think of waking up in a private pool vacation home in Canggu Bali with the sun beaming in through the glass windows. The agenda for the day consists of surfing in the morning at a Canggu beach and working at one of the funky co-working spaces until it’s time for a fresh, healthy lunch.
The afternoon might have you attending a yoga class, followed by enjoying the sun go down on Canggu beach with a cold coconut in hand. as for the evening? The options are endless.
This is a place where anything possible can be delivered to your villa, where you can co-work any hour of the day, and where you can surf some of the best waves in Bali.
This is Canggu Bali, an amazing destination for travellers, digital nomads, surfers, hipsters, vegans, canine lovers, and everyone in between.
Prior to deciding to make Canggu Bali our short-term home for three months, we were living in Koh Samui, Thailand for 6 weeks. Although that was a terrific spot, as soon as we arrived here in Canggu, we knew this was the spot to be for digital nomads, entrepreneurs and those with a location-independent lifestyle.
There’s a lot to know about this beach town, and in this guide to living as a digital nomad in Canggu Bali I’ll share the pros & cons of living here, how to find Canggu accommodation, where to eat, what to do, how to get around, where to work, and much much more vital information.
Canggu Bali: a Breakdown of the Area
Canggu town itself is about 20 kilometers north of Seminyak. But, the whole Canggu beach area is just called “Canggu”. Basically, it extends from Berawa in the south to Cemagi in the north. even though it’s just one stretch of sand (around 8 kilometers long), the beach is in “sections” starting at Berawa, then Batu Bolong, (Old Man’s), Echo beach and Perenenan.
There’s one main road called Jl. Raya Canggu, and you’ll want to live south of that road, closer to the sea. You’ll want to decide which part of Canggu Bali you want to live in first, and then start looking around for villas.
*Note: keep in mind that if you search using GoogleMaps, it won’t show you the shortcuts (of which there are numerous in Canggu). So if you’re going to use GoogleMaps, it’s best to put it on “walking” routes rather than “driving” for directions, and keep in mind that you’ll be able to ride your motorbike on practically all of the walking routes, making drive times much shorter.
Here are the main areas in Canggu Bali, from south to north:
Kerobokan: just south of Berawa, yet close to Seminyak – considered the “suburbs” of Canggu. This area technically integrates the Batu Belig road which runs from Seminyak to Canggu. There’s a terrific beach at Batu Belig and some good restaurants as well. We stayed in Kerobokan, on the border with Berawa and really liked how close it was to Berawa, but also close enough to Batu Belig area and Seminyak.
Umalas: This neighbourhood is even more back from the beach and is between Berawa, Kerobokan and Seminyak. There are some good restaurants here and pretty rice paddies. You’re still close to everything if you’re in Umalas and the area is good and quiet.
Berawa: This area is known for its cafe culture and is home to lots of expats. You’ll find sophisticated restaurants here as well. The surf breaks in Berawa are pretty big and swimming isn’t terrific – people “dunk” in and amazing off on the shore side of the break, but it can be rough surf. The vibe here is chilled out. We love Berawa area.
Batu Bolong: much more of a party area, lots of restaurants, various bars and boutique shops. The very popular Old Man’s bar is here and you’ll find good surfing for novices and advanced, plus some calmer swimming spots. You’ll also find Serenity yoga studio and Canggu Studio. This is where all of the action is.
Echo Beach: This is the surfer spot. Echo is known for having one of the best surf breaks in Bali, so if you’re a good surfer, this is where you’ll be. Echo is home to some terrific seaside BBQ restaurants as well, which is an outstanding place to view sunset. Finally, the popular co-working spot, DoJo, is here in Echo.
Pererenan: This area of Canggu is a mix of old and new. It’s a much more swank area with upscale accommodations, yet it’s surrounded by rice paddies and there aren’t as numerous tourists here. You’ll see various farmers and locals going on about their daily lives. While it’s terrific to be in a quieter area, this also implies that you’re away from the main restaurants, cafes, work spaces and shops. having said that, you’re close to Echo beach if you stay in Pererenan.
☞ See Also: 10 amazing things to Experience on Gili Islands, Indonesia
Accommodation in Canggu Bali
Where to find lodging in Canggu Bali
In my opinion, you’ll want to come here first before committing to a long term rental. Renting a hotel or an Airbnb is fine for a few days, but you’ll want to see your vacation home before committing to it.
It’s possible to book a vacation home online if it’s through a credible site such as Airbnb or Booking.com, but if you plan to lease for a month or more, I’d suggest concerning Canngu so that you can see the places in person.
We personally stayed at vacation home Rangga Bodhi in Berawa while we were looking around and loved that little guesthouse!
We looked at various villas before deciding on ours, and numerous of the ones that we went and looked at weren’t as advertised on the Facebook groups, which is why I recommend physically going to the vacation home to see it with your own eyes before agreeing on anything.
There are some terrific Facebook groups in Canggu for finding accommodation, have a look at these ones:
Canggu Housing, find Your home in Bali
Bali Seminyak & Canggu housing and Accommodation
Bali Canggu Housing & Accommodation
Also, there are numerous community Facebook groups so if you have questions about an area you are thinking of living in, or about the realtor / management team you are renting from, you can post your questions. You can also post about what you’re wanting to rent. check out these communities:
Canggu Community
Canggu & Seminyak Community
Seminyak, Umalas & Kerobokan Community
☞ Click here to sign up for Airbnb and receive $35 off of your first stay!
☞ Click here to compare prices on guesthouses, villas and hotels in Canggu on Booking.com
Types of lodging in Canggu Bali
The interesting thing about living in Canggu (and numerous parts of Bali) is that the lodging options aren’t common apartments that you would expect in numerous parts of the world. Here, you will many likely be living in a vacation home of some sort.
Many of the villas are in common Balinese style, which is open air with stunning wood decor. Some other villas aren’t completely open, but will have moving doors, allowing you to either have fresh air flowing through your villa, or you can opt to close it up and turn on the air conditioning!
Most of the villas have a private pool in the center, with the living areas surrounding it. Some villas offer a bit of a yard, or a garden.
You can opt to share a vacation home with other wandering souls, you can stay in a guesthouse, you can have a private home, or a private vacation home with a pool. It’s all possible (and all good) here in Canggu.
One thing you’ll probably notice is that it’s hard to find a 1 bedroom villa. many of the villas are developed to accommodate numerous people and it’s not uncommon to see 5 bedroom villas.
How much Does it cost to lease a vacation home in Canggu Bali?
For a room in a shared villa, the costs vary depending on the type of villa, but we’ve typically found them to be around 5-8 million IDR / month ($350 – $600). For a modern, private 2 bedroom pool villa, the average price is between 15 – 20 million IDR / month ($1,110 – $1,480).
Hypothetically, the newer the villa, the much more expensive it will be. However, we’ve seen some pretty run down villas which are renting out for around 17 million / month. how much you spend on your lodging will depend on which part of Canggu beach you’re on, which time of the year you’ll be living in Canggu, and how long you plan to stay.
The value for money when it concerns lodging in Canggu is excellent.
To give you an example, this is what we spent on our private pool villa:
20 million IDR ($1,480) / month, plus electrical power for about 1 million IDR ($75) / month.
This may sound like a lot of money to spend on a monthly basis, but for that price, we were staying in a very modern two bedroom villa, with 3 bathrooms and it was about 2,000 square feet (185 square meters). We could have rented out the other room if we desired to, which would have cut our lease costs in half – but, we like our privacy.
The monthly lease includes a full house cleaning 3 times a week, pool maintenance 3 times a week, upgraded wi-fi (20mb/s) and all utilities except for electricity. There’s also a bathtub, a full kitchen with an oven, a cold water dispenser, a TV and sunbeds by the pool. Plus, there’s a gated off garage so our motorbike is safe and sound at night.
For about $50 / night, we are able to live in a stunning private pool vacation home best near Canggu beach! We think this is an outstandingdeal.
Wi-Fi / SIM Cards in Canggu Bali
Digital Nomads rejoice! Not only are there various amenities here in Canggu Bali, but there is also outstanding wi-fi and low-cost data plans.
It’s possible to have 100mbps / second, but in general you can expect to have around 25 mbps / second at your villa. If the wi-fi isn’t fast enough, certainly ask to have it upgraded. We worked that into our vacation home rental agreement.
For SIM cards and data, they are extremely affordable. At the airport when you land in Denpasar, purchase the XL package of 25GB (+10GB bonus) and 15 minutes of talk time for just 150,000 IDR ($11)! other packages available are 17GB, 9GB, 5GB and 3GB.
When your data and talk time run out, you can easily top it up at any phone store found around Canggu or, if you’re using XL, you can download the app and simply top up using your credit report card.
☞ digital Nomad guide to Living in Koh Samui, Thailand
Most, if not all, cafes offer totally free wi-fi, and it’s not uncommon to see people spending practically all day there working away, while only having to pay for lunch and a coffee. Co-working spaces are different as you have to pay a membership fee, but you have access to faster wi-fi, meeting rooms, etc. read much more below…
Co-Working spaces in Canggu Bali
There are loads of cafes and restaurants that you can work as a digital nomad from, but there are 3 main, proper co-working spaces in Canggu Bali:
DoJo – located near Echo Beach, this is the go-to spot for digital nomads. here you can network with like-minded people, while enjoying fiber-optic wi-fi. There are various outdoor seating areas, meeting rooms and an air-conditioned room as well. In between work shifts, take a dip in their pool, or head to Echo beach for some lunch and a surf break. You’ll find totally free seminars here as well and networking events. DoJo is open 24/7 and has numerous different membership plans available. Click here to see a full list.
2. C’ugh house – located in Berawa, this is another terrific co-working option. The place has 3 levels, with the bottom providing a restaurant / cafe which is open to anybody (and you get 2 totally free hours of wi-fi here), while the middle and top levels are for those who pay for a membership. If you pay, you’ll get faster wi-fi, access to the air-conditioned room and adjustable / comfortable chairs! As a bonus, the views here are amazing. Click here to see the membership prices.
3. Rou Coffee & Co-Working – located in Umalas, this Japanese owned coffee shop has no membership fees, but provides fast wi-fi (30mbps) and terrific food. It’s not technically a co-working space if you expect meeting rooms and membership plans like the two options above, but they call it that!
Must-Have Apps
Canggu Bali is crazy.
There’s nowhere else that I know of where you can purchase so numerous things to your villa. You literally don’t need to leave your lodging if you don’t want to (but, that would be pretty boring).
With the GoJek app, you can purchase a masseuse, a motorbike ride, restaurant food, cleaning service, cosmetics and hair, medication, top up data for your phone and so much more. all of it delivered to your villa, for a very small fee of around $0.50.
Another option is under “GoShop”, where you can literally put in your request to have someone pick up anything you need, from any shop. ran out of wine? need some butter for your meal? Broke your computer charge cord and need a new one? send a GoShop man to pick it up for you! the best part is that the delivery is rarely much more than $1.25
Grab and Uber