Sundowner: Autumn/Winter 2019

CANGGU
AN INSIDER’S GUIDE
FORTY WINKS
First up the all-important question – where to stay? COMO
Uma Canggu is without a doubt the most talked-about hotel
opening of late, and with good reason. Although there are
119 residences and rooms, set a little back from the shoreline
at Echo Beach, a clever layout centred around a vast lagoonstyle
pool gives it the feel of somewhere much more intimate.
Bedroom decor is minimal and peaceful, mostly all-white with
teak furnishings, rattan touches, and beds dressed with crisp
Italian linen. Seven treatment rooms offering Asia-inspired spa
experiences add the wellness hit COMO’s famed for, while live
acoustic guitar sessions at the Beach Club are best watched from
a swinging daybed, coconut mojito in hand.
For something more traditional, about a 15-minute drive
from Echo Beach is Plataran Canggu. It’s Indonesian throughand-through,
its reception a painstakingly restored 250-year-old
jati wood Javanese joglo (house), with a clutch of alang alangthatched
villas sitting riverside, surrounded by gardens that
thrum with birdsong. Some have private pools and deep stone
bathtubs too. At Teras Canggu restaurant there’s fresh-fromthe-ocean
lobster bakso and the Padma spa for Balinese herbal
compress massages, followed by lemongrass milk baths.
OUT AND ABOUT
Edged by black volcanic-sand beaches and fairly consistent
waves, Canggu’s a great place for first-timer surfers to have a
go. For guaranteed top-notch tuition, book in with surf guru
Chucho at Tropicsurf ’s beach shack school at COMO Uma
Canggu; he’ll teach you the ropes in the property’s pool before
you hit the water.
It’s said that Bali has more temples than homes, and a
20-minute drive away from the heart of Canggu is its most
famous – striking offshore Hindu site Tanah Lot. While many
head there to see it silhouetted against the setting sun, traffic
at this time can be hellish, so opt for a morning or afternoon
gander instead. Motorbike enthusiasts should hit biker
paradise Deus Ex Machina; if you’re not a petrolhead, a small
contemporary art gallery and café will keep you entertained. For
souvenirs to ramp up the boho aesthetic back at home, pick up
furniture crafted from Indonesian materials at Interior Tonic
in Umulas, artisan throws and ceramics at concept store-meets
café Quince, and all-natural plant-dyed clothing at Yoli + Otis.
FINE FARE
Culinary enthusiasts are completely spoilt for choice here: so
diverse is the restaurant scene that you can indulge a hankering
for cuisine from almost anywhere in the world. Ulekan Bali does
Indonesian-style fine dining well; mix and match small plates
such as classic gado gado salad with charcoal-grilled prawn and
chicken satay sticks, or opt for the likes of slipper lobster in
black pepper sauce or banana leaf-wrapped barramundi from
the mains list. Three nights per week, traditional Balinese dance
performances take place.
For something more low-key, don’t miss dining as the locals
do at a warung or streetside stall. Warung Varana’s nasi campur
and spicy sambal are a surefire hit. At quirky Ji Terrace by the
Sea, alfresco dining takes place on a seaside rooftop, decked out
with statues of goddesses, centuries-old urns, Tibetan Masks,
and Indian lanterns. Not only do you get killer ocean views, but
the Japanese fusion menu will delight sushi lovers.
One of Canggu’s oldest and best-loved restaurants is roadside
shack Betelnut, known for its shabby-chic vibe, fresh bright
roasted pumpkin and spinach salads, beetroot burgers, and
homemade desserts which range from dragon fruit mousse to
Snickers cheesecake.
BEST BEACH BARS
To visit Bali and not check out at least a couple of beach clubs
is unthinkable, and Canggu has plenty of lovely spots. Just next
door to COMO Uma Canggu is the rather magical La Brisa, a
ramshackle-chic beachside bar crafted from wood reclaimed
from over 500 disused fishermen’s boats. Walkways flanked
by crumbling canoes draped in fairy lights lead to a pool with
swishy turquoise daybeds to lounge on and several thatched tree
houses decorated with antique buoys, fishing nets, and straw
baskets. On the menu are locally caught seafood dishes (think
fried squid with papaya Asian slaw), herb-infused cocktails, and
passion fruit sangria.
For more of a party vibe, there’s popular Finns Beach Club,
but instead of joining the masses, opt for a spot next door at
the club’s recently opened sister venue, the exclusive VIP Beach
Club Bali, where daybeds sit under palm trees on a manicured
lawn, and there’s a spa and Champagne Bar. For excellent sour
apple martinis and groovy tunes, grab a shaded spot under
one of the white-fringed parasols at The Lawn on Batu Bolong
beach, and get lost just watching the waves roll in.
previous page: Hindu temple Tanah Lot at sunset
opposite page, left to right from top: The view from COMO Uma Canggu;
fresh cuisine at Plataran Canggu; Aurora Open Deck at Plataran Canggu;
fine dining at Teras Canggu; surfing in Bali
CONTACT ABERCROMBIE & KENT
For more information, or to book your next tailor-made holiday
to Canggu, call our South-East Asia travel specialists on 01242
547 704.
32 | AUTUMN/WINTER 2019