In this blog post, I bring to you the 10 best day trips from Canggu. If you are based in Canggu for a while, it is a great location for exploring more of the island of Bali. You can reach most places within 2 hours. So, you would be mad to miss the opportunity to explore the surrounding areas.
I was based in Canggu for 3 months and got to see so much of the island from here. So, read on to find out the details..
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Best Day Trips From Canggu:
- Explore Ubud
- Go beach hopping in Uluwatu
- Hike to the summit of Mount Batur
- Go swimming in the Munduk waterfalls
- Get the sunset at Seminyak
- Go shopping in Kuta
- See the temple at Tanah Lot
- Visit Nusa Lembongan & Nusa Ceningan
- Discover the beaches and green landscapes of Nusa Penida
- Take a day trip to Tabanan
Take a look at the below posts for more Bali inspiration:
How to get around Canggu?
Scooter
As you may be aware, a scooter is the best way to get around Bali. Due to the traffic being terrible in Bali, driving by scooter makes it much quicker to get places than driving by car.
If you are not confident driving a scooter, then there are other options. You can ride as a passenger on a scooter to get to your destination. Simply order a bike on the Grab or Gojek app. It is really cheap and ideal for when you are going short distances.
Car
You can also opt to get a car to drive you, you can order these on Grab or Gojek too. The prices are very reasonable and these drivers are plentiful around Canggu.
But do your research before you go to a different destination, to check Grab or Gojek are used so you can get a ride back to Canggu easily (they are not used in all areas). If not, you will need to find a taxi around the area.
The other option is to hire a driver for the day who will take you to your destination, wait for you and drop you back to Canggu. I have used Hendra Adiwijaya many times before and would highly recommend him. His Whatsapp number is +6281907495241.
Where to rent a scooter in Canggu?
I used Fajar Bali located in Batu Bolong, it was the cheapest I found in Canggu. You can rent a scoopy for 70k per day, less than €5. They provide you with helmets also.
Best Day Trips From Canggu, Bali
1. Explore Ubud
Ubud (about 1 hour by scooter from Canggu) is a great place for exploring waterfalls & rice fields. But it is also a nice place to relax – the yoga barn is popular for people interested in yoga or meditation classes.
Head to the monkey forest to watch the monkeys. It is 80k to enter and a nice way to spend some time monkey spotting.
While you are near the centre, take a walk through the art market & pick up some souvenirs. Don’t be afraid to haggle.
If you fancy a scenic stroll, why not do the Campuhan Ridge Walk? It offers some great rice field views and even better, it’s free.
Then make your way to Umah Pakel coffee plantation & Tegallalang rice terrace. Taste the most expensive coffee in the world (Luwak coffee) before taking in the incredible views of the rice terraces.
If you fancy learning how to cook some traditional Balinese dishes, then do this cooking class. It was really enjoyable and you get a big feed at the end.
On the way back, head to Tegenungan waterfall. It costs only 20k/€1.25 to get in.
2. Go beach hopping in Uluwatu
The second of the day trips from Canggu is Uluwatu. It is roughly 1 hour by scooter from Canggu.
Stop by some of the beautiful beaches. Here are some of my favourites – Thomas beach, Suluban beach, Bingin beach and Nyang Nyang beach.
If it is a beach club vibe you are looking for, then head to Sundays Beach Club. Or go to Uluwatu temple to see a Kecak fire dance, for a unique experience.
GWK cultural park is another option when you are in Uluwatu. Here you can see the Garuda Wisnu Kencana statue which stands 122 metres in height and can be seen from miles away as well as other attractions.
If you are a thrill seeker, why not go paragliding on Nyang Nyang Beach? You can book with Bali Paragliding and it costs about 1 million IDR/ €60.
3. Hike to the summit of Mount Batur
Arrange a tour to climb Mt. Batur for sunrise. Mt. Batur is an active volcano, last erupting in 2000. We went on a tour from Canggu where you get picked up around 1am and taken to Mt Batur, over a 2 hour drive.
Once you arrive, you will get some food and drink (we had tea/coffee and fried banana) before you start the trek. You will get some more food at the top while you wait for the sunrise.
Unfortunately, the day we did it, we got no view, just plenty of fog. But we went in February, which is the rainy season and knew that we were not guaranteed good weather. You have a much higher chance of a clearer view if you go between May and September.
You can do the hike in runners and shorts but be sure to take an extra layer or two for the top as it gets chilly. Also, bring some water. It takes between 1 and 2 hours to go up and a little shorter to come back down. We were up in 1 hour 40 minutes and had a decent pace.
You will be back in Canggu around lunch time (12 or 1). But try not to organise anything for the rest of the day if you can because you will be tired!
You can book a tour here through ‘get your guide’ which includes a visit to a coffee plantation where you can try the famous luwak coffee. It works out cheaper per person if you have 2 or more going due to the transfer costs.
4. Go swimming in the Munduk waterfalls
Head to Munduk for a day to experience the wonderful lakes and waterfalls. It is about 2 hours north of Canggu.
Munduk is a true gem, hidden away from big crowds of tourists. I have written a separate blog on a 2 day Munduk itinerary. However, it is possible to do it in a day if you go early in the morning and come back late in the evening.
You could hit Banyumala waterfall, twin lake view point and the 4 of the Munduk waterfalls – Golden Valley, Red Coral, Labuhan Kebo, Melanting, which is Day 2 in my itinerary.
5. Walk to Seminyak at sunset
A nice, relaxing thing to do on a free day in Canggu is to walk to Seminyak and watch the sunset as you walk along the beach. If you plan in advance and go when the tide is low, then you can comfortably walk from Canggu to Seminyak.
If you start at Batu Bolong, you will pass through Berawa beach, Batu Belig, Petitenget Beach and then Seminyak. Stop along the way for a drink.
We set off at 4:30pm and were back for 7pm just as it was dark. It takes 1 hour to walk from Canggu to Seminyak so a 2 hour return trip.
6. Go shopping in Kuta
If you are missing some of your favourite shops from back home, then pay a visit to the beachwalk shopping centre in Kuta, they might just have what you are looking for. It has a variety of international brands such as Adidas, Asics, Sephora, Zara and more.
Also, there is a waterpark in Kuta called Waterbom Bali which has good reviews and would make for a great day out.
7. See the temple at Tanah Lot
Just a short spin by scooter, 25 minutes from Canggu is Tanah Lot temple. It is 20k/€1.25 to enter. A nice time to go is for sunset, where you can watch a fire dance there too.
8. Visit Nusa Lembongan & Nusa Ceningan
Nusa Lembongan & Ceningan were my favourite islands that I have visited near Bali. I loved the unbelievable scenery, the variety of activities & places to see. It is perfect for a short getaway from Bali.
It takes just 30 minutes by fast boat from Sanur Harbour. Sanur is less than an hour by scooter. I loved that it was small and really easy to get around by scooter.
Start off with a 30 minute mangrove tour. Then head to Dream Beach & Devils Tears. Afterwards, cross over the yellow bridge to Nusa Ceningan where you can see the Blue Lagoon. This is another location offering stunning views and such blue water.
9. Discover the beaches and green landscapes of Nusa Penida
Another great day trip from Canggu is to head to Nusa Penida. About 40 minutes on a boat from Sanur, you arrive at stunning green landscapes, cliffs and white sand beaches you won’t want to miss.
Although ideally you will want to spend a few nights there, it is possible to see 2-3 of the main attractions in one day.
You can get boats out as early as 7:30 which will have you at Penida before 8:30 and the latest boats are at 17:00. I use 12goasia to book tickets and 1 way is around 110k/less that €7.
You could stick to the west and do Kelingking beach, broken beach/Angel Billabong and Crystal Bay. Or you could go east and visit Atuh beach, diamond beach, Thousand Island View and Rumah Pohon Treehouse.
Other cool places to visit if you have the time are Guyangan waterfall, Tembeling beach and Gamat Bay. All of the beaches are stunning on Penida, so you will not be disappointed with wherever you choose.
10. Take a day trip to Tabanan
Rent a scooter and go to Tabanan to visit some waterfalls and rice fields. There are so many waterfalls in this area, Leke Leke and Nung Nung were my favourites.
Nung Nung is about 1 hour 10 minutes on the scooter from Canggu and Leke Leke is about 30 minutes from Nung Nung.
But, there are many others in between to break up the journey, star some on google maps and plan your route before you go.
Leke Leke was 50k/€3 per ticket to enter & Nung Nung was 20k/€1.25.
After Leke Leke, head to Jatiluwih rice terraces for fabulous views of the rice fields. You can drive through them on the scooter, or hop off and go for a walk. It cost 40k/€2.50 per person to enter.
On the way back to Canggu, stop off in Bali Butterfly Park. It was 100k/€6 to enter, more expensive than most other attractions but it was really worth it.
The guide puts butterflies and moths on you and lets you hold leaf and stick insects as well.
A bonus destination I want to mention is the Gili Islands. These islands are a great place to go for a weekend, I would recommend staying there for at least 2 nights and seeing at least 2 of the islands. Read here to find out how to get to the Gili islands from Canggu.
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Thanks for reading,
Lisa