Sprawled
Sprawled
between the areas of Kerobokan and Echo beach in
Bali is the neighbourhood of
Canggu. This fishing village has been popular with the surf crowd
since the 1970s with big wave breaks, roadside warungs (local,
family-owned eateries) and iconic institutions like beachside beer
garden-Old Man's and cult motorbike shop-Deux Ex Machina luring
repeat visitors.
"Looking back 10 years, it's hard to describe Canggu as anything
other than a tranquil, coastal village," says George Garrow, owner
of
The Slow hotel which is based there. "The roads were quiet,
there were just a few spots to eat or get a massage, and rice
fields and free-roaming cows were a more common sight than
tourists."
Today, the scene is quite different. With Kuta having turned
into a hub for mass-market beach resorts and nearby Seminyak
overrun with splashy, selfie-obsessed tourists, Canggu has come
into its own. The last five years have seen a slew of modish
openings which have attracted the cool crowd and earned the
neighbourhood the moniker of the "Williamsburg of Bali". The
natural vistas of lush paddy fields and volcanic, black-sand
beaches still exist, but now there are juice bars, independent
stores and bohemian beach clubs overlooking them.
"There's been development at such a quick pace as tourism moves
from Kuta and Seminyak up here to Canggu," says Fiona Bond, owner
of Parachute restaurant located in Berawa. "It used to be just a
handful of warungs and now there's a café on every corner and a
smoothie bowl in reach no matter where you turn."
Despite the rapid growth, the neighbourhood continues to channel
a casual, eclectic vibe that attracts creative folk, local and
expat families as well as the Canggu hipsters. Here's our pick of
green hotels, vegan joints and
sustainable boutiques worth checking out before they go
mainstream.
