Seyminak/ Canggu
First off let me help you out, it’s pronounced CHANG-Goo. Yeah I was stumped on that one too and looked like a fool trying to talk to my friends who had been there before about the towns I wanted to visit, so I’m helping you out!! And let me just tell you, YOU WANT TO VISIT HERE!!!! Actually I could of spent 2 weeks in this area and just barely scratched the surface. This is the Bali hot spot. This is where all the hipsters hang! Cute coffee shops, specialty açaí bowls, creatively decorated ice cream cones, and countless insta worthy spots. Most of the pictures you see online happen in this area!!!
So lets break it down so you aren’t extremely overwhelmed. First off, this will not be the part of your trip where you are lounging on the beach and wading in the ocean water. The Canggu area is mostly black sand beaches (volcanic ash) and big waves for surfing. The beaches also unfortunately have a lot of trash lining them, so it’s not so much like what you would experience over in uluwatu or Jimbaran. BUT… with all the Australian influence in this area there are many many other wonderful things.
Seyminak, Canggu and Kuta are all relatively close. I had a hard time choosing which town to land in, but after reading lots of blogs and airbnb reviews we ended up in Canggu at Townhouse Bali. IT WAS THE PERFECT LOCATION. We were right next to one eyed Jack, and amazing restaurant, and Finns night club (which after talking to a lot of locals was not actually a place we wanted to visit. It was mostly singles trying to mingle if ya feel me, and there are so many other amazing beach clubs to chose from, BUT it was nice that it was right there because there were always taxi coming and going.) We could easily walk to get coffee in the morning, or to breakfast, or to shops. And the water was right around the corner. We also had our own private pool which was amazing. We loved our time here. I honestly think it ended up being my favorite spot because I felt like a local. Not being in a resort was nice for a change. Renting our own scooter and leaving our pad to go grab a bite or check out a club made us get familiar with the streets and the petrol stations. We became pros in no time.
Seyminak was only a 15 min scooter ride, so we zipped around from both places and stopped at alllllll the boutiques along the way. Let me tell you, there is some goo-ood shopping here. Its all Australian fashion on a Bali budget. Make sure you have extra room in your suitcase! The restaurants and coffee shops were the exact same way. Every single one had character and was decorated impeccably, making the whole experience from start to finish magical. And to top it off, it wouldn’t break the budget!!! This is paradise, shop til you drop baby!
You really can’t go wrong with where you stay in this area since you will easily be able to scoot around to the places you’d like to go. I would just look up a few spots you definitely want to hit and pick a place nearby. Being able to walk into town was one of my favorite parts.
Beach clubs:
La Brisa Bali (if you can snag a spot here for sunset. You will be blown away!)
Restaurants:
One eyed Jack (modern Japanese)
Synkonah (Mediterranean)
Kynd (pimped out ice cream/ pink wall) try and get the table right under another day in paradise sign. We lucked out and it was opened when we got there. Definitely do not go during breakfast or lunch because it will be crowded.
Shops:
Les Basics (must check out Freds jeans)
Basically, just hit up the line of stores on the same strip as the Lawn and you’ll be in heaven!
** One huge thing to note, DO NOT USE THE ATM MACHINES IN BALI. If you get desperate, take cash out from a hotel like the Hilton, or a chain hotel, but even the bank atm machines in Bali are corrupt. It has not happened to about 6 people we know including us. Brooks did not believe me, and sure enough his debit card got hacked. This is not just in Canggu, but all over Bali. Be careful!