A GUIDE TO CANGGU FOR FAMILIES

These days the hip crowd can be found a little bit further north of Seminyak around the boho neighbourhood of Canggu. Once the haunt of avid surfers these days it’s also where the hipsters hang. Canggu refers to an 8km coastal stretch which consists of Berawa, Batu Bolong and Echo Beach. The pace is less hectic than around Seminyak. You’ll still see verdant green rice paddies around Canggu- although who knows for how long!

OK, so the beaches are known for surfing, not calm kid-friendly water and the sand is dark grey. But, Canggu has heaps on offer for everyone in the family. I love the funky cafes and the groovy beachside haunts. Yogis are spoilt for choice, no matter what your style – Hatha, Iyengar or Ashtanga, and there are endless places to be pampered. For kids there are heaps of cool things on offer –surfing, waterslides, horse riding and heaps more.

By Libby Larsen

Surf, Play, Frolic

If your kids are templed out, and are over being dragged around, Splash Water Park and Bounce Trampoline at the Canggu Club will hit the mark. The Cubbyhouse Kid Club, a popular kiddie pad, has relocated there too. OK so these aren’t the places to teach your kids about Balinese culture, but it will make them really really happy. On Sundays, for something more cultural you can watch local children’s dance classes at Desa Seni, a beautiful little haven with cute bungalows, healthy food, yoga classes and nice gardens. There are a number of surf schools around Canggu as well if anyone in your family wants to give it a try! There is also the Bali Equestrian Centre for horse riding which is totally swept up and upmarket. There is a pool with a shallow section (no pool fence) and lawn and a cubby and other play equipment. The bar and restaurant there is very flash too!

Photo Credit: Splash Water Park

Just for parents

For a really nice dinner we love the new One Eyed Jack which is a modern Japanese Izakaya and Sake Bar. Oh, and FYI the chef is ex- Nobu! If creative cocktails, music, great atmosphere sounds like the perfect date night, try Black Shores. The Japanese restaurant at Hotel Tugu looks amazing and is rich with colour, antiques and artefacts. I can't vouch for the food though.

There are lots of pampering options, but one that I keep on hearing about and haven't tried is Goldust Beauty Lounge which specialises in amazing treatments that include gold masks (well kind of). I have looked at the spa at Hotel Tugu and it's got that gorgeous old style Bali feel to it and looks amazing. There are lots of places for Yoga - try Desa Seni or Samadi Bali.

Photo Credit: Goldust Spa

Need to Know

The beaches are known for surfing, not calm kid-friendly waters and the sand is dark grey volcanic sand.
There is certainly lots of construction going on and road works to cope with the increasing traffic.

The Canggu food scene is changing all the time and new places are popping up all the time. If you have any other suggestions on great places to play and eat with kids around Canggu I'd love to hear from you. I want all the info on Growing up Troppo to be as accurate as possible so please let me know if things change, or I have made any errors. I haven't personally checked out all the places in this post. But, Ive done my homework. Check out the FAQ page if you want to know more about how I do my research. These photos are not mine. I have done my best to credit them properly. If there are any issues, please let me know.