Canggu may not be the first part of Bali that you associate with cultural experiences but there are plenty of cultural experiences to be had in this part of the island all the same.
We’ve got a great guide to 9 cultural experiences that everyone can enjoy on their first trip to Canggu.
Our 9 Top Canggu Cultural Experiences
Check Out A Local Temple (See If You Can Catch Some Ceremonies)
Bali is the “island of a thousand temples” (actually, we think it’s more like 6,000 temples but nobody has an accurate count) and Canggu has a temple on nearly every street and often more than one.
Pura Dalem Canggu is a small and attractive temple on the beach road to Batu Bolong and it’s open to foreign visitors (unlike many of the tmeples here in Canggu).
It’s very calm and quiet and despite its location, it gets very few visitors when compared to places like Tanah Lot and Lempuyang Temple.
However, this temple has plenty of local charm and you can enjoy stone carvings, mossy walks and a very peaceful vibe. Make sure to dress appropriately inside the temple and never interfere with someone praying or making offerings and you’ll be fine.
If you’re lucky, your holiday may yield one of the best cultural experiences in Bali – a temple ceremony.
Temple ceremonies here involve colourful processions, local music and offerings galore. You can’t take part in most ceremonies but you are welcome to watch from the sidelines.
Chow Down On Authentic Balinese Cuisine
One of the best things about spending time in Canggu is its local food scene and while there may be a bunch of places offering fine dining and international cuisines, there’s many a hidden gem that’s about nothing but local food.
Warung Lokal, in fact, on Berawa Beach Road is a nice spot for babi guling (the famous “suckling pig” served with rice and vegetables) and ayam betutu (a spiced slow-cooked chicken that’s absolutely bursting with flavour) and it won’t break the bank.
You will find Balinese folks eating in the most authentic warungs and the dishes are priced accordingly – expect to pay $2-$3 USD for a meal ($3 – $5 AUD) and maybe $1 more for a drink to go with it (excluding alcohol).
You could also sign up for authentic Balinese cooking classes – jump in a Grab or Gojek and visit Warung Nia in Seminyak for a hands-on session where you’ll learn to make lovely Balinese dishes.
This warung specializes in ribs, and they’re so flavoursome that you won’t be able to hide your excitement at making them for the folks back home. Food is the best way to experience nearly any culture, and that’s also true in Bali.
Go Shopping At The Local Markets
Canggu doesn’t have the biggest local markets, though Pasar Berawa is a small place off the beaten path where you can get a feel for the bigger markets without being overwhelmed.
It’s a great place to pick up some fresh produce, spices, flowers and homemade goods. It’s expected that you haggle over products sold from stall,s but don’t go too hard here – the prices tend to be pretty reasonable anyway.
If you want a more curated Balinese tourist experience, then head to the Love Anchor Bazaar, which evokes the more recent past of Bali with its love of vintage clothing, woven baskets, batik fabrics and incense.
It’s the sort of place where you can pick something up for your own wardrobe and then go a bundle on souvenires for the folks back home.
Just make sure to haggle wherever you go; it’s expected, and as long as it’s done in a friendly and kind way, it’s a very enjoyable experience too.
Learn Balinese Dance Or See A Traditional Balinese Dance Performance
One great way of having a more hands-on cultural experience is to learn to dance here, and the local community has some awesome dance studio where you can pick up some Balinese dance routines.
Now, you’re unlikely to master the whole of a performance like the Kecak dance on a quick holiday, but head down to Samadi Bali and they’ll be happy to teach you some of it.
The real key is to learn to master telling stories through the movement of your body, and they run drop-in sessions to help you get there. All you need is enthusiasm, there’s no experience needed.
You may also be able to see a dance performance live in Canggu, but you’re more likely to catch one in Ubud or Uluwatu on a day trip as these two places are famous for their dancers.
Try Your Hand At Some Traditional Crafts
There are plenty of traditional crafts practiced in Bali and you can learn both pottery and silvesmithing here in Canggu without having to head o f to a village in the middle of nowhere.
One of our favourite spots in Nusa Clay Club where you can learn the art of throwing pots with or without a potter’s wheel. We would encourage you to visit these folks early in your holiday, though as it’s worth noting that ceramics take a long time to fire to ensure that the glaze sticks.
Canggu Krisna is one of our favourite places to go for silversmithing, they’re very patient and kind and you can easily make a highly personalized piece of jewelry like a ring in your first session there.
You do get some silver included with the price of the lesson but if you want to make a bigger piece, you may need to purchase some more silver to go with it.
Check Out A Gamelan Orchestra Session
Over at Samadi Bali, they don’t just teach dance. They also offer classes, occasionally, in the local music scene – namely the gamelan orchestra.
If you’ve heard that hypnotic combination of what sounds like drums and gongs anywhere on the island, that’s the gamelan at work.
You’re not likely to become a world class player in a short holiday but you can certainly go along and learn to play something simple. It’s fun and these classes tend to be very cheap (around 200K IDR – that’s about $12 USD or $20 AUD).
Explore The Rice Fields (The Subak System)
Some people will tell you there are no rice fields in Canggu anymore but they are wrong. It’s certainly true, however, that there are fewer rice fields in the area year on year.
Head out towards Tanah Lot temple though and you’ll soon find some of the most beautiful rice fields around and unlike the ones in Ubud, you won’t find them occupied by a few million tourists.
They’re awesome for a walk in the evening and some Instagram snaps. If you want to upgrade the experience, you could even hire a a local guide to explain the subak system of irrigation to you when you visit.
Try A Balinese Healing Ritual
Wellness is a huge deal in Bali and in Canggu. It has deep roots in native cultural practices and it’s one of the cultural experiences that many people seek out when they visit the area.
Places like The Practice or Therapy Canggu can hook you up with a local healer who will be happy to deliver a simple treatment session for around 600,000 IDR (that’s about $40 USD or $60 AUD).
If you want to get more deeply involved in Balinese spiritual healing, you could always take a day trip to Ubud where many of the healers live or visit the water palace there and take part in a Melukat (purification ritual).
Celebrate A Local Festival
Bali has many festivals and the easiest one to “celebrate” is Nyepi – the festival of silence. It’s the only mandatory festival for everyone on thee island at the time (usually March or April).
It’s easy to take part, you stay at home for the day and sit in silence.
However, if you were hoping for a more upbeat festival, we’d recommend timing your arrival in Bali for Galungan and Kuningan which have some serious festivities associated with them at the local temples.
Remember to always be respectfully dressed if you visit a temple in Bali.
FAQs
What Is Canggu, Bali Best Known For?
We’d say that Canggu is best known for two things: surfing on its amazing black sand beaches and for the ultimate Bali experience, FINNS Beach Club.
FINNS is the most popular destination on the island, and over 2 million visitors a year flock through its doors to experience the ultimate in entertainment, music, food and drink.
We love sipping cold cocktails in their infinity pool, watching the sun set over the Indian Ocean with the amazing light show in the sky, reflected on the wet black sand below. It’s an unforgettable way to spend a day.
How To Experience Balinese Culture?
There are a million ways to experience Balinese culture. You can observe Balinese daily life anywhere on the island. You can enjoy cultural attractions like the barong dance, or the legong dance or the kecak fire dance.
You could spend time wandering in the rice terraces, or receiving traditional Balinese massages, exploring the thriving art scene, or taking part in meditation retreats or cooking classes in the local community.
Balinese life is cultural, and while, of course, you can discover hidden gems in the more remote parts of the island, the local culture is everywhere – it’s one of the many reasons people come to this vibrant destination in the first place.
Where Is The Best Place For Culture in Bali?
Ubud is often considered to be the cultural heart of Balinese life and there’s no doubt that the town has plenty of cultural experiences to offer visitors.
Sure, there are no stunning beaches in this area, but there are temples, rice paddies, and yoga retreats galore. The sacred monkey forest is not something that you can experience anywhere else on Earth, either.
However, we would note that Ubud has become rather commercial in the last few years, and while it’s still a fantastic experience, if you want something more authentic for a Balinese day out, we’d recommend heading North to Kintamani or going a bit further East and stopping in Sidemen.
These places are still less discovered, and that means the traditional island way of life is much more evident in these locations.
Both of them are great places to explore and take a deep dive into island culture.
What Is The Most Famous Cultural Tradition In Bali?
We think the most famous cultural tradition in Bali is the one that you cannot help but encounter everywhere on the island – canang sari.
Canang sari are offerings to the gods. They’re the little baskets you can see with burning incense and other things in them made of fresh ingredients outside of every home, business and place of worship in Bali.
They’re part and parcel of the unique blend of Hinduism that exists in this corner of Southeast Asia, and they’re meant to ward off bad spirits and encourage good vibes.
You should always be careful not to step on or damage these offerings when you’re out and about taking photos, etc. at least, until the incense has burned out.
Every Balinese woman knows how to make these offerings, and they will ensure that the offerings are made daily throughout their lives.
What Not To Miss In Canggu?
Canggu has a lot of great things to do, but if we were to pick a list of things that you absolutely shouldn’t miss in this area, we’d go with:
- Berawa Beach – it’s our favourite black sand beach on the island and it’s a great place to learn to surf and take long walks on the sand. But make sure to wear flip flops or thongs, that sand gets very hot in the middle of the day.
- FINNS Beach Club – we’re not sure you can say you’ve been to Canggu if you haven’t been to FINNS. It’s Bali’s biggest attraction at the moment and the world’s best beach club.
- Tanah Lot Temple – this isn’t strictly speaking in Canggu but it’s only a short drive away and the temple sits on a small island just off the coast of the mainland. It’s spectacular to see at sunset.
- G-Swing Bali – this is a new attraction in town. It’s kind of like a reverse bungee jump but with cocktails and an incredible view of the rice fields in the area.
Where Do Celebrities Stay In Bali?
Most celebrities seeking the Bali experience tend to head to the most exclusive resorts and villas on the island.
So, places like The Bvlgari Resort, Shambala Estate, Mandapa by Ritz Carlton, Four Seasons Sayan, The Apurva Kempinski, The St. Regis, etc. are most likely to see celebrity guests.
Tourists should be aware that these places will guard the privacy of celebrities very carefully and even if you stay in these resorts, you’re unlikely to bump into a Kardashian in the hallway.
However, if there’s one thing we are sure of it’s that if you stay in an upmarket resort in Bali, you won’t need the company of celebrities because the staff will work extremely hard to make you feel like you’re an A-lister too.
Bali has more $1,000+ a night hotel rooms than any other location on Earth and if you feel like be truly pampered on your visit, then you can have a lot of fun at a high-end resort.
And of course, soon, FINNS Bali Resort will be opening in Canggu and we hope to see you there in due course.
What Is The Most Sacred Place In Bali?
There are many sacred sites throughout Bali, and none of them should be treated lightly. The temples, the mountains, and many other things are important to the local people.
However, the mother temple of Besakih Temple is usually considered to be the holiest place on the island.
It is spiritually and physically connected to all the other temples on the island and to the “subak system” which is the ancient Balinese irrigation system and the island’s only UNESCO world heritage site.
All the rice fields on the island are part of the Subak system, though it is the fields at Jatiluwih that are often considered to be the premium part of this world heritage destination.
A trip to Besakih is a fantastic way to explore the local religious culture and to learn about this magical island and its people.
Final Thoughts On Canggu Cultural Experiences
So, there you have it, there are plenty of cultural experiences to be had in and around Canggu even though the area is much more developed than it once was.
And of course, there are awesome cafes, restaurants, bars, and shops on every corner too – so as you explore, you can enjoy both the traditional and new sides of Balinese life, side-by-side in Canggu.