Things to Do in Canggu: 10 Unique Ideas From a Local Craft Studio

1. Make Something to Take Home at Luma Numa

At Luma Numa you spend one to two hours making a piece you wear or use at home and you leave with it the same day. No experience is needed, all materials are included and a session can take up to 16 people.

These are the workshops we currently offer:

• Charm Hat Workshop: style a handmade crochet hat with charms (IDR 399K)
• Scarf Workshop: choose a scarf and personalise it with five charms (IDR 399K)
• Macramé Sandals & Charms: design macramé sandals and add twelve charms (IDR 499K)
• Pearl & Shell Mirror: decorate a mirror with shells and pearls (IDR 450K)
• Boho Bag Workshop: design your own bag (IDR 650K)
• Shell & Pearl Bamboo Brush: our shortest session (IDR 299K)

Our studio is open from 9:00 to 17:00. In high season, book at least a week ahead. Dogs are welcome in the studio. See all workshops

2. Start the Morning at Batu Bolong or Berawa Beach

Batu Bolong has softer waves and is where most surf schools take beginners. Berawa Beach, a short walk along the sand, has stronger waves that experienced surfers prefer. If you do not surf, both beaches are good for a morning walk and for watching the line-up from the shore.

Go early. The sand is still cool, the light is soft and parking is easier than later in the day.

3. Watch the Sunset Over the Indian Ocean

Canggu's coast faces the west, so the sunset is the main event of the evening. Around Batu Bolong, beanbags and small bars fill up quickly, so arrive about half an hour before the sun goes down. If you want a calmer view, walk north along the beach towards Pererenan.

For remote workers, this is a good moment to close the laptop and watch the sunset at Echo Beach Sunset Point.

4. Visit a Local Market

When you go, talk to the people behind the stalls. Many of them make what they sell and they usually enjoy explaining how.

5. Join a Yoga Class

Most yoga studios in Canggu offer drop-in classes for beginners, so you can join a single session during a short stay. A morning class works well before the beach. An evening class helps after a day of sightseeing or screen work.

6. Spend an Afternoon at a Beach Club

A beach club lets a group spend four or five hours in one place without planning anything else: pool, food, music and the sunset at the end. Many clubs ask for a minimum spend per person or per daybed, so check the conditions before you go.

7. Browse Independent Shops

The side streets between Batu Bolong and Berawa are full of small labels selling linen clothing, swimwear, ceramics and jewellery. Midday is a good time for this, when the beach is at its hottest.

8. Visit Pura Batu Bolong

The small temple on the rocks at Batu Bolong beach is an active place of worship where locals pray and bring offerings. Watch ceremonies from a respectful distance, cover your shoulders and knees, and do not step over the offerings you will see on the ground and on doorsteps all over Canggu.

9. Walk Through the Rice Fields

Turn inland from the coast and the traffic gives way to rice fields and narrow lanes. A walk or bicycle ride here shows you a slower, more rural side of the area. Go before 9:00 or after 16:00, when the heat is easier to handle.

10. Spend a Morning in a Café

Canggu's café scene covers everything from Indonesian breakfasts to specialty coffee and smoothie bowls. Many cafés are set up for remote work with long tables and power sockets, so you can combine breakfast with a few hours at your laptop.

If you only have one day, keep each part of it in one area. Traffic on the main roads can turn a short distance into a long drive, especially in the late afternoon.

• 7:00 Surf lesson or beach walk at Batu Bolong
• 9:00 Breakfast near the beach
• 11:00 Workshop at Luma Numa
• 13:00 Lunch in Berawa and a look around the shops
• 16:00 Rice field walk or yoga class
• 17:30 Sunset on the beach, then dinner nearby

Leave gaps in the plan. Some of the best moments in Canggu happen when you stop for a coffee you had not planned.

From November to March, heavy afternoon showers are common. Plan indoor activities for the afternoon on those days: a craft workshop, a spa treatment, a cooking class or a long lunch. Our studio is covered, so workshops take place in any weather. More ideas in our guide to rainy day activities in Bali.

Canggu's international community has brought a lot of creative studios to the area: pottery, painting, silver jewellery, perfume making and our own craft workshops. For many travellers, making something with their hands becomes the part of the trip they talk about later.

For remote workers, a workshop is a break from the screen that still feels productive. Couples can book together and make matching pieces. Solo travellers end up sharing a table with other guests, which makes it easy to start a conversation.

Pererenan, just north of Canggu, is quieter but still close to the beach, the cafés and the restaurants. Further inland, the rice fields and small villages show a side of Bali far from the busy coastal roads.

Tanah Lot temple works well as a half-day trip from Canggu. Many visitors go in the late afternoon to see the temple at sunset. Plan your drive around traffic, and group your other activities by area so you do not spend the day crossing town.