Sanur and Canggu are both small coastal towns in Bali. Canggu is 10 km north of Kuta with around 10 km of beach with a laid-back vibe. Canggu tends to attract surfers types and digital nomads. While Sanur is on the east coast of Bali with its own beach. Sanur is more a quiet coastal town and tends to attract people for 2/3 night stays looking to relax.
Canggu and Sanur are both decent spots to visit in Bali. Both these two towns have awesome beaches and chilled nightlife. The nightlife in Canggu is a relaxed chilled surf vibe while Sanur is relaxed. They both have a good range of restaurants and opportunities to try local food. And there are other fun things to do in each town.
In this post, we will compare Canggu and Sanur in Bali. Let’s get started!
Learn More On Bali
- How Much Does Beer Cost in Bali?
- Bali Travel Tips – Reasons NOT to Visit Bali!
- What Are The Best Beaches in Bali?
- Is it Better To Stay in Seminyak or Nusa Dua?
- Can You Drink Tap Water in Bali?
- What Can You Not Eat in Bali?
Sanur Or Canggu
Canggu and Sanur have a very similar and very different feel from each other with Canggu having a more laid-back surfing and digital nomads-type vibe. And Sanur is a quaint little seaside town with a decent range of resorts.
Canggu and Sanur are close to each other, they are only less than 20 km apart or 35 minutes by taxi.
What’s The Nightlife Like?
Bali is known for its nightlife, but Sanur and Canggu both have decent nightlife but it is not wild. Generally speaking, they have a more relaxed nightlife. As well as a decent nightlife they offer more.
Let’s compare the nightlife between Sanur and Canggu.
Sanur Nightlife
Sanur does not have a wild nightlife, it does have restaurants, cafes shops, and bars that play music but they usually close around midnight.
The Casablanca, Bamboo Bar, and Beatles Cavern bar have been the standout bars in Sanur.
Canggu Nightlife
The Canggu nightlife is more of a chilled-out vibe. Canggu can be too quiet at times. It is only developing but it has some good bars, beach bars, and live music bars. With Flynn’s bar being the standout.
Which One Has The Better Beaches?
Bali is home to my beautiful beaches there is one difference from other tropical beaches is that some have black sand rather than white sand but their beaches stretch as far as the eye can see. Canggu and Sanur are both blessed with amazing beaches.
Beach In Canggu
The beach in Canggu is busier than the beach in Sanur. The beach in Canggu has a hipster vibe. You find on the beach a lot of people learning to surf or trying the surfing lifestyle along with bean bags on the beach.
Beach In Sanur
Sanur is a quiet beautiful beach with a local feel. The beach is dotted with small eateries and bars, so you will get your cold beer and meal. The sunset is amazing here at the beach.
Accommodation In Sanur Or Canggu
Canggu and Sanur are both good places for people with a particular interest in relaxing on the beach and enjoying a few drinks.
Choosing the right accommodation is important regardless if it is in either Canggu or Sanur.
Staying In Sanur
Sanur has a decent range of hotels, hostels, and resorts with beach views and amazing sunset bars. The prices in a little bit pricey compared to Canggu.
There are cheaper hostel options and hotel options that are only a few minutes walk from the beach or more. Especially in the low season.
Staying In Canggu
Canggu has a decent range of hotels, hostels, and resorts with beach views and amazing sunset bars. The prices in Canggu are affordable compared to Sanur.
There are cheaper hostel options and hotel options that are only a few minutes’ walk from the beach or more. Especially in the low season.
What To Do See In Sanur And Canggu?
Canggu and Sanur are both similar and different in many ways. Sanur has been known for beaches and resorts while Canggu is known to learn to surf and more.
Here are some of the best things to do in each place.
Things To Do In Sanur
Sanur is not the busiest place in Bali, it more or less is a seaside town. It offers good local food as well as other things like diving, learning about a turtle, or relaxing on the beach.
Here is our list of things to do in Sanur Bali.
- Relax on Sanur beach.
- Learning about sea turtles.
- Visit the spooky park.
- Visit Blanjong temple.
- Explore Bali Orchid Garden.
Read more about things to do in Sanur here.
Things To Do In Canggu
Canggu is developing and growing in popularity, especially as a surfing destination. It is also a great place if you want to relax and enjoy the laid-back vibe.
Here is our list of things to do in Canggu Bali.
- Enjoy snorkeling.
- Enjoy the sunset at the beach.
- Visit the Pura Tanah Lot temple.
- Try yoga and go for a massage.
- Take a hike up an active volcano.
Read more about things to do in Canggu here.
Best Time To Travel To Bali
Bali has an average temperature of between 25°C to 33°C all year round. Generally, Bali gets very busy between July and August as this is the tourist season. If you avoid visiting during the tourist season, prices for accommodation get a lot cheaper.
The best time to visit Bali is between April to June and then from September to October.
USEFUL TRAVEL RESOURCES
Book Accommodation
Booking.com has a large range of properties from hotels, hostels, guesthouses, and resorts where you will find the best deals. Airbnb and Hostelworld also have a good range of places to stay at good prices.
Booking Flight
Skyscanner is a flight search comparison website that searches millions of flights all at once. Ultimately it is the best flight comparison website online at the moment.
Booking Transportation & Things To Do
Rome2rio and 12Go are useful to plan how to get anywhere by searching train, bus, car, and ferry routes. Especially useful in countries like Vietnam or Thailand. While Klook is great for exploring things to do in each place.
Travel Insurance
Travel insurance is cheap and more than likely you will never need to use it but you will have peace of mind if something does happen, you are covered in case of an emergency. World Nomads have great customer service and competitive prices.
Check out our resource page for the best companies to use when you travel.
Wrapping Up
Finally, which one to choose depends on your plans. For people interested in surfing and a hipster vibe with a good range of restaurants and bars, then it is Canggu. On the other hand, if you are looking interested in somewhere that is not too busy with a nice beach, and just want to enjoy a laid-back vibe, then it is Sanur.
And that’s it for now! I’d love it if this post on Sanur or Canggu in Bali, which is better to visit was helpful to you. Let me know if you have any questions and let me know if there is more to add.