Canggu, Bali

Step aside, Seminyak. Once- sleepy Canggu is the new benchmark for edgy bars, progressive eats and slick spas, says local Jenny Hewett.

Eat QUINCE

Tucked away in the boho-chic Berawa neighbourhood, this brekkie spot (51 Jalan Raya Pantai Berawa) makes your smashed avo seem amateurish. Choose from a range of sweet and savoury delights, including spinach fritters with poached eggs, and coconut crumpets with palm sugar and cinnamon butter.

JI TERRACE BY THE SEA

A tiki-inspired Japanese-fusion eatery ( jiatbalesutra.com) with an enviable rooftop location, this culinary wonder overlooking Batu Bolong Beach has somehow managed to remain a secret. Fresh sushi and sashimi and supersize bento boxes sidle up to more modern offerings such as prawn flambé with yuzu butter and coconut crème brûlée. (Clockwise from left) A fresh mocktail at JI Terrace by the Sea; Pretty Poison’s skate bowl; the Pool Suite and exterior of The Slow

MACAN CAFÉ

With its exposed-brick interior and smooth timber furnishings, this elegant bistro (macan cafe.com) is as relaxed as its Berawa setting. The menu showcases everything from pea fettuccine with pork lardons to a mahi-mahi burger that comes layered with aïoli and spiced zucchini relish.

Drink LA BRISA

A nautically themed beach club with live beats, this newcomer (labrisabali.com) is making waves on Echo Beach. Settle in for a sunset session and get ready to sink or swim. There’s no shortage of beanbags and there’s a lagoon pool for frolics between libations. Book ahead.

PRETTY POISON

Backing onto rice paddies on the sneaky cut-through known as the Shortcut, this ’80s Californiainspired skateboard-bowl bar (prettypoisonbar.com) is all about ink and drinks. Offering pop-up tattoos and piercings, open mic nights and skate jams, Pretty Poison is bad to the bone and its cocktails are no different; expect some potent mixes.

Stay THE SLOW

This offbeat 12-room island stay on Batu Bolong has become a solid base for creatives. The brainchild of former Ksubi designers George Gorrow and Gareth Moody, The Slow (hotel.qantas.com.au/ theslow), with its block-timber Brutalist-inspired design, snubs tradition. It even relinquishes a main pool in favour of Gorrow’s personal art collection, and TVs for a toe-tapping playlist. Home to one of Canggu’s best restaurants, rotating exhibitions and the duo’s menswear boutique, this place is full of surprises.

Do

Perfect your downward dog No wellness hangout in Canggu is more name-dropped than The Practice (thepracticebali.com). This temple of Zen offers hatha yoga and yin yoga classes in a pavilion overlooking the grounds. Be pampered With its feature pond and delicate foliage, Spring (springspa.com) is a soothing sanctuary on bustling Batu Bolong. The Hair Rescue treatment – a combination of a hydrating masque, head massage and hot-stone shoulder massage – will change your life. And a glass of prosecco will make it even better.

But first, coffee…

In hot Bali, cool beverages are as crucial as caffeine. Bootstrap (bootstrap beverages.com) is a specialist in chilled coffee, bottling its own organic cold brew. For our pick of cool neighbourhoods around the world, turn to page 51.