Digital Nomading in Canggu

First Week

Canggu is famous as one of the best places for digital nomads to work and play. We decided to stay here for two weeks (in different locations) to try it out ourselves.

In some ways, Canggu feels more like a miniature LA than Bali where the large giant 10 lane highways got shrunk down into tiny roads and alleyways and the SUV’s turned into little motor scooters.

Most of the restaurants are trendy coffee shops, sushi restaurants, Italian pizzarias, and “California” restaurants serving avocado toast and vegan burgers. The restaurants are beautifully decorated with high end open air concepts at a quarter the price for the same meals in California.

But it’s still hot in the middle of the day, and walking along the dusty streets is never pleasant. It’s like hopping from oasis to oasis. We had some really good sushi, fancy Asian fusion, $4 steak…

But then there’s the beach. Motorbikes with surfboard holders and special dog holders all make their way to the wide sandy beach (we’re close enough to walk) where walking is now a treat. There are cute dogs running around everywhere, vendors selling corn, and lots and lots of surfers dotting the horizon.

And for good reason. The waves here are large and steady, and the soft sandy beach (black sand) makes it safe to surf close to shore. And on our first night there, we even saw someone with a pet river otter! The unleashed otter would run along the beach with its owner in and out of the surf. Amazing.

Of course, the highlight is the phenomenal sunset every night at the beach. The weather cools down and is perfect right before the sun sets. Baby Bear can’t get enough of running down the long flat beach as the waves gently glide up the sand. There are picturesque rocks and cliffs scattered along the beach that make for beautiful photos.

Everyone here is an expat. The beach, the surf, the hospitality, and the ability to live off a fraction of what it takes anywhere else is very alluring. We spent half a day at a coworking space (where I wrote some blog posts). They offer air conditioning, comfortable desks, and wifi, just for the cost of waitstaff delivering great inexpensive food to you as you work. Life is hard.

There are a million yoga studios, crossfit gyms and the like. Mama Bear even went to a horse riding arena tucked behind all the shops. Things are convenient. We had someone pick up our laundry, take video evidence of the items collected, and return it washed and folded in two days for under $2.

We also spent a lot of time at Clear Cafe. They have all vegan ice creams, vegan quesadillas, and tuna everything. The food is OK, but the vibe is awesome. You take off your shoes to go upstairs. They have a large slide, a fireman’s pole, and lots of bean bags. We first found it at a nomad’s movie night where they watched the Super Mario Bros movie in the back. There was also a board game night happening at the same time.

We met some other families there for lunch. It seems most people live in Canggu for a few weeks (like us) up to a year. It’s fun but hard to build strong ties as everyone moves on eventually.

And we moved on too. We’ll miss our baller apartment. $70 a night, with a giant door, almost every wall made of floor-to-ceiling glass, private access to the pool, and convenient to the beach and to local restaurants. But all good things must end. We go to Gili Air for the weekend and then to a different part of Canggu when we return.