In our humble opinion, surf camps in Canggu offer some of the best beginner surf packages in Southeast Asia. With Kuta too busy and too polluted to be worth it, this is the new playground on Bali. Here are The Surf Atlas team’s recommendations for the best options in 2023…
Canggu has to be, hands down, one of the very best places to come to learn to surf. We talk in-depth about why that’s the case over on our guide to surfing in Canggu, but for now suffice to say that it’s got the same ridiculous swell consistency as Kuta (the original learner mecca of Bali) only with cleaner beaches, more fun waves, and better surf camps.
It’s the surf camps that we’ll focus on here. Over the last 10 years or so, little Canggu has bloomed into life as a haven for surf camps big and small. It’s got some serious players; brands that have outlets all over Asia and Europe. But also homegrown Balinese surf schools that have that authentic, backpackery edge to them. Oh yea, and there are also quite a few downright awful camps that are certainly best avoided.
Anyway, various members of The Surf Atlas team have been going back and forth to Canggu since anyone can remember. And we’ve had more Bintangs on Batu Bolong Beach than we care to remember! We’ve also seen the surf camp scene here erupt, so know a thing or two about which places make waves, and which once are a waste of your hard-earned travel cash. Check out the best of the bunch…
We might use affiliate links in this post. Basically, you click em’ and we get a little something from your booking or purchase. They help us keep offering more and more in-depth surf guides to awesome places all around the globe. So, thanks for that!
This is just one part of our complete overall guide to surfing in Bali
It’s also a part of our complete guide to surf camps
Pelan Pelan Bali
The best surf camp in Canggu for relaxation
- Location: North Canggu
- Price: 15 day/14 night packages starting at $1,652 (£1,355) per person
And chillll. Pelan Pelan is one of the most relaxed and friendly surf camps we’ve come across in our 10+ years of going to Bali. Now that’s really saying something on an island where the long sunset sessions and morning yoga classes seem to meld into each other you’re so darn relaxed. But this surf lodge really does help you shed the worries and woes of the Rat Race with its well-calibrated surf packages that put having fun and destressing front and center.
We usually recommend their flagship 15-day package. They call it the “Get It All Pack” because it really does cover every base. There’s a guided surf lesson on every weekday. They’re run solely by local instructors who are actually from Canggu and its surrounding villages, which makes a big difference because there’s a sort of unspoken right of way for surf campers with locals in these parts.
But the 10 days of surfing is kinda’ just the tip of the proverbial iceberg. This Zen fortnite of chilling and wave riding also comes with six massages (yep – that’s half a dozen massages in two weeks!) and eight yoga sessions with the pros, two of which are weighted towards breathing and meditation. Also, don’t worry about the travel logistics, because guests get free pick-up at the airport, daily breakfasts, and a whole guided tour of the island.
A note on why we partner with BookSurfCamps.com: Book Surf Camps are probably the biggest online aggregator of surf camps and surf-yoga packages in the world. We sounded out a quite a few potential partners before we affiliated with them. But, in the end, the abundance of choice for beginners, intermediates, and female-only surfing sealed it. We also love the simplicity of their booking system and the trusted brand name, along with the focus on connecting with homegrown local businesses on the ground.
Mondo Lifestyle Resort
The best surf camp in Canggu for beginners
- Location: Pererenan Beach, Canggu
- Price: 8 days/7 nights starting at $584 (£479) per person
The Mondo Lifestyle Resort, or the Mondo Surf Village, as some people call the spot these days, has blazed onto the scene in recent years with its multi-faceted camp offering. It’s really an all-round fitness and adventure camp set in 3,000 square meters of rice paddy in the calm backstreets of northern Canggu.
They backbone of their 8-day bestseller package is a daily surf session. That means you’ll surf six times throughout the week (there aren’t surfs on Sundays) with full guidance. Sessions tend to last at least two hours a pop. Groups are heavily focused towards the beginner end of the spectrum, starting with the very basics of warming up and stretching, out-of-water pop-up practice, and paddle technique.
Around that, guests can look forward to all manner of other activities. The camp offers optional muay Thai and boxing training, fitness boot camps, and (included in your surf package) either once or twice-daily yoga practice. We should also mention that the lodge itself is pretty darn lovely, with a long pool and sleek rooms that mimic the look and feel of a Moroccan riad.
Mojosurf Camp Canggu
Best surf camp in Canggu for partying
- Location: Central Canggu
- Price: 6 day/5 night packages starting at $609 (£499) per person
Mojosurf Camp Canggu have forged a bit of a rep as one of the most hedonistic, energetic and fun surf camps in the town. They were one of the OGs on the scene, and built their image around the classic Bali backpacker haunt turned digital nomad hub. The result? A rambunctious little hostel come poshtel stay and one of the most versatile offerings of different surf camps in Canggu.
Mhmm…Mojosurf do everything from quick 2-day packages for those who want to hit the waves straight off the plane before venturing deeper into the Isle of the Gods to longer options that include surfing four, five, or even six days at a time. We’d probably recommend their 6-day package most of all. The reason? There’s a big party element this one, so it’s all about going fast and hard. Six days is enough.
During that time, you’ll get 5x surf lessons with guides trained under the Mojosurf Australia program. They tuition is mainly centered on beginners but is also good for improving intermediates, who will be taken out to the more challenging reef spots and river mouths up and down the Canggu coastline.
Surf’n’Yoga Bali
Best surf camp in Canggu for veggies and vegans
- Location: Padonan, Batu Bolong, Canggu
- Price: 14 day/13 night packages starting at $968 (£793) per person
You don’t have to tell us that foods an important part of traveling – we’ve eaten enough nasi goreng to keep whole communities of rice growers in the money for decades to come. We also know that finding veggie and vegan food in Southeast Asia isn’t always a cinch, which is why we were chuffed to heart that Surf’n’Yoga Bali in Canggu was now offering tailored surf packages with a special focus on ethical eating.
They have 6- and 14-day packages on offer. We’d usually recommend the latter if you have the time. That includes nine surf classes, the shorter one’s three. It also means you’ll really get to settle in to the lodge and get to know the instructors (a mix of locals and international people). Breakfast each day is included and it’s a doozy non-meat-consumers – think amazing tropical juices, tasty acai bowls, and more.
Solid Surf House Bali
The best surf camp in Canggu for all-inclusive surf packages
- Location: Central Canggu
- Price: 7 days/6 nights starting at $534 (£437) per person
One of the great joys of booking a surf camp over a surf hotel and planning the ins and outs of your trip yourself is that you won’t have to worry about all those ins and outs. Well…there’s no other camp in Canggu that goes quite as far with the all-inclusive mentality as the Solid Surf House.
They have a week-long package that includes all your gear rental, all your surf lessons (one per day), unlimited use of boards between sessions if you want to head out on your own, and breakfast made to order in the morning. That’s pretty darn good for the $500-ish price tag. The only things you’ll have to fork out for yourself are cold Bintangs and extra food, plus those taxi transfers from the airport.
If we weren’t focusing on the all-inclusive aspect of this, we’d be highlighting the social aspect. Solid Surf are always lively, always fun. They actively cater to both beginner and advanced surfers and succeed in mingling all levels together in one big group. It helps that there’s a great bar on site!
We might use affiliate links in this post. Basically, you click em’ and we get a little something from your booking or purchase. They help us keep offering more and more in-depth surf guides to awesome places all around the globe. So, thanks for that!
