One of life’s greatest pleasures is being spoiled for choice and Bali always has so many awesome destinations to choose from that it can be hard to make up your mind. So, given that we know there are people out there stuck between Canggu and Amed, we thought that we’d help out.
Our head-to-head guide breaks down each destination into bite-sized chunks that we know visitors to the island care about and then compares and contrasts the two.
This means that while we do declare a “winner” at the end, you can easily decide on which destination is right for you based on your own priorities.
So, without further ado let’s ask “Canggu or Amed?” and see what they have to offer you on your holidays.
About Canggu
Canggu was once an oasis of calm, an unspoiled fishing village where only the most hardcore of surfers or backpackers might be found.
However, it’s seen an era of rapid development in the last decade and now, it’s the most popular tourist destination in Bali.
That’s down to the fact that the area has a near perfect blend of things to do and an extraordinary level of choice when it comes to accommodation.
The backpackers still come to Canggu but now, you’ll also find coworking spaces packed with digital nomads creating their income on the internet, surfers lining the beaches to enjoy some of the best surfing on Earth, and plenty of other tourists enjoying what the area has to offer.
Take a walk down any street in Canggu and you’ll find coffee shops that look perfect in your Instagram feed, bars, pubs, boutique stores and some of the finest restaurants anywhere in the archipelago.
Canggu has arrived and its time is now, the backpackers may be dwindling, but nearly everyone who comes to Bali, wants to spend, at least, some time in Canggu.
About Amed
Amed is on the East Coast of Bali and it’s much less developed than the beach towns on the West Coast.
It’s not one village, but a series of seven loosely connected fishing villages that run down a fairly substantial strip of the coastline.
Just like Canggu, Amed has a strikingly attractive black sand beaches thanks to its proximity to Bali’s largest volcano, Mount Agung.
Amed’s biggest appeal to Bali’s visitors is that it has some of the best diving and snorkeling spots that you can find in Southeast Asia.
Canggu or Amed? – A Breakdown Of Each Area
We feel that it’s best when comparisons are done on a consistent basis and thus in all of our area comparisons, we have broken down the comparison into a series of individual criteria (that you can see below).
Then we use our local knowledge to flesh out the details of each area and then we choose a “winner” which allows you to see which area is most likely to appeal to the typical tourist in that category.
What Are The Hotels, Resorts, Etc. Like?
Amed is home to some excellent, mainly mid-range, resorts but when we check on Booking.com there are only about 200 options in the area and that includes all 7 villages.
If you’re a backpacker, you can certainly find some cheap options in Amed and families seeking a good value resort with a pool away from the big brand names of Sanur and Nusa Dua are likely to be very happy.
However, if you want to go to Canggu, you’ll find that you have ten times the number of accommodation options available to you and there are nearly 2,000 hotels, guesthouses, and villas in the area.
While the backpacker may slowly be withdrawing from Canggu, you can easily find budget accommodation. There is no shortage of mid-range places either.
But unlike, Amed, there is also a lot of high-end five star hotels and resorts as well as villas that range from the modest to the Kim Kardashian level.
Overall, staying in Amed isn’t a problem, but if you want choice, then Canggu wins this category hands down.
Where Is The Best Place For A Party?
Amed is a set of sleepy fishing villages so it shouldn’t come as much of a surprise that it’s not really set up for 24 hour party people.
In fact, there are no nightclubs in Amed and very few pubs and bars that run out to midnight and next to nothing after midnight.
It’s an area where people tend to go to bed early, get up early for a spectacular sunrise and then go snorkelling or diving.
Canggi is completely the opposite of that. It’s famous for its incredible array of nightlife and you will find a pub, club, or bar on almost every street corner.
If you want to rave all night long, Canggu’s got you covered. Of course, having FINNS Beach Club, the world’s best beach club doesn’t hurt the party vibe of Canggu either.
Overall, there’s no contest Canggu is better than Amed for partying.
Which One Is Best For Shopaholics?
There are some shops in Amed and if you need swimwear, snorkelling kit or diving equipment, you won’t find it too challenging to source it.
However, there’s no doubt that Amed is not set up for the retailaholic and there is no real shopping centre and an almost total absence of international brands and even some of the local brands aren’t represented in Amed.
It’s a great place to give your wallet a rest and chill out by the beach, but it’s not a place to splurge on a shopping spree.
If you hit up Canggu, you will be spoiled for choice when it comes to boutique stores and other shops. While there’s no mall in Canggu, there are malls in nearby Seminyak and Kuta to round off the shopping experience.
Sadly, once again, there’s no competition, Canggu is the best destination for shopping in Bali (with the possible exception of Seminyak) and that means Canggu wins this category.
Where Will I Get The Best Food?
Amed is a great place for a seaside BBQ of fresh seafood in the early evening while enjoy a cold beer and letting the world go by you.
It also has a decent smattering of local warungs serving excellent Balinese and Indonesian food and even a few international restaurants serving various cuisines.
However, it can’t hold a candle to Canggu which is a complete foodie’s paradise. It has Monsoon at FINNS Beach Club which is the island’s only and best party restaurant.
It has fine dining options galore, unlike Amed, and you can enjoy some of the best food in the world. There are also endless mid-range options where you can sample cuisine from almost anywhere on Earth.
And Canggu also has the amazing local warungs that serve delicious local and Indonesian food. You just can’t go wrong and that’s why Canggu wins this category too.
Comparing Beaches
Amed is home to some incredible black sand beaches and much of that is to do with the huge volcano, Mount Agung, that towers above the area and is visible from almost any part of the area.
These beaches are great for snorkeling and for swimming, and they’re OK for surfing too. However, because they’re on the East side of the island, there is no sunset view – you have to get up super early in the morning to enjoy an amazing sunrise, instead.
Canggu is also home to some lovely black sand beaches and it’s part of the area’s signature appeal.
The beaches of Canggu are not great for swimming but they are world class surfing spots. You can also enjoy the finest sunrise view on the planet from the beach in Canggu (or better still with a vantage point in the infinity pool at FINNS Beach Club).
So, there’s really nothing to this, so we’re going to declare this round a draw with both Amed and Canggu having great black sand beaches.
Which Is The Prettiest Place?
We’d say that beauty is always in the eye of the beholder and that this is the most subjective category that we have to rank.
Amed is a lovely spot, with Mount Agung towering over the landscape, lots of attractive surrounding countryside and a real fishing village appeal.
Canggu’s got its charms too, with lush rice fields, striking beaches and that modern appeal of new buildings, hotels, and villas.
So, we find ourselves declaring this category a draw. Both Amed and Canggu are visually attractive, but which you prefer will be very much down to what you like most.
Where Will I Have The Most Things To Do?
Amed is a small underdeveloped fishing village and there’s not that much to do in Amed itself. However, if you include the surrounding areas and are willing to drive a couple of hours in any direction, you can greatly increase the number of options you have for things to do.
But Canggu is already developed and it’s the most popular spot with tourists for many good reasons and that includes the fact that Canggu has loads for you to see and do.
And if you’re willing to drive even short distances from Canggu those numbers increase exponentially with Seminyak, Kuta and even Ubud not too far away.
So, Canggu wins this round and once again, it’s not even close.
Which Area Do The Expats Prefer?
There’s very little competition between the two towns in this respect. Sure, Amed has the occasional expatriate who has broken away from the crowd to enjoy a low cost of living on the East Coast.
But for the majority of expats here the trade off of being far away from most of the facilities on the island is simply not good enough.
Canggu is almost as popular with expats as it is with tourists. This shouldn’t come as a surprise as it’s also the region with the most jobs for expats because of the tourist trade.
It has so much to see and do, combined with amazing bars, restaurants and beach clubs and then, it also has great shopping experiences.
There are English speaking doctors, dentists, and other service providers within easy reach in Canggu and it’s not hard to see why expats opt for Canggu in their droves.
It’s not even close when it comes to this category, the sheer numbers of expats choosing Canggu speak for themselves – Canggu is currently Bali’s best expat destination.
Which Area Is Most Popular With Digital Nomads?
There’s also not a lot of competition in this category. We applaud the efforts that Amed has gone to to make itself digital nomad friendly.
There are a couple of coworking spaces in the area and many of Amed’s cafes and restaurants won’t care if you want to plug in for a few hours as long as you’re eating and drinking.
But there are no coliving spaces and nowhere near enough digital nomads to sustain regular digital nomad meetups or any other form of social bonding.
Whereas, Canggu is often considered to be the second most desirable nomad destination in Southeast Asia after Chiang Mai in Thailand (the OG of nomad destinations in the region).
It has coworking, coliving, and nomad meetups coming out of the ying-yang and there are gyms, yoga studios, surf schools, wellness centers, etc. to support a healthy lifestyle too.
Throw in all the Instagrammable cafes and you can see why Canggu is the island’s most popular digital nomad hotspot.
Sure, one day, Amed may have a similar appeal, but as far as we can see, it’s still a long time away. For now, Canggu wins this category.
Canggu Vs Amed – Which Town Comes Out On Top?
So, it’s a bit of a walkover for Canggu. Amed draws the best beaches and most attractive spot categories, but otherwise, Canggu wins in every category.
That’s not really too surprising, Canggu is the most popular place in Bali and tourists flock to Canggu because it has everything that they want or need.
Whereas, Amed is up and coming. It’s a place to go to once you’ve exhausted places like Canggu and you want a more relaxed island experience.
But in our head-to-head, categorically most tourists are going to prefer spending their time in Canggu than in Amed.
FAQs
Is There Better Nightlife In Canggu Or Amed?
Amed is not well-known for nightlife and while it might be stretching it to say there is no nightlife in Amed, there’s not much.
You can find some bars or pubs that stay open late in the evening where you can enjoy a bit of music and some cold drinks, but there’s no chance of finding a nightclub to dance until dawn or a beach club where you can party all day long. It’s not that kind of town.
Canggu is famous for its nightlife, it’s the number one destination on the island for those who want to party. Some of that is down to the fact that FINNS Beach Club, the world’s best beach club, and top party destination is in the area but there are also bars, clubs, and pubs galore.
Whatever your vibe is, there’s a party with your name on it in Canggu. And if you should ever get bored with the area, then Seminyak and Kuta – the island’s other big nightlife spots – are a short drive away.
There’s simply no contest, Canggu has much better nightlife than Amed.
Is Amed Quieter Than Canggu?
Yes, Amed is quieter than Canggu. While Amed isn’t quite as sleepy as it was a few years ago, it’s still very much an underdeveloped spot in Bali and there’s a fishing village vibe to the town.
It’s also on the East Coast which means that people come to Amed to enjoy the sunrise, rather than the sunset and that lends itself to early nights in bed and early mornings walking on the beach.
Whereas, Canggu is a very well developed tourist town which is the number one destination in Bali. It’s got that buzzing vibe of a place that’s recently arrived and wants the world to know it.
It also sees a lot of traffic at certain times of day as it’s connected to other busy parts of Bali and that can lead to a bit of background noise.
And at night, Canggu comes alive as the roads fill with revellers looking to party at the clubs, bars and pubs that are dotted around the area.
Is It Better To Surf In Amed Or Canggu?
Amed certainly has some surf breaks and contrary to what you might have heard, they can be surfable all year round.
However, the winds between May and September tend to restrict the tidal flow and the breaks are usually only good in the early mornings, whereas between October and April, they tend to persist all day long.
But it’s fair to say that most people don’t come to Amed for the surfing, they come for the diving and snorkeling and it’s an amazing area for these two sports.
Canggu is one of the most popular surfing spots in Bali and that’s because it has a wide variety of breaks that run up to its beaches which are surfable all day long, all year round.
It’s an ideal spot for beginner and intermediate surfers as most of the beaches are served by first rate surf schools and equipment hire shops.
Advanced surfers are going to love Echo Beach in Canggu which is considered a rite of passage for advanced surfers before they head off to try out the pro-level breaks of Uluwatu.
So, we think it’s better to surf in Canggu than in Amed, though you can surf in Amed.
How Far Is It From Canggu To Amed?
It is less than 100 kilometers from Canggu to Amed, however, because of the state of Bali’s roads and the traffic, it’s a long drive of around 3-4 hours at the best of times and it can be much longer in bad traffic conditions.
That means you won’t want to do a day trip to Amed from Canggu or vice-versa, it’s best to spend some time in a resort in each area to get the most out of your time there.
How Much Is A Taxi From Amed To Canggu?
It’s about 700,000 IDR if you book a taxi from Amed to Canggu or vice versa using the popular ride sharing apps – Grab or Gojek. Though the prices can fluctuate a little depending on the time of day.
Given that you can hire a car and driver, including gas, for a day for 500,000 IDR, you might want to strike a deal with a driver that you’ve used before rather than booking through an app for this journey.
Final Thoughts On Canggu Or Amed
Amed is a lovely spot but as you can see from our round up above, Canggu is where most tourists are going to have the best holiday.
Of course, you could always have a two-centre holiday and enjoy relaxing by the ocean on both sides of the island, appreciating both the glorious sunrise and spectacular sunset.
If so, then Amed is a great choice of second destination, particularly if you love to dive or snorkel.