We are starting to settle into life in Canggu. Andy was up at 7.30am, running along the beach and on his return we dug into some left over veggie pizza from our visit to Milk & Madu the night before.

After this partially healthy start, we wandered to a nearby cafe for coffee.

The place was close to full, half were nomadic IT workers, and the other half were beautiful gym wearing people hanging out trying to catch the eye.

We settled in with our coffees and watched the sea of building works going on close by and across Canggu, with new hotels, restaurants and shops popping up indiscriminately across the once green padi fields.

We feel sure that Amelia and Meg will love the place when they arrive tonight.

Across from the cafe was a block of land yet to be built upon, where a number of cows were residing, reminding us that only a few years ago this was just another agricultural area of Bali.

As the area has become established, new buildings have appeared, with the latest addition being the Wrong Gym, for all those keep fit fanatics holidaying in Canggu.

After coffee, we went in search of a laundrette, as quite a number of our clothes are desperately in need of a proper clean, after numerous attempts to wash them in hotel sinks as we move around.

With our laundry dropped off and a food shop carried out in preparation for the girls arrival, we returned to our slumber and made the most of the Airbnbs outdoor seating and lounging.

After a few hours of R&R we moved to the beach and checked out the professional surfers on Echo Beach.

Sitting on the dark sand takes a little getting used to, as subconsciously you feel like you’re lying on mud. That said the views out across the sea and the breaking waves make you realise you’re in a special place.

As the temperatures continued to rise, Andy eventually plucked up the courage to go into the water and brave the currents and try a spot of body surfing.

It’s fair to say the waves and currents in Echo Beach are strong and one minute you’re in knee deep and the next it’s almost above your head. After that experience, we soon decided it wasn’t the place to go for a gentle dip!

As the afternoon moved on and the light started to drop, we went for a walk and realised just how beautiful the beach was at this time of the day.

With the European holiday season ended, the vast majority of people still left are Australians in their 20’s and 30’s appearing to be living their best lives.

Tonight we ventured to a veggie restaurant called Roots, a few blocks up from the beach which did some great curried dishes and dips. The food was very filling and reasonably priced, a rare thing when you’ve got so many new restaurants opening and chasing business.

Around 9pm we caught a Grab to the airport to await the arrival of the girls. They’ve been travelling since 2.30pm on Sunday (UK time) and had a lengthy layover, before their final 10hr flight to Denpasar.

They arrived on time with big smiles on their faces, and were still full of enthusiasm and chatting away until we went to bed at 2am, and they carried on until 5am!!

We are all keen to reacquaint ourselves with the bars and restaurants of Canggu, having visited a few times back in March when we were last on the island.

It’s time to enjoy being together and making the most of our holiday time in this beautiful part of the world.