Beach clubs on foot, a rooftop pool made for sundowners and villas big enough for the whole crew. Here’s how to do Canggu properly in four days.
Hotel: TUI BLUE Berawa | Location: Jl. Pantai Berawa No. 101, Tibubeneng, Bali, Indonesia| Room Type: 2-Bedroom Tropique| Rating: ★★★★☆
A long weekend in Bali used to mean a compromise. Stay somewhere quiet, and you’d spend half your holiday in the back of a Grab; stay in the thick of it, and you’d sacrifice the kind of sleep that makes a holiday feel like a holiday. TUI BLUE Berawa, the travel giant’s first hotel in Indonesia, is the rare place that solves that problem. It sits in the heart of Berawa, one of Canggu’s liveliest strips, yet behind its doors you’ll find a rooftop infinity pool, a comprehensive 24-hour gym, a sauna and ice bath, and private pool villas that sleep the whole group in comfort.
Whether you’re planning a romantic escape, a family break or a four-day lads’ trip that you’ll be talking about for years, here’s why it deserves to be your base.
Why Bali Works for a Long Weekend
For travellers in Southeast Asia, Bali is the ultimate short-haul reset: a quick flight, a favourable exchange rate and a completely different pace of life on arrival. The trick with a long weekend is location. Bali’s traffic is notorious, and every hour spent sitting in a car is an hour not spent on a sun lounger.
That’s why Canggu, and specifically Berawa, makes so much sense. It’s around 45 minutes to an hour from Ngurah Rai International Airport depending on traffic, and once you arrive you don’t need to go anywhere else. Surf, beach clubs, cocktail bars, gyms, brunch spots and modern spas are all steps away.
The Location: Everything Within Walking Distance
TUI BLUE Berawa sits within The Luc (above), a lifestyle complex on Jalan Pantai Berawa. That means Berawa Beach is a 10- to 15-minute stroll away, and so are two of the most famous beach clubs in Asia: FINNS Beach Club and Atlas Beach Club.
This is the hotel’s trump card. TUI BLUE Berawa partners with both venues, and guests get perks including priority bookings and complimentary transfers, which matters in peak season when the best day beds are gone by mid-morning. When the heat gets too much to walk, the hotel’s free buggy will ferry you around Berawa.
The nightlife doesn’t stop at the beach clubs. Canggu’s bar scene is spread along a few kilometres of coast, from sunset spots at Echo Beach to the late-night haunts of Batu Bolong, and the hotel’s central position means a short ride home at the end of the night rather than a marathon across the island. Come the morning after, the road outside is lined with some of Bali’s best brunch cafés, smoothie bars and coffee roasters.
The Rooms: Something for Every Kind of Trip
The design is clean and contemporary with Balinese warmth: timber, natural tones and local art. Beds are huge; there’s a pillow menu, and rooms come with smart TVs, minibars and bathrobes.
For couples, the suites (above) are the smart choice. The 80-square-metre Executive Suite has a bathtub and separate shower, while Sky Suites add private terraces and oversized soaking tubs, perfect for a slow evening before dinner.
For families and groups, the villas are the real draw. There are nine two-bedroom and five three-bedroom villas, each with its own private pool, tropical garden, fully equipped kitchen and big indoor-outdoor living spaces. We stayed in a two-bedroom with two en-suite bathrooms, both with bathtubs, and that set-up is a game-changer for sharing. Nobody fights over the bathroom, everybody gets their own space, and the living area becomes the natural meeting point before heading out.
For a lads’ weekend, it’s hard to beat. Book a villa and you get your own pool for recovery sessions, a kitchen for stocking up on cold drinks, and enough privacy that nobody is disturbing the neighbours.
And if you’re looking to splurge, you can’t go past the (surprisingly affordable) Presidential Suite, an expansive enclave that’s located near the main pool and which features a glorious terrace, a full kitchen, a massive lounge and all the space the lads need to prepare for a night out.
Eat, Drink and Recover
Breakfast is taken seriously here, which is exactly what you want after a big night. The buffet has live cooking stations, fresh tropical fruit, pastries and hot dishes, and there’s an à la carte menu too. Better still, the hotel’s “anytime, anywhere breakfast” concept means late risers aren’t punished: you can have breakfast later in the day, including at RR Chocolate, the artisanal chocolate shop in The Luc.
The Restaurant moves easily between Indonesian classics, Japanese, Indian and wok-fired dishes and international comfort food, while head chef Indra Pranata brings a personal touch with Balinese heritage dishes such as timbungan, spiced meat slow-roasted in bamboo. In-room dining runs 24 hours, and villa guests can book a private chef for a proper group dinner at home. I’d also suggest slipping into Hono, the lobby-level vinyl lounge and cocktail bar. It features a sophisticated cocktail list and a pool table and is the perfect jumping-off point for a night on the town.
Come sunset, head to the rooftop. The bar beside the infinity pool serves cocktails, local beers and international wine and spirits, with views across Canggu towards the ocean. It’s the ideal warm-up before a night out or a perfect way to end a quieter one.
Train Hard, Recover Harder
Holiday doesn’t have to mean abandoning the routine. The gym is open 24 hours and is equipped with cardio machines, free weights and resistance kit. Afterwards, the sauna and ice bath offer a contrast therapy session that will sort out any lingering effects of the night before, and the spa offers Balinese massage for full recovery.
Padel fans are well served too, with courts right next door within The Luc; smile sweetly and you might be offered complimentary sessions. There’s also a yoga shala, surf lessons, and a daily activity programme that runs from Kecak dance lessons and cooking classes to DJ workshops, guitar lessons and art sessions.
Your Four-Day Canggu Game Plan
Day 1: Arrive and unwind. Land, transfer to Berawa, check in (from 3 pm) and head straight for the rooftop infinity pool. Sunset cocktails at the rooftop bar, then dinner next door at vibrant Margaret Bistro next door or a stroll along Jalan Pantai Berawa.
Day 2: Beach and beach clubs. Morning gym session and ice bath, a long breakfast, then a surf lesson at Berawa Beach. Spend the afternoon at FINNS or Atlas using your guest perks, and stay on as the music picks up after dark.
Day 3: Explore. Recover with a late breakfast and a massage. In the afternoon, take a short drive to the clifftop temple of Tanah Lot, or head to Batu Bolong and Echo Beach for sunset and a night out.
Day 4: One last swim. A final padel match or pool session, brunch at one of Berawa’s cafés, and check-out at 11 am. If your flight is late, ask about late check-out, and allow plenty of time for airport traffic.
Who It’s For
Couples get the suites, the soaking tubs, the spa and the rooftop sunsets, with Canggu’s best restaurants a short walk away.
Families get two- and three-bedroom villas with kitchens and private pools, plus a kids’ club, playground and babysitting, all close to the beach.
Lads’ weekends get villas built for sharing, beach clubs within walking distance, a 24-hour gym and ice bath for the morning after, and a central address that makes getting home easy.
If you’re after total seclusion or jungle views, look to Ubud or Uluwatu instead. But if you want to make every hour of a long weekend count, TUI BLUE Berawa is the place to be.
Know Before You Go
Getting there: TUI BLUE Berawa is around 16 to 19 kilometres from Ngurah Rai International Airport. Allow 45 minutes to more than an hour depending on traffic; the hotel can arrange private transfers, and Grab and Gojek operate locally.
Booking: Book directly with TUI BLUE or through a TUI package, which can bundle transfers, breakfast and beach club perks. With only 14 villas in total, book early for school holidays, July and August, and Christmas and New Year.
TUI Blue Berawa, Jl. Pantai Berawa No. 101, Tibubeneng, Canggu, Bali, Indonesia | (WA) +62 811 370 4717 | tuiblueberawa.com
