By the time we arrived in Canggu, our first stop in Bali, we were already down one passport and one laptop (which later turned out to shape our trip significantly though not without teaching us some valuable lessons). After spending the first night and day trying to keep panic at bay, we resolved not to let the issue take over our trip and do our best to enjoy the tranquil surf destination that is Canggu.
Canggu is a magical place complete with rice paddies, trendy eateries, black sand beaches, palm trees, Balinese architecture, delicious food and stylish little boutiques. I was immensely impressed by the fact that even though this once rural area has become fairly developed thanks to foreign investment, all the architecture (even that of the hotels) is humble, beautiful and built in the Balinese style. Despite the throngs of tourists that pass through Canggu, the little village remains strangely calm, as though it is at peace with the fact that it is overrun with tourists. I would assign this, firstly, to the fact that many expats (who are by definition less wild than tourists) call Canggu their home. Secondly, the breed of tourist in Canggu seemed to be more refined than those that get sucked into, say, Kuta which makes for an overall more relaxing atmosphere.
In terms of surfing, on the other hand, Canggu is a bit of a dog show. You'll be hard-pressed getting waves at any time of the day, not because there aren't any, but because you're competing with fifty other people for the same waves. This is not to say that I didn't get any waves, but I had to fight tooth and nail (sometimes also tongue) for them and ended up being more emotionally than physically drained after my surfs, which is not what surfing is about for me.
Luckily for me, I have a wide range of interests beyond surfing (read clothing, all kinds of). Canggu and Seminyak are littered with beautiful little boutiques, some of which are foreign-owned (mostly Australian), others of which are local (the textile and clothing industry in Indonesia is on the rise again). A lot of them have weird, non-descript clothing that doesn't really have a specific target, but some stock truly amazing clothing (not to mention swimwear) that could be from anywhere in the world (with a Balinese twist of course).
Canggu is also home to the famous Deus Ex Machina, a brand expertly built around single fins and motorbikes, with several clothing stores in Seminyak and a restaurant/bike-building/surf "temple" in Canggu. The brand's social media and graphic design is so good that we were a little underwhelmed by its physical presence: the clothing was over-priced/boring and the restaurant/bar wasn't as packed as we expected it to be (I guess that's what social media is all about right- selling something intangible that only really exists in your mind). Below are
Accommodation: We stayed at Echoland (beautifully designed backpackers with air-con, pool, amazing rooftop and optional breakfast, 150 rupiah/night per bed) and Ketapang (locally-owned, clean with air-con, free drinking water and if you're coming with friends you can pay as little as 75 rupiah/night)
Surfing: The main break in Canggu is Echo beach which is a super fun, punchy left beach break. There's another wave to the left of it which was in my experience pretty flat, and then further the the left is Batu Bolong. To the right of Echo Beach is Berawa which I never surfed.
Shopping: For shopping Seminyak is the best, but there are some stores around Echo Beach - look out for the Beach Store which has some of the best bikinis. Seminyak is full of little gems, all you need to do is differentiate between over-priced garbage (prices seem to be targeted mostly at Australians), amazing deals and highly-priced but sublime treasures.
Food: Deus Bali, Crate, Betelnut Cafe... there are plenty of nice food spots, both Western and Indonesian in Jl Pantai Batu Bolong, as well as on the way to Seminyak and well...pretty much everywhere! The local spots definitely also need to be explored.
