So, you’ve decided to come to Canggu and maybe visit FINNS Beach Club, the best beach club in the world, but you’re wondering is it easy to walk around our favourite part of this beautiful island?
Well, we’ve got all the answers about how to get around in Canggu for you.
Can You Walk In Canggu?
Yes. You can walk in Canggu. The author knows this because they regularly walk to places in Canggu. In fact, a walk from their house to the beach club is about an hour and they’ve completed it many times.
However, it would be very misleading to say it’s easy to get around on foot too. In peak hours (the morning and late afternoon rush hours) the roads are crammed with traffic and many scooter drivers decide that the pavements and sidewalks are extensions of the road to speed up their journeys.
In addition, the sidewalks are regularly blocked by obstacles (trees, broken slabs, raised drains, Bali street dogs, etc.) and the roads are in a similar state of disrepair.
If you want to walk around in Bali, we’d recommend that you pay very careful attention to your surroundings at any time of day. (BTW you can find out if Canggu is Safe here too).
We’d also say that if you have small children, you’re going to want to use a car rather than walking – keeping an eye on kids on these roads plus paying attention to everything else could be impossible. (We have an awesome list of things to do with kids in Canggu that may help you keep them from being on the road in the first place).
The one place in Canggu that’s super easy to walk along, however, is the beach front. You can walk almost the entire length of the coast along the beaches in Bali and as long as you have the appropriate footwear, you’ll be fine.
How Do People Get Around In Canggu Other Than Walking?
So, if people don’t tend to walk much in Canggu how do they get around?
Bicycle?
No. Bicycle is not a good idea for getting around Canggu. The problems with traffic and poorly maintained road surfaces are hugely exacerbated for bike users.
You will regularly find holes (and not potholes, but actual holes) in the inside corner of streets here – holes that you won’t see until your front wheel has dropped down them and you’ve gone flying over the handlebars.
We’ve never seen anyone cycling in this part of Bali and we can’t imagine anyone trying to do so twice, it’s just not safe. If you want to cycle, it’s best to head out to the less visited parts of the island.
Scooter?
Scooter is probably the most popular form of transport on the island and the roads of Canggu are flooded with scooters.
However, we would note that if you want to be road legal on a scooter – you need a current international driver’s permit (IDP) AND a current driving license (which must have a motorcycle endorsement – a car license does not count on its own) AND you must wear a crash helmet at all times and be sensibly dressed AND you must be sober.
If you don’t have these things and you get into an accident, you’re going to be looking at a hefty hospital bill.
Even if you do have these things, accidents are frighteningly common and we never recommend using a scooter, because we think it’s worth paying a bit extra and using ride-share services instead.
Bus?
There is an excellent local shuttle service for the Berawa area provided free of charge by FINNS Beach Club and Grab, the ride-share service.
This runs from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. every day except for Nyepi and has picks up every 20 minutes at each stop on the route.
However, this is really the full extent of public transport for getting around in this part of Bali – buses do exist but they rarely go from anywhere you actually are to anywhere you want to be.
Car?
That leaves getting around by car as the preferred option for most people in Canggu. There are three ways to go about this.
Ride Sharing
The most popular ride share apps in Bali, Indonesia are Grab and Gojek. You will find that their fares are reasonable (and much cheaper than in the West), the drivers are usually very reliable and they will get you safely from A to B without any fuss.
If you’re staying in Canggu and don’t intend to go too far away from the area – Grab and Gojek are easily the best way to get around, particularly if you have to travel at rush hour.
Renting A Car
You could rent a car, assuming you have an IDP and a current car license. However, driving in Bali is a bit of a nightmare given the state of the roads and the local lack of driving standards of any kind.
Thus, it can be a very stressful way to spend your holiday in Bali. We’d only recommend driving here if you have experience of similar conditions in other developing nations.
Renting a car and insuring it won’t save you too much money when compared to our final option.
Private Driver
You can hire a private car and driver for around 500,000 IDR for 8 hours (that’s $35 USD or $50 AUD) and that fee includes petrol/gas!
Given that this is incredibly good value for money, if you want to see more of Bali than just Canggu, we’d recommend hiring a driver. You can often arrange driver hire with your Grab driver or through Bali Facebook groups. If you’re stuck, ask your hotel to help you but they may charge a premium for doing so.
Is Canggu Wheelchair Accessible?
There are some hotels in Bali and some sites in Bali that are properly wheelchair accessible but the vast majority of the island, including 99% of Canggu is not designed for wheelchair access.
Many businesses don’t have ramps to let you in and out of the buildings, the sidewalks often have no point of entrance or exit for wheelchairs and there are very few bathrooms, etc. that have been adapted for wheelchair users.
It’s fair to say that the sight of a wheelchair is a rarity in Bali and that as a developing nation, it may be a while before accessibility rights become a priority to the local government and the tourism sector as a whole.
FAQs
Is Canggu Easy To Get Around?
Yes, Canggu is generally pretty easy to get around. You can walk, particularly in the early morning or late at night but you will need to pay attention to the traffic around you while you do – as scooters can jump up on the pavement and you may find obstructions force you into the road at times.
If you’re comfortable driving then many people hire a scooter or a car to get around (though you will need a current International Driver’s Permit and license with a motorbike endorsement for scooter use to be road-legal).
If not, you can use ride-share apps or engage the services of a private driver with their own car. THis is a very cheap way to get around and ensures you don’t have to spend too much time in the Bali traffic stressing about what to do.
Is Canggu Or Seminyak More Walkable?
There’s not a whole lot in it. The two areas are next door to each other and there are parts of Canggu that are more walkable than parts of Seminyak and vice-versa.
In general, it’s hard to walk in peak traffic hours in both places due to scooters using pavements and sidewalks and the roads being absolutely packed with traffic.
But in the mornings, early afternoon and evening, it’s not too bad and certainly, the author of this article does plenty of walking at these times of day.
Seminyak has the edge in the shopping/beach area, however, where there are several indoor and outdoor mall setups where you can get around them and between them quite easily.
So, Seminyak is more walkable than Canggu.
Is It Safe To Walk Around Canggu At Night?
Yes, it’s safe to walk around Canggu at night. However, this comes with the caveat of using your common sense.
It’s not smart to wander down deserted alleyways in any city late at night, it’s not a great idea to hang around the bars and pubs when they’re kicking out, that kind of thing.
Generally, the local culture in Baliis kind and welcoming and violence against tourists even in the most popular tourist areas is relatively rare. However, the last few years have seen an increase in petty crime such as bag snatching and pickpocketing and the town of Canggu is not immune to these problems.
Does Canggu Have A Strip?
There are, sort of, three “strips” in Canggu. The beach roads of Jalan Pantai Berawa (home of FINNS) and Jalan Pantai Batu Bolong are home to many restaurants, bars, and shops.
There’s also a main arterial road Jalan Raya Canggu which also houses many shops, cafes, restaurants and local businesses.
Most tourists are likely to stick to the beach roads, but digital nomads and expats may find they need to visit the “town centre” of Jalan Raya Canggu for essentials.
Walking is easier on the beach roads than it is on the main arterial route.
Final Thoughts On Walking In Canggu, Bali
Canggu is one of the most popular destinations in Bali and walking around the town is very possible. However, many people will find that it’s worth the extra cost of using Grab or Gojek to get around unless they are intent on strolling through some of the local rice fields (which are still traffic free).
It’s important to note that walking is never all that easy anywhere in Bali (even in popular hiking destinations like the Mount Batur hike) and that Bali is definitely not wheelchair accessible.
If you do decide to walk, then choosing to go out in the early morning before rush hour, in the early afternoon between rush hours or in the late evening after rush hour will make it much easier to get around on foot.
You must always keep an eye on the traffic around you when walking as well as on the road/pavement surface for cracks, obstacles, etc.