Canggu Vs Uluwatu
Choose Your Stay in Bali
Your surf trip to Bali is coming up and it is time to start planning your itinerary. But decision time has arrived and you need to choose where you want to stay, Canggu or Uluwatu ?
Both are great locations, with world-class waves, great nightlife and scenery, however they draw different types of tourists in. While both locations have the balinese charm, they can be quite different. This guide simplifies everything so you can determine which one best suits your travel preferences and lucky for you, soon Kima Surf Camps will be located in both areas!
Canggu vs Uluwatu
The first difference you will notice is the contrast in energy. Canggu’s streets are alive, but not in a chaotic way, rather in a fun and exciting way. The streets are filled with bars, restaurants, cafes and travellers who tend to stay longer than planned. Canggu is well-connected, everything is close and there is always something to do.
Uluwatu can feel like the opposite, the roads are more open, there are cliffs all around, lined by turquoise waters and a lifestyle that revolves around surfing. Morning surfs, laid-back beach days and sunsets, with the occasional epic night out.
Uluwatu: Surf focused days
Surfing in Uluwatu
Uluwatu is the mecca of surfing on the Island of Gods, it is a big deal for surfers. This is the place where avid surfers can score a barrel of a lifetime! The waves here are powerful, consistent and breaking on a reef. Uluwatu has a wave for everyone, Thomas Beach offers beginner-friendly conditions for surfers just starting out as well as Dreamland Beach. Intermediate surfers can work on their take offs, turns and cutbacks at spots like Balangan and Suluban, and for the more experienced surfers chasing barrels, Padang Padang and Bingin will provide. You will find your wave here!
Beaches in Uluwatu
Uluwatu has gorgeous beaches which are ideal for catching a tan, watching the surfers and having some fun with your friends. The beaches here are long white sand stretches, lined by turquoise waters and dramatic limestone cliffs. The beaches here are part of what makes Uluwatu so special. Each one feels slightly hidden and is only often accessed by stairs carved into cliffs or small paths through caves. Places like Padang Padang and Bingin feel intimate and relaxed, while Suluban is more dramatic, with waves crashing into cave-like entrances. Even if you’re not surfing, just exploring these beaches is an experience in itself.
Things to do and nightlife
Uluwatu is a simple place, it doesn't overwhelm you with a variety of things to do, it rather provides you with a few simple and epic activities, like surfing, beach hopping, fine dining, and taking in breathtaking sunsets. Sunsets become a daily ritual and enjoy one of many cliffside bars to meet other travellers and watch the sky light up.
At night, things stay relatively low-key. It’s more about dinner with a view or relaxed drinks rather than big parties, but there are also some vibey clubs and bars for those looking to dance the night away.
Canggu: Cafes and Socialising
Surfing in Canggu
Canggu is spoiled for choice when it comes to waves, and all levels of waves are situated side by side along a long stretch of beach. Starting with the beginner-friendly and longboarding waves of Batu Bolong, to the upper intermediate waves at Old Man’s. Next to Old Man’s you will find Echo Beach, this is an intermediate to advanced wave producing fast and playful left hand waves, leading into our A frame, occasionally barreling waves found at Sandbar, ideal for our advanced surfers looking for the occasional barrel when the conditions are right. Last but very not least you will find Pererenan, with a punchy right hand wave, accompanied by a cruiser left hand wave as well, ideal for intermediate to advanced surfers. Canggu’s line up is lively, social and friendly!
Beaches in Canggu
Canggu beaches are easily accessed. Everything feels easy to get to — beaches, cafés, surf schools, and accommodation are all close together, so you’re never far from your next stop. The beaches are lined with surf schools and the sand is black and volcanic, especially striking at sunset when the whole beach turns deep orange and gold. It’s not the classic tropical postcard look, but it fits the surf-town vibe perfectly.
The beaches are lined with warungs (local restaurants) serving cheap meals, fresh coconuts, and cold Bintangs. You can go straight from a surf lesson to sitting in the sand with a drink and meeting travellers from all over the world.
Things to do and nightlife
When the sun goes down, Canggu comes alive. Monday nights call for Metto Mondays at Luigi's, enjoying Italian food, great cocktails and techno music, while Wednesdays are all about Old Man’s beer pong tournaments and a very social, chaotic midweek crowd. Fridays tend to shift to beach club grooves at the famous Finns Beach Club, where sunsets turn into full party. You’ll also find iconic late nights like dancing on tables at Mexicola, or trying local arak shots at X Bar, which is a bit of a rite of passage for many travellers.
Kima Surf Camps: Canggu Vs Uluwatu
Both camps offer the same complete Kima Surf package, regardless of whether you stay in Canggu or Uluwatu. Enjoy two guided surf sessions daily, daily yoga classes, a three-course breakfast, a variety of social activities, access to 24/7 coworking spaces, weekly video analysis and surf theory classes and more!
The same framework applies to each camp: Eat, Sleep and Surf. The surrounding area and way of life are the only significant differences.
Kima Surf Camp Canggu
Kima Surf Camp in Canggu is located in the heart of an up-and-coming district, just steps from the beach. Several top-class surf spots are right outside the door, making it ideal for both beginners and experienced surfers.
The camp is infused with authentic Balinese flair throughout its design. All rooms are located either by the natural stone pool in the tropical garden or by the expansive beach pool, which features a diving platform and bar.
The camp also offers a 15-meter-high climbing wall, a fully equipped 400 m² gym with yoga classes, a surf skate ramp, an ice bath, and a pool with a countercurrent system. For those who need to work while on vacation, the co-working space at Kima Surf Yoga & Fitness Resort provides ample room and fast internet.
Kima Surf Camp Uluwatu
Kima Surf Camp in Uluwatu is opening soon in the centre of one of the top surfing locations in the world, along the limestone cliffs of the Bukit Peninsula.
With everything brand-new, untouched, and carefully planned from the ground up, this recently constructed camp is opening its doors for the first time, giving visitors the unique opportunity to be among the first to experience it.
The camp is designed for surfers who choose to spend their days in the water, blending the laid-back pace of Balinese island living with daily surf sessions. Kima Surf Camp offers a full surf experience, both on and off the board, from dawn patrols to sunset relaxation.
Let’s not forget! Kima Surf Camp Seminyak
Our surf camp in Seminyak is located in the heart of the excitement Seminyak has to offer. The camp has authentic Balinese flair in every detail. The rooms sit by a natural stone pool and jacuzzi, with a tropical garden on one side and the pool bar on the other. It is within walking distance to the beach and several local surf breaks, which are great for beginner surfers, giving you easy access to some of Bali's best waves.
The camp comes with two pools, a pool bar, a whirlpool, a yoga shala, an ice bath, a massage room, and a coworking space, providing everything you need to relax, train, or get some work done while on vacation.
All our camps offer the same surf coaching, structure, and community — the difference is the lifestyle around it. Canggu is social, active, and packed with things to do, with cafés, nightlife, and full facilities on your doorstep. It’s the easy, high-energy choice. Uluwatu is quieter, more scenic, and surf-focused, perfect if you want slower days and better waves.
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