Canggu is a sunset pilgrimage to Tanah Lot.

The crashing waves and sinking sun are typical of Bali but the unique rock temple adds an edge. I’d recommend not hanging around the temple itself but walking to the cliffs on the left side of the beach. From this vantage point, you can get Tanah Lot itself in your photos, too.

How to get to Tanah Lot – to add this ocean temple to your Canggu itinerary, grab a scooter for Rp. 70,000 a day and take a 20-minute ride there. If you’re not confident driving, especially as you’ll be coming back in the dark, hire a driver and jump on the back of his bike or in his taxi.
You can try Grab/Uber if you’re staying away from Canggu centre (government bans don’t allow pick up there) but I’d suggest pre-arranging a ride home, though you’ll likely find someone prepared to take you back if you don’t.

Canggu itinerary – day 2

Graze at Samadi Sunday Market

Why pay for food when you can loiter at Samada Bali’s Organic Sunday Market and eat all the samples? I hope your 2 days in Canggu coincide with a Sunday because this was one of my highlights.If you know me, you’ll know I’m not joking about eating all the samples. I’m the queen of asking questions about the products and throwing in an ‘I’ll be back’ as I saunter out of sight, never to be seen again…At the Sunday Market, you’ll find fresh bread, chutneys, quiches, cheese and cakes. It’s all guilt-free because of its organic status, too. The one thing I did buy there was a dessert made with a banana, date and oat base and dragon fruit compote on top. Healthiest cake ever!
Visit Samada Bali from 9am-2pm every Sunday.

Brunch hard

There are just a ridiculous amount of brunch options in Canggu – I swear a third of all local businesses exist solely to serve avocado. Could Canggu have the highest ratio of brunch cafes per square mile in the world? I have no idea but I like it.

Breakfast burger at The Loft

This is definitely one of the times you should check my Canggu food guide but I’ll quickly let you know my favourite brunches during my 2 days in Canggu were at The Loft and Canteen for their vibey atmosphere and great food (though The Loft is wildly more expensive.) 
I also liked Eden Cafe as an affordable, peaceful to work from my laptop with bargain breakfast deals.

See some street art

Well, it wouldn’t be a Where Goes Rose blog without a little street art, right? I’ve linked all the photos above to their approximate Google Maps location so you can check them out if you’re passing.
Like many places, the street art in Canggu is always changing. Some pieces are in very random places so keep an eye out whilst you’re out and about.

Shop at Love Anchor Market (weekends)

Love Anchor Market is open every day but the biggest and busiest market is held at weekends. If your Canggu itinerary coincides with a Saturday or Sunday, be sure to squeeze it in. You can pick up jewellery, bags, clothes, souvenirs… Basically everything you’d want from a Southeast Asian market.
Because of how touristic Canggu is, you won’t be getting a bargain unless you get your haggle on hard. I know you can do it!

See some sunsets

Due to its westerly coastal location in Bali, every single sunset in Canggu is a killer. Red, purple, orange, pink… They change every day but they’re never less dramatic. Can you believe I didn’t even plan for the photo below – I caught it over the scrubland while walking to buy cake!

Eat the local food

As you probably already know, Balinese cuisine is seriously good all over the island. Foodie capital Canggu is no exception. 
There’s a section in my Canggu food guide for Indonesian food but if I had to pick one favourite I’d say Warung Bu Mi. This spot is busy and popular with tourists and you can see why: it’s cheap, delicious and right in the middle of town.

Related read: The best Balinese foods to try

Nasi campur is life

Where to stay during your Canggu itinerary

There are tons of accommodation options in Canggu for all budgets. I would recommend…

Hotel – Bima Sakti

The best bit about this little hotel is its location halfway between Echo Beach and the centre of town. You can get everywhere easily and it’s a two-minute walk to the Avocado Factory – I mean what else could you need?
Swimming pool access and a decent breakfast are included. There’s a hostel with the same name so don’t mix up the two. Check availability for $16.

Hostel – Farm Hostel

I hear great things about The Farm Hostel which has dorm beds for Rp. 200,000 a night. A little expensive for a backpacker hostel but apparently it’s gorgeous with a pool, rice field surroundings and friendly staff and guests.
Sounds like what you’d want, especially if travelling solo. Check availability here.

Browse all hotels on Booking.com // hostels on Hostelworld