We recently visited the Farmers Markets known as the Sunday Market in Canggu, an area that is seeing incredible growth in the dining scene in Bali. Canggu is the new Seminyak, and with the rapid growth comes infastucture problems. The roads were not build with expansion in mind, and with the tourist attraction of Tanah Lot on the edge of Canggu the traffic is getting worse and worse. Sadly the rice paddies (sawah) are dissapearing only to be replaced by row apon row of Villas. Money rules and no thought has been given to the reason why people used to come to this beautiful island, the scenery and the beaches, both of which are dissapearing.
As of June 2018 there were approx 190 cafes or restaurants in Canggu. 2 years ago there were about 100. Many of the “names” have moved from Seminyak and a walk through the “Junction” at Canggu will reveal the frantic activity (at Bali pace) of construction of new eating places, possibly driven by the current massive construction of the beachfront Intercontinental (IHG).
You cant stop progress but something has to be done to preserve the better qualities of the island.
The Sunday Markets in Canggu have been around for 4 – 5 years that I can recall, and althugh they are small, they are a showcase for local growers & artisans.
As a result of these markets, a bakery has opened accross the road (Starter Lab) which now supplies many of the local breakfast cafes.
Alive Wholefoods have set up just up the road from the Markets, selling an amazing array of healthfoods, organics, wholefoods, assorted Chia seeds and everything organic with all produce sourced locally. Down the road the Kombuchi Brewing Co. is producing an extensive range of Kombucha. The focus on healthy living is demonstrated everywhere, with places like Crate attracting the beautiful crowd with a menu made up of Juices, bowls, and salads washed down with exotic juices. The place is packed from 8 AM until 5 PM.
