If you’ve been following my blog and my instagram long enough, you’d know by now that Canggu has occupied a special place in my heart. I was bowled over by Ubud on my previous trips but theres something about the vibe at Canggu and the people that I haven’t quite been able to get over. I extended my trip at the ‘island of the gods’ by another week to get to know my favourite part and its residents better. Instead of opting for OTT five star hotels, I looked for Airbnbs and surf hostels.

I read about The Chillhouse when I was going through Tara Milhem’s  instagram and she was raving about it. Set up by two Austrians, Sabina and Alex, the Chillhouse is the perfect place to make friends, try your hand at surfing and spend your mornings doing yoga. The founders are are keen travellers themselves and have regard for the environment. They love inviting people from different walks of life into the Chillhouse and giving them a platform to learn surfing, relax, work and share their stories.

I arrived in Bali and headed straight to the Chillhouse. Not far away from Seminyak and Kuta but far enough from the madness and chaos, lies the coolest surf hotel I’ve ever been to. This place welcomes you in with friendly staff and a lovely alfresco area for meals and two pools. I was knackered from my flight so I grabbed a coupon and headed in for a massage. The spa isn’t luxurious or fancy but the rooms are spotlessly clean and cozy. The therapist made me choose my music to tune out to, put my headphones on and started working away at my tired muscles. I don’t know if it was the combination of the music and the deep tissue massage but I had to be woken up an hour later. I felt more relaxed and at ease after my much needed nap. My neck was noticeably less stiff and my shoulders felt less tense too. I popped into the pool for a quick dip and met some surfers who had come in all the way from Hawaii to surf at Canggu.

The guests at The Chillhouse are keen surfing enthusiasts and range from amateurs to professionals with their experience. The retreat is affiliated with Bali Local Surf Schools and organise lessons for individuals and groups. Although, I spent 4 long years at University in Sydney by the beach, I never really learnt how to surf. At Canggu, I was tempted to and took a few lessons. I drank too much sea water, my eyes were stinging from all the salt and I had bruised myself in a few places but the thrill of being able to ride a wave or two without falling in was absolutely priceless. I wish I had someone taking photographs of that moment because surfing is a lot harder than it looks and it is damn good exercise. I returned sore and bruised and decided to go in for an early dinner at the cafe. The menu each evening changes from Indonesian, Indian, Thai with plenty of vegan, gluten free and sugar free options. The food is fresh, nutritious and absolutely diverse making sure no two meals are the same and their desserts are phenomenal.

My room was a small cozy room equipped with a mosquito net, air conditioning, a beautiful outdoor bathroom only a few steps from the pool and the yoga pavilion. I listened to a few yoga nidra recordings and fell asleep and woke up to the sound of the birds, crickets and frogs in the morning.

The breakfast was the best part of my day because you would get to meet everyone and discuss your day and catch up on some reading. The kitchen staff would whip up eggs, pancakes, superfood smoothies and smoothie bowls along with herbal tea and black Bali coffee. If you are gluten free and want some gluten free bread to go with your meal, you can always request the kitchen staff and they would be happy to oblige. The service here is excellent and its a great place to workout and be healthy because there are so many delicious options.

I would have a light brekkie and head up to the pavilion for yoga. The classes were hosted by some incredible instructors that either taught vinyasa flow, yin or hatha yoga. I really liked the yin yoga classes because they focused a lot on breath work and energies and I felt like it was the best way to start the day. The classes are open to both men and women and you can always share your concerns or feedback with the teacher afterwards. You’ll know just how much fun I was having opening up, stretching out like a cat and getting limber before I started getting into handstands and inversions. For more information on their classes- head over to their website and check out their Canggu Yoga schedule.

After yoga, I went towards the pool to work and finish my emails. The wifi is free in the public areas and you get to meet and collaborate with really exciting people from all over the world. After a walk to Batu Bolong Beach and some shopping, I decided to tak a nap but the dogs in the neighbourhood kept me up. Sigh! I still appreciate the fact that Canggu, particularly the Chillhouse is kind to the dogs and cats and even befriended a few of them on my way out.

Verdict- If you are travelling solo and want to be in a vibrant place where you can meet people, make friends and eat the best food post surf and yoga- head to the Chillhouse. Unlike other hotels, The Chillhouse, isn’t cheap but it offers value for money for all the services they provide. Upon arrival, you will be given some information to get around easily, important numbers and note that and brekkie and dinner are all built into the tariff. The food here is absolutely DELICIOUS and if you are trying to be healthy on vacation, don’t fret because The Chillhouse has you covered. With smoothie bowls, kombucha, turmeric milk, jamu and delicious gluten free options- you will be spoilt for choice even when you are trying to eat healthy. I was there for only two nights but I made some great friends and I can’t wait to see them on my next trip to Bali and we’ll stay at The Chillhouse, of course.

They also organise volcano treks to Mount Batur, trips to Ubud and scuba excursions- to know more, head over to their website or write to them at holiday@thechillhouse.com. I highly recommend this place for young couples, surfers, active travellers and solo travellers and cannot wait to be back. Head over to Tripadvisor and see their reviews from guests and don’t forget to bookmark this place for your next visit to Bali.

P.S – if you’ve run out of clothes like I did and don’t want to be bothered with laundry, check out the store at The Chillhouse for dresses, shirts, kaftans, jewelry and beach tattoos. Have a swell time!

Quick Notes:
Chillhouse Bali
Jl. Kubu Manyar No.22, Banjar Pipitan, Canggu, Kuta Utara, Kabupaten Badung, Bali 80361, Indonesia
Phone: +62 361 8445463
https://www.thechillhouse.com
Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/thechillhouse/?hl=en
Tel/SMS/WhatsApp: +62 812 3958 3056 08:00 – 22:00 Bali

Lead image courtesy- Chillhouse
Interior Image Courtesy- Chillhouse
Yoga images- Jia Singh