Hello Lovelies,
so our second stopp in Bali was CANGGU. Our hotel offered a complimentary airport pick-up, so we paid them a bit extra and they picked us up in Jimbaran, very convenient. It took us a bit more than 1 hour to get to Canggu, but that is typical with the traffic in Bali.
In general you really need a bit more patience with traffic, since it can be really crazy especially with all the motorbikes. They really cary anything on their motorbikes, 2-3 kids plus parents (on ONE motorbike!!), dogs, chickens, bikes and surfboards for sure. We decided not to rent one, since we found it too dangerous with the kids. Even though everyone is telling you that people respect each other and be careful, I just would not have felt saved with a moving kid on the motorbike. But if you are traveling without kids, than the motorbike is for sure the best option for Canggu.
Our Hotel: Kalapa Bali Resort
The resort is a bit tugged away in the back country - it's a 10 minute car ride till Canggu. But on the other hand, its really idyllic, calm and serene. We booked the Villa Samsara and have not been disappointed, the whole interior is just amazing. A huge canopy bed - it was at least 3 meters high, beautiful details in the whole room. The open bathroom with the rain shower and the round bathtub just gave the whole room a special ambience - I was in love from the very beginning. The girls had a day bed and another bed prepared on the floor, which was totally okay. The only small thing that was missing have been more options to store your clothes. The resort is surrounded by nature and that is what you hear as well, we had some funny frogs quaking in front of our bathroom all night - just to let you know what to expect :-).
Kalapa Resort consists of several villas/rooms in small houses, they have 2 pools a yoga house and we thought the whole ground was really nice. All the employees have been extremely friendly and we felt welcome from the very beginning. Breakfast is included in the package and there is a menu with ca. 15 dishes that you could choose from and order the evening before. I was totally okay with the choices they offered, Daddy Frei was not so happy and decided to take the Pancakes nearly every day (nobody knows why :-). I had lots of different things, like smoothie-bowls, coconut porridge or avocado on bread and they always served fresh fruits and juices. The kitchen is very tiny, so sometimes it took a bit longer since we received our food. So just don't expect the choices of a big hotel buffet.
They offer a shuttle to get to Canggu, but its only a drop-off and no pick-up and the last one is at 4 pm. But if you want to go at another time or also to other places, you can pay extra and they drive you. And the price was really reasonable.
One of my favorite things about Kalapa have been the daily complimentary yoga classes. The teacher is doing a wonderful job and I enjoyed it a lot and went every day, I can only recommend it.
We had booked a package that included a 1/2 hour massage for the adults, but since I'm the best wife in the world, I let hubby have the whole hour and he was really happy with it. They don't have a Spa- the massage was given in the room.
We also had a balinese cooking class included and this was held in their partner property: Planta Villa. I have to say, the Villa is amazing as well. Elegant and esthetically decorated and I loved the open concept, an interior dream. They have 5 rooms in the villa, so this would be a great place if you travel to Bali in a bigger group or as a family. So the cooking course took place in the big open kitchen and we prepared chicken and fish for Daddy Frei and I made a typical balinese salsa and veggies. The course itself wasn't special and I would not book it again, but the location was stunning and just to see it was worth going there.
Food in Canggu:
There is such a big variety on food options in Canggu and I'm sure everyone can find something for his taste. From street food to fancy beach clubs it's all there. I was of course happy about all the "Healthy food" options and vegan restaurants. So the first day we took the shuttle to Canggu to explore it a bit. You have to know that the restaurants are spread in different areas of Canggu and they aren't all in walking distance from each other. And please be aware that Canggu isn't stroller friendly at all, at least not if you want to walk around. You always have to walk next to the street, so the best way would be to put smaller kids in a carrier and bigger kids walk by your side.
Our first stop was "The Shady Shak" - a vegetarian cafe/restaurant with lots of healthy and trendy choice. We only wanted a small appetizer, so we went for the Avocado-Toast, summer rolls, some fried mushrooms and omelet with veggies. And the food was just amazing, fresh and healthy. I would have loved to eat my way through the whole menu, so after our first visit we came back twice to try more options. I fell in love with the place and it's safe to say it was my favorite place in Canggu.
We wanted to have diner at "The Lawn" - a beach club with pool, but they didn't have a proper table without reservation. The athmosphere was nice though and the food looked good. We then went to another place in the same street **"Beachgarden - In The RAW Bali". **The restaurant caters for all different tastes and the food was okay, but nothing special.
We spent the next afternoon in Semniyak and walked around the area before having dinner at the trendy "Revolver Espresso" which we really liked. Food was yummy and we liked the vibes and the good coffee. I even bought some coffee beans to bring them home and also took the bottle from my cold brew as souvenir. For dessert we went to the highly recommended **"Mad Pops Bali", **but I have to admit it wasn't that good, or maybe we went for the wrong flavors.
We had many more spots on the list for Semniyak like: Sea Circus, Cafe Organic, Kynd Community, The Spicy Coconut, Shelter Bali - but we just didn't have enough time.
On our third day we went to have dinner in Canggu again. I had heard a lot about **"Peloton Supershop" - **a vegan place that is trending on Instagram. One of the main reasons might be that Elsa from Elsas Wholesomelife, is a regular visitor there and she also created some of their dishes (Elsa has a great food guide for Bali on her Blog as well). We decided to try the Burgers and Hot Dogs - everything vegan of course! The girls didn't like the Seitan Hot Dogs that much, even though they tasted not that bad. The Burgers have been good, but I think the next time I would choose one of the bowls, they looked amazing.
The restaurant "Dandelion" which we visited the next day was a recommendation from my lovely blogger colleague Lynn from www.heavenlynnhealthy.com, she also gave me the tipp for the Kalapa Resort. You can check her Blog for her Bali Guide here, I also read it before we went. Dandelion is a small balinese warung with a lovely athmosphere and super nice waitresses. They even memorized our names and took great care of us. A highlight for the girls have been the bunnies that run around the restaurant - perfect entertainment for the kids. The food was lovely and you can find good options for everyone.
We also went to Kuta for one day, since we wanted to look for something specific and though we might find it in the shopping mall. Beachwalk Bali is okay, but you really dont need to go there. The only good thing was that they had a branch **"Nalu Bowls" **there and I could try their smoothie bowls. I didn't like Kuta at all, and I have to say I have no idea why people would spent their vacation there - but hey just my opinion.
Back in cozy Canggu we spent the evening in "Milk & Madu". A very casual and family friendly place with a super nice playground, so we could enjoy our dinner and the girls have been busy playing. They offer Pizza "All-you-can-eat" on Sundays and thats what we went for. The kids even get a pizza for free. They also offer vegan options and they have been really good, I had one pizza with pumpkin and one with spinach and kale.
We spent our last evening in Canggu at **"Deus Cafe" (Daddy Freis choice) ** - at first I thought the name and the motorbike Shop at the entrance are not so promising, but they have a really nice backyard, with a nice vibe and the food was good too. The girls had spaghetti and I went for a Buddha Bowl - everyone was happy.
Also worth mentioning was "Motion Cafe" - I went there twice to get some Chia Pudding in a jar for breakfast/snack and it was delicious. They also offer lot of different options for plant based milk and other healthy food options.
Our time in Canggu went by so quick, we really liked the place and would go there again. We enjoyed the resort, the pools, the daily yoga classes and in general to be surrounded by beautiful nature. We didn't mind that we had to go to Canggu or other places by taxi, since transportation is affordable and easy to get. We would choose the resort again, maybe for a shorter time.
Next to Kalapa is also another accommodation: JungleRoom. We went there one day to look at the grounds and the rooms.They showed us the Villa Mango, a 3 bedroom house with a own pool and kitchen, which was really beautiful. Would have been a very good alternative as well, especially if you travel with more than 2 kids or with friends.
I really hope you like our Canggu helps and you can use some of our tips. And now off to our last stop: Ubud. And if you'd like to bring Canggu's healthy-food vibe home, our chickpea curry with coconut milk and spinach is quick to make and completely vegan.
Love Verena
