GuideCanggu vs Ubud
If you are planning a workation in Bali, you will almost certainly end up choosing between Canggu and Ubud. I did not choose: I worked one week from each, back to back. Here is how they compare, based on those two weeks.
After two weeks of holiday through Bali, Gili Trawangan, Lombok and Nusa Penida, I returned to Bali to work. My first workweek was in Ubud, where I stayed at Clan Living – The Founder. Over the weekend I travelled to Canggu for my second workweek at Tribal Bali Coworking Hostel.
I had already visited Ubud during the holiday part of the trip, so I was excited to go back and work from there. For Canggu, I was mostly looking forward to working close to the beach, and to my next cold coconut at breakfast.
Ubud felt like a very natural place to work remotely. It is lively enough to keep things interesting, but calmer and more grounded than the busier coastal areas. That made it a great place to settle in and focus, while still feeling like I was fully enjoying Bali around my workdays.
I stayed in central Ubud, which meant cafés, restaurants and everything I needed were close by. That matters a lot on a workation: a good stay is not just about the room itself, but about how easy it is to live and work around it.
A beautiful, quiet hotel with a practical coworking space by the pool, and private rooms with a desk and an actual office chair. It ticked every box on my list: a private room with a proper chair, fast and secure internet, a pool, a restaurant on site, and walking distance to central Ubud. The host texted me every morning, at the time I chose, to say breakfast was ready. I felt at home, and was a bit sad to leave after a week.
Canggu was a different experience: close to the beach, more social, and built around people who combine travel with work.
The best coworking hostel I have ever stayed in, and still the best workation stay I can name. It has a coworking space with a lively open area and more private areas, an infinity pool, a restaurant with local and international food, private rooms as well as dorms, fast internet across the whole property and networking events organised by the Tribal community. The beach is a few hundred metres away.
Thanks to Tribal, that week was completely stress-free. I could focus on work and got very inspired by the place I was working from. It felt like a place that already understood the needs of people who combine travel with work, and that removed a lot of friction.
| Canggu | Ubud | |
|---|---|---|
| Atmosphere | Canggu is social, beachy and busier | Ubud is calm, green and grounded |
| Workspace | In Canggu from a full coworking space on site | In Ubud I worked from my room and the coworking area by the pool |
| Community | Canggu came with a ready-made community and events | Ubud felt more private and personal |
| Daily life | In Canggu, the beach was a few hundred metres away | In central Ubud, cafés and restaurants were within walking distance |
| Best for | Energy and meeting people | Focus and calm |
Atmosphere
Canggu: Canggu is social, beachy and busier
Ubud: Ubud is calm, green and grounded
Workspace
Canggu: In Canggu from a full coworking space on site
Ubud: In Ubud I worked from my room and the coworking area by the pool
Community
Canggu: Canggu came with a ready-made community and events
Ubud: Ubud felt more private and personal
Daily life
Canggu: In Canggu, the beach was a few hundred metres away
Ubud: In central Ubud, cafés and restaurants were within walking distance
Best for
Canggu: Energy and meeting people
Ubud: Focus and calm
In both places, internet at my stay was fast enough for a full week of meetings, which is exactly why I chose them. Elsewhere on the island, internet quality varies, so always check a stay before you book.
Time difference
Bali is seven hours ahead of CET in European winter and six in summer, so your mornings are free and European meetings land in your afternoon and evening
Entry
EU citizens need a 30-day visa on arrival or e-VOA (IDR 500,000), plus the IDR 150,000 Bali tourism levy and the free All Indonesia arrival card
Getting between them
Ubud and Canggu are roughly an hour to an hour and a half apart by car, depending on traffic; I made the move over the weekend
Data
An eSIM gives you mobile internet as soon as you land at Denpasar
Both weeks worked really well for me. If you have the time, splitting your stay between them, as I did, lets you experience both sides of Bali. If you have to choose:
Choose Ubud if…
Choose Canggu if…
Read the full story in my Bali trip report, compare Bali with Thailand, or plan your stay with my Bali, Ubud and Canggu workation guides.
