Canggu

After catching a late night flight to Denpasar from Cairns and waiting for an hour and half in the queue for immigration we were finally through the doors to the departure lounge at around 1.30am local time (3.30am). We had organised our transfer to our guest house before so were greeted by our names on a whiteboard and were ascorted through the crowds of locals asking if we wanted a taxi. After hoping into the car and driving through the streets we realised that this was very different to Australia! With 15 motorbikes for every car weaving all around you, honking their horns to let people know that they were there. At around 3am we finally stumbled into bed tired from travelling but also excited about what the next day in Bali would bring.

Canggu is part of Bali, famous for it’s surfing and laid back vibe, with lots of hip shops and fantastic eateries. On our first day we went for a fantastic breakfast at a cafe called beetlejuice. Will got very excited when he saw the prices on the menu and ordered himself a coffee, juice and large breakfast burrito. After getting our head around the currency 50,000RP is equivilant to just over £5. We headed down to the Batu Balong beach to see what all the fuss was about.

It was evident from the sheer size of the waves why this was such a special place for surfers with waves getting up to around 5 meters at least everyday. The sand was a mixture of yellow and black due to Bali being a volcanic island. There is also various beach clubs dotted along the beach which all offered surf lessons, board hire and even beverages for you to enjoy while watching the waves. We then journeyed to another cafe for lunch in which we indulged in dragon fruit smoothy bowls, making us both feel very healthy indeed. When we ventured into Canggu at night it had a new face again, with many vibrant bars, resturants and events going on. It truely is a magical place.

To be honest, the next two days we spent very lazilat the same beach club, visiting breakfast cafes (Life Crate being our absolute Fav). Indeed, most of the day consisted of me sipping on juice and Will on his Bingtang, (an indonesian beer) On our third day there we finally plucked up the courage to book ourselves onto a surf lesson. I had surfed a couple of times in cornwall and france before and with Will new love of surfing after trying it in New Zeland we embarked on a two hour lesson with an instructor. After practicing getting up on the sand on land we then entered the sea to try and see if we could stand up there and most importantly who was the best out of the two of us.

One thing I can say about surfing at Batu Balong beach is that it is truly exhusting. As you had to first battle through the strong waves in various depths. When I first attempted to get to Will who had gone first and paddled out, I got completely caught in a wave break above me and got completely wipped out. Paddling out was also exhusting as one minute our instructor would be there the next he would be 10 meters away, I’ll tell you now these instructors are fit. After failing completely on the first wave I caught, the second wave was much more promising with me being able to stand up. Will also managed to stand up for a couple of waves. It was like I had muscle memory and my body was remembering how to surf even on these big waves. Will however  was not so lucky and in his own words “regressed” and apeared to be catapolting himself forward in more of a dive movement than a standing up motion (it made good viewing). After a two fantastic exhausting hours we had managed to ride a few waves and most importantly, I was definetly the best.

That evening we visited a bar called Deus, it was very cool and indie. On a Tuesday they had an event called Tacos and Tattuus. Every Tuesday all people had to do was purchase a Taco platter and a Bingtang totaling around £6 and they would be eligible for a free 20 minute tattoo, by some incredible indonesian tattoo artists. It was pretty crazy to be sat having cocktails watching people get tattooed. In case your wondering Dad I didn’t get one don’t worry!

The next day we paid a visit to Kuta purely to visit WaterBom ‘Asia’s no 1 waterpark’. Although Will was not keen on the idea as he didn’t feel it was cultural enough. I was estatic! My parents take us to a waterpark every year on our family holidays as it guarantees a kid free day where they can get rid of us. After trying a few of the big tube slides to begin with including bomarang where you went down a very steep slope and up the other side. We went to try a type of slide which I have not done before the Trap door. I decided to go first. The most alarming part is when the door closes and you a trapped in a very small chamber with a voice going 3,– 2, — , when it gets to 1, I felt a little more relaxed as I know there is nothing that I can do. Then you drop, theres nothing that quiet compares to that adrenline rush or the fact that you know you are okay and still all limbs attached. After visiting every ride in the park and bomarang a total of 6 times we headed back to canggu. After visiting Kuta we were very glad not to be staying there, it can only be described as the magaluf of Bali.

Overall, we had such a fabulous few days in Canggu such a great place to get ourselves acustomed with Asia. We the next day travelled to Ubud with a very scenic tour planned on the way!