It’s been about two weeks since we came back to Bali from Malaysia.
Right now, we’re staying in Kuta, one of the most popular areas in Bali, but we actually spent the first week in Canggu!
As expected, Canggu has become highly developed as a tourist destination, with plenty of stylish restaurants and cafes catering to foreigners. Interestingly, just a few years ago, this area was said to be nothing but rice fields.
Even guidebooks from last year describe Canggu as the trendiest spot in Bali. However, when talking to locals, many say that Canggu is already “yesterday’s news” — the new hot spot is Uluwatu. And indeed, it seems that Europeans are flocking to Uluwatu more and more these days.
In addition, there are rapid developments happening in other areas too, such as an airport and resort projects in Kubutambahan in the north.
I did a bit of research and found out that Bali is about 2.5 times the size of Tokyo. Yet, the Bali most of us imagine as the ultimate “resort island” is concentrated mainly in the southern part. It makes me wonder if, in the coming years, we’ll see the eastern and western parts of the island undergo similar resort-style development as well.
This kind of pattern reminds me of places like Ikuchijima and Ōmishima in the Seto Inland Sea of Japan. A few years ago, there weren’t nearly as many shops there as there are now, but slowly the number has grown. Perhaps it’s human nature — a kind of instinct to gather in places surrounded by the sea, drawn to the beauty of the ocean. (After all, it was the beauty of the Seto Inland Sea that inspired us as a couple to relocate there!)
Anyway, back to Bali. Both my wife and I are huge coffee and cafe lovers. In fact, when we were living in Mexico, we even considered importing Mexican coffee beans to Japan. Wherever we travel, we love exploring the local cafe scene.
One spot we absolutely fell in love with in Canggu is a cafe/restaurant called Bokashi Berawa. The place was founded by someone from New Zealand who moved to Bali 11 years ago in search of an endless summer. After years of trial and error — especially during the pandemic — he finally established this cafe/restaurant, which is deeply inspired by Zen and Japanese culture. Every detail of the space has been carefully designed.
On the first floor, there’s an organic store where you can buy nuts and spices by weight, or even pick up some organic honey. It’s considered very high-end by local standards, yet it’s incredibly popular. From breakfast through lunchtime, the place is packed!
It always makes me happy to see shops overseas that are inspired by Japanese culture gaining so much popularity.
In Kuta, we even came across a figure and karaoke shop run by a Japanese owner. When we chatted with him, he told us that Japanese anime figures are selling like crazy here in Bali. He already has three shops and is planning to open several more in the near future. Interestingly, most of the buyers are Western tourists — from Europe, the U.S., Australia, and so on.
Since Kuta is one of the most popular areas in Bali, it seems there are quite a few Japanese residents here as well. There are also many Japanese restaurants scattered around the area, and the quality is surprisingly high!
Both of these shops are actually run by Japanese owners, and interestingly, both of them came to Bali last year. Despite having no prior experience in running a restaurant, they decided to give it a try — and they’ve done an amazing job!
The food at both places is delicious, so if you ever find yourself in Kuta and feel like taking a break from Indonesian cuisine, I can definitely recommend giving them a visit.
It makes me wonder… wouldn’t it be nice if we had more restaurants like this on Ikuchijima too?🐡
We’ve got about 10 more days left before heading back to Japan…🛬
Unfortunately, my chronic conjunctivitis has been getting worse, and my left eye has started to blur, which is beginning to affect my daily life. I’m planning to visit a local hospital tomorrow, and if things don’t improve, I may even consider returning to Japan earlier than planned…
There are only about 10 days left until our scheduled return anyway, so perhaps it won’t make much of a difference — but health comes first….💦