If you go between Canggu and Seminyak regularly and don’t want to spend all day stuck in traffic, then sooner or later, you’re going to be tempted to use the Canggu shortcut.
However, you may want to read our guide to the Canggu shortcut before you head off through the rice fields of Bali, as it can be quite an experience, particularly for drivers who are new to how things work on the roads of Bali.
Bali And Traffic Jams And Why The Canggu Shortcut Exists
Bali is an amazing place. It’s a true paradise island in the tropics. In the age of travel that means there are an awful lot of people that want to spend time here.
While the digital nomads may have been one of the first groups to discover how awesome Canggu is, they weren’t the last, and now Canggu is as busy as its neighbour Seminyak.
Unfortunately, while there have been huge numbers of developments to cater for the interest in Bali, the local government has not been able to keep pace with this reality.
Therefore, infrastructure has been lagging behind – partly due to a lack of money and primarily because there are a huge number of priorities for making Bali better for locals, of which roads are only a fraction of the issue.
That means that despite the growing number of vehicles on the roads here each year catering to the growing economy, there’s a lot less space per vehicle than there once was.
Cars regularly find themselves stuck in traffic jams during the busiest parts of the day, and even scooters, which could once weave their way between vehicles, are now left with the faint hope of doing nothing much more than sitting in traffic.
Thus, travel time has become a major issue, particularly for people who work and live here.
While a tourist can often look out the window of their hired car and enjoy the pace of life and ignore the traffic, those who serve them cannot.
The Canggu Shortcut exists as a response to the growing frustrations with traffic.
It is not an official road but rather a mutual effort from drivers and locals to find a solution to getting from A to B in a sensible time.
The Value Of The Shortcut To Drivers
There are three main benefits of the Canggu Shortcut:
Time-saved – it’s an actual shortcut and dramatically reduces the time it takes to drive from the Berawa area to Batu Bolong
Beauty – this area is very beautiful, the Canggu shortcut takes you through the local fields and villages, though the rice fields and rice paddies are disappearing now
Convenience – the two areas of Canggu and Seminyak have a lot of useful amenities, and being able to get between them in a sensible time makes it easier to engage with the local economy
Where Is The Canggu Shortcut?
The Canggu Shortcut exists to bypass the two busy roads of Jalan Pantai Batu Bolong and Jalan Pantai Berawa.
It starts just not far from FINNS Beach Club at Jalan Subak Canggu and connects to Jalan Anggerek.
Note: Cars may only enter this shortcut from the West, but it’s not recommended to do so at all as the narrow road is not ideal for speed in a car, and it can be easier and faster just to follow the main road.
FINNS Beach Club
FINNS is considered to be the world’s best beach club by those in the know, and that’s because of its generous door policy (no entry fee and no minimum spend) and its infinity pools, bars, restaurants, and live DJs and vocalists.
If you want to party in Bali, then there’s no better destination to part at than FINNS, and it’s fully family-friendly, too. So bring the little ones.
How Long Does The Canggu Shortcut Take To Drive?
The Canggu Shortcut takes about 15 minutes to drive from one end to the other. The pass through the fields leading to Seminyak has plenty of charm and beauty to appreciate, though the rice fields are definitely disappearing now.
Is The Canggu Shortcut Safe?
There are shortcuts, and then there’s the Canggu Shortcut. Most shortcuts in developed countries follow a series of backstreets to provide a solution to bad traffic in an area.
That’s not how this shortcut works. The Canggu Shortcut is a series of narrow paths on private property.
The road is very narrow (two cars cannot pass each other easily without one of them ending up in a ditch).
On top of that, at busy times of day, it sees a lot of traffic too.
So, if you intend to use the shortcut, we’d recommend you do it only if you are an experienced driver or rider and you keep a very careful eye on where you are going.
Accidents are not uncommon on this stretch of road, and there have, sadly, been a few fatalities there too.
The Canggu Pole
Perhaps only in Bali could a traffic pole become a landmark, but it has.
The Canggu pole is just a traffic pole in the middle of the road, it was meant to split the road into a pair of lanes for cars to pass each other. In reality, it just causes confusion.
It’s become something of an ongoing joke because every time somebody puts it up, within 24 hours, it’s removed by an angry local.
Does The Canggu Shortcut Get Any Repairs/Improvements
Yes, in fact, locals and expats regularly club together to provide money to improve this shortcut and recently did so to rid the place of potholes. The government is examining ways to improve things too.
FAQs
What Is the Famous Shortcut In Canggu?
It’s called the “Canggu Shortcut”, and it links the Batu Bolong Area to the Berawa Area.
This is an informal road through the local rice paddies, and you may not want to tackle this shortcut unless you are an experienced rider.
Drivers tell us that their first trip on this route made them understand what it is to be a local driver, and it was hard to get used to.
What Makes Canggu Special? Why Is Canggu Famous?
Canggu was once an area only known to a few tourists and even though it encompasses three parallel villages, each with its own beach, it really wasn’t all that busy.
This is not the case today and the Canggu area has completely transformed into one of the most popular places to be on the island.
You will find digital nomads galore, rubbing shoulders with holidaymakers and expats.
One of the reasons that Canggu is most famous is the presence of FINNS. FINNS is the best beach club in the world, and 1 in 8 people who visit Bali come to FINNS.
Also, if you have not been to FINNS Recreation Club before, then we’d invite you to do so before you use the Canggu Shortcut, as it’s not far away in Canggu either.
It’s the best fitness and recreation facility in Bali and has everything from a ten-pin bowling alley (Strike), to a trampolining centre (Bounce), to a Junior Sports Academy (JSA) and more.
The Recreation Club is also home to the excellent Bistro C Sports Bar which is great for tasty food, cold beers and live screens to watch sporting events on.
This area also has excellent shops and much more to discover. Canggu is famous because of its beauty and balance between traditional and modern Bali.
Where Is Canggu Main Street? What Is The Most Popular Street In Canggu?
Jalan Pantai Batu Bolong (which literally means Batu Bolong Beach Road).
It’s a busy and popular road that runs through the area and connects to roads through the other busy beach destinations in Bali.
Is Canggu Very Touristy?
It has certainly become more touristy over the years, but that’s not a bad thing. When you come to Bali, you almost certainly want some home comforts, and it’s those comforts that keep people coming back to Bali year after year.
Canggu has plenty of charm, and locals and residents alike have worked hard to see the area developed to deliver awesome cafes, restaurants, and attractions.
No, it’s not the Canggu of years ago, but it’s still very much one of the nicest places to wander around the local shops, head to the beaches and enjoy the relaxed pace of life in Bali.
Final Thoughts On The Famous Shortcut From Canggu To Seminyak
The Canggu Shortcut was born out of necessity for locals and residents to get back and forth between the Batu Bolong and Berawa Areas.
It’s an interesting journey through the new urban growth here to help you travel to Seminyak faster than you can on the main roads.
However, you may find that if you’re just visiting the area, it’s safer and not that arduous to follow the main route.
Most drivers find their first time following the Canggu shortcut to be something of an ordeal, and it’s not unusual for scooters to end up alongside their riders in the muddy fields next to the math.
<Meta> If you need to get from Canggu to Seminyak fast, you might want to consider the Canggu Shortcut. Our guide will tell you everything you need to know about it.
