This was published 2 years ago
Things to do in Canggu, Bali: Expert expat Beau Whittington's tips
By Belinda Jackson
Labrisa beach club is a favourite among expats.Credit: Fauzy Chaniago
THE EXPAT
Beau Whittington moved from the Sunshine Coast to Bali in 2017 to take up a job in marketing with Finns Beach Club (finnsbeachclub.com) in Canggu. He takes over as CEO next month.
"It's been a challenge to see how a tourism business survives with zero tourism," he says of the last two years. "We have done well with the domestic market but are ready and waiting for tourists to return."
Finns Beach Club's CEO Beau Whittington spends a lot of time surfing or in beach clubs.
SEE
I spend a lot of time at beach clubs. I'm often at Como at Echo Beach (comohotels.com), and Labrisa (labrisa-bali.com) is really cool, too. The Lawn (thelawncanggu.com) has just been renovated and has a nice vibe. Then Black Sand Brewery (blacksandbrewery.com) on Friday nights for the pre-party. Each has its own personality, some are cheap, some expensive.
DO
We surf a lot. There are waves for everyone here. Echo Beach is usually the go-to, but if it's small, we get the longboards out at Old Man's for fun. When the weather's good, we go down for a beer in the warungs. My favourite is Cabanon (instagram.com/cabanonbali). It's half warung, half restaurant, but it's still sandy and it's still on the beach. I'm drinking Heineken draft there, so it's an upmarket warung.
EAT
I've had a plant-based diet for seven years, and the scene is so big here, that even non-vegan people are enjoying the food. The Japanese at Yuki is delicious but right now my favourite is Da Romeo (facebook.com/daromeobali) in Berawa, with a separate full plant-based menu. I have the gnocchi ai funghi every time I go there. I would have eaten it 200 times. I am Vegan Babe (instagram.com/iamveganbabe), Manggis (manggisincanggu.com) and Secret Spot (facebook.com/secretspotbali) all have amazing food and good coffee.
DRINK
During COVID, a whole bunch of speakeasies cropped up – no marketing, no branding. Some you even needed a password to get in, and you couldn't park your bike out the front. Shady Pig (facebook.com/theshadypig) and Shady Fox need a password, Behind the Green Door (instagram.com/behindthegreendoor_bali) is more about the party and Forty Thieves (facebook.com/40thieves.bali) is for the live music. They're now legal and well known. There's also some new craft beer brands cropping up – try Kura Kura's Island Ale (kurakurabeer.com) and Island Brewing's pilsner (islandbrewing.beer) is also amazing. The owners are both my friends, they'd kill me if I didn't mention them.
AVOID
I'll sound like a broken record but avoid crashing your scooter. I've seen so many crashes. If you're drinking, get a Gojek (the Indonesian ride-sharing app, gojek.com). It's a dollar. Your whole life can be saved for a dollar.
THRIVE
After a night partying, you can feel good again with a spa, sauna, ice bath and massage. I do it weekly here. We don't have it at home in Australia, I have to stop taking it for granted.
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