For those of you seeking a less crowded and an unadulterated substitute for mainland Bali, head on over to the Nusa Islands for a perfect paradisiac getaway!
The Nusa Islands constitute of a cluster of three islands, the biggest one being Nusa Penida, the closest one to Bali being Nusa Lembongan, and the tiniest of them all Nusa Ceningan. These islands are just off the east coast of southern Bali and are famous for awesome surfing waves, stunning sunsets, scenic viewpoints and vistas, hiking, snorkelling, diving, and relaxing in an idyllic island atmosphere. There are plenty of different accommodation options in the Nusa Islands suiting backpackers, mid-budget, and luxury travellers.
🚀 How to get to the Nusa Islands?
Nusa Lembongan is located just 30 minutes away from Sanur coast in south-east Bali. You can head to the Sanur Port and catch a local boat or a speedboat. Depending on the agency you go with, speedboat prices vary between IDR 150,000–400,000 (USD 10-30) for a one-way trip and there are at least four departures daily. The local slow boats tend to leave at around 8am, cost between IDR 60,000–100,000 (USD 4-7) and take about 1–1.5 hours to reach Nusa Lembongan. This boat is certainly cheaper, but takes longer and doesn’t come equipped with safety gears such as life jackets. The boats arrive at Mushroom Beach in Jungut Batu village in Nusa Lembongan.
Pro-tip: Buying return tickets for the ferry rides will be a cheaper bargain!
If you’re based in Kuta, Seminyak, Ubud or Canggu, there are many tour operators offering day trips to Nusa Lembongan. Everything is taken care of – from hotel pick-up and drop-off to sight-seeing and snorkelling in a luxury boat.
Nusa Lembongan and Nusa Ceningan are ONLY connected by the iconic Yellow Bridge that is wide enough to cross only with a motorbike or by walking. You can rent a motorbike in Nusa Lembongan and explore various sites on the island each within a 30-minute ride. Nusa Ceningan can be explored on a day trip! Typical rental prices for motorbikes range between IDR 70,000–100,000 (USD 5-7) per day depending on the provider and choice of vehicle.
To get to Nusa Penida, hop on a boat ride from the Yellow Bridge that costs about IDR 60,000 (USD 4) for a one-way ride and lasts 10-15 minutes. You will be dropped at Toya Pakeh Harbour in Nusa Penida. One can also get to Nusa Penida directly from mainland Bali at Sanur beach.
Lombok and the Gili Islands also serve as exit points to visit the Nusa Islands.
Note: There are no piers in Sanur and the Nusa Islands, so you’ll have to wade through the water from the beach and hop into the boat.
🚀 What to do in Nusa Lembongan?
Nusa Lembongan is a small island with a diameter of not more than 4kms. Roads are narrow, so rental bikes or little pick-up trucks are the only form of transportation on the island. Not to mention, Nusa Lembongan is a fantastic surf destination. Some of the awesome places to check out and things to do in Nusa Lembongan include:
Explore the beaches and go sea walking in Mushroom Bay
Jungut Batu Beach is the main beach in Nusa Lembongan, the longest one where the boat arrivals happen. Dream Beach is home to lovely huts that serve as accommodation options and you’ll find some restaurants by the beach. Sandy Bay hosts a secluded beach and a beach club. Mushroom Bay is a great place to grab a bite in restaurants overlooking the bay and to have a swim in the calm waters of the beach. While you’re in Mushroom Beach, you can be an aquanaut and go underwater sea walking where you’ll have the chance to explore the wonderful marine life as you stroll along the sea floor.
Devil’s Tear
Devil’s Tear is the most popular spot in Nusa Lembongan, considered by many the best place to watch the sunset (not just in the Nusa Islands but even all of Bali). Devil’s Tear is a blowhole where the ocean crashes into the cliff resulting in subtle mist or ‘tears’ rising from the sea. Don’t stand too close to the edge as the unpredictable waves crashing into the edges are insanely huge at times. During sunset, when the tide pools turn into reflection pools, the scene becomes unbelievably stunning backing the claim that Devil’s Tear is indeed a remarkable place to watch the sun go down!
Mangrove Forest Tour
If you head to the top of the island, you will find mangrove tours that offer a boat / kayak ride through the lush green mangrove forest. It’s a lovely way to take in some greenery while on the island. Motor boat rides cost between IDR 250,000-350,000 (USD 18-25) per person and kayaking for an hour costs IDR 150,000 (USD 10) with a guide.
🚀 What to do in Nusa Ceningan?
One can get to Nusa Ceningan via the famous Yellow Bridge connecting Lembongan and Ceningan. This bridge had unfortunately collapsed in October 2016. It has been rebuilt since then and renamed ‘The Bridge of Love’. The width of the bridge is about 1.5–2 metres.
Blue Lagoon
The bluest water of baby blue colour can be found at Blue Lagoon, a spectacle that will sweep you off your feet.
Secret Beach
Tucked away in a small cove bordered by cliffs is the Secret Beach of Nusa Ceningan that offers excellent snorkelling opportunity in the crystal clear waters of the blue ocean.
🚀 What to do in Nusa Penida?
Nusa Penida has so much to offer that spending a day just won’t suffice in this incredible island brimming with impressive gems to discover. We recommend spending at least 2 days in Nusa Penida island if not more. You can rent a motorbike in Nusa Penida for IDR 70,000 (USD 5). Since Penida has only begun catering to many tourists recently, its infrastructure isn’t so ideal yet. Some of the roads in Nusa Penida are rocky and steep, so ensure you’ve got good riding skills to face the rugged roads. You also have the option of renting a car and hiring a driver for about IDR 600,000 (USD 43) per day who will help you with sight-seeing on the island. This is worthwhile especially if you’re travelling as a group. The island is famous for diving and is a fantastic place to see manta rays and dive with them.
Note: Out of the three Nusa islands, Nusa Penida makes for the most ideal family-friendly destination.
Some of the must visit attractions in Nusa Penida include:
Angel’s Billabong, Manta Ray Viewpoint, Broken Beach
Angel’s Billabong, Manta Ray Viewpoint and Broken Beach are situated in the same complex hardly being 5 minutes walk away from each other. Angel’s Billabong is a marvellous natural infinity pool of crystal clear emerald waters. While walking to the Broken Beach, don’t go towards the archway of trees immediately and instead head up the hill towards the coast on your right – that’s where the Manta Ray Viewpoint is where you’ll spot the impressive Manta Rays cruising in the water and surfacing every now and then. In Broken Beach (also known as Pasih Uug), you’ll find an arched tunnel that lets the ocean flow in to make a natural pool where you can spot some manta rays and turtles in the crystal clear blue water.
Crystal Bay Beach
Crystal Bay Beach offers sandy white beaches dotted with palm trees and is a perfect spot for snorkelling and diving.
Manta Point Nusa Penida
Manta Point is another perfect place to catch sights of Manta Rays swimming in the clear blue waters of the ocean, and one can even opt to snorkel or dive with the Manta rays here at Manta Point.
T-Rex and Kelingking Beach
The Kelingking Beach is undoubtedly Nusa Penida’s iconic and most photographed attraction. If you’ve got the endurance to trek steep steps and a rocky path with bamboo railings all the way down, then go down the spine of the Tyrannosaurus Rex to the Kelingking Secret Point Beach. It takes about 60-90 minutes to reach the bottom before you are treated with the most surreal view of crystal clear turquoise waters and the soft creamy white sand beach. If you’re not keen on hiking down the stairs, then head to the viewpoint right along the cliffs where you will find a worn path along the cliff edge (there’s no railing so you got to be careful)!
Tembeling Beach, Natural Pool and Forest
Being off the beaten path in Nusa Penida, Tembeling beach can be accessed via the Tembeling forest that makes for a lovely jungle scene through spiral steps that lead into the blue natural pools set below the large cliff walls. You’ll find it more rewarding to swim in the natural pool as the beach is pretty small and big cliffs loom on either side. But the scene of the beach and the ocean from the cave is truly remarkable!
Saren Cliff Viewpoint
From Tembeling Beach, head to Saren Cliff Viewpoint to take in the magnificence of Nusa Penida from another perspective.
Teletubbie Hill Viewpoint
It is in Nusa Penida’s lush green interior that you will find the Bukit Teletubbies (also known as Teletubbie Hill Viewpoint) where a vibrant green hill with contour patterns, valleys, and canyons await you. The name of the hill is from the children’s television program Teletubbies where the green hills were home to the characters Tinky-Winky, Dipsy, Laa Laa and Po.
Banah Cliff Point
Considered one of the best cliff points in Nusa Island, hiking up the Banah Cliff can be a very rewarding experience where you’ll witness panoramic views of the blue sea and various rock formations creating a marvellous scene in broad day light!
Atuh Beach, Nusa Penida
Very much on the east coast of Nusa Penida is the secluded Atuh Beach, where majestic rock formations and cliffs create a scenery that will dazzle you. The soft white sand and blue waters make this beach perfect for a swim when the tides are low.
Nusa Penida Treehouse (Rumah Pohon) and Thousand Islands Viewpoint
Rumah Pohon Molenteng is a treehouse in Nusa Penida, a super Instagram famous accommodation on the island. There is an IDR 10,000 (USD 0.50) entrance fee for the Rumah Pohon which also gives access to the Thousand Islands Viewpoint – which is yet another spectacular spot in Nusa Penida where you can take in the vistas of the ocean and the majestic rock formations. The views are truly surreal! Keen on staying at Rumah Pohon? Click here to book it for a unique experience on the island.
Diamond Beach Viewpoint
If you want more views of the Nusa Penida coast, head to Diamond Beach View Point that is located on the right hand side of Atuh Beach accessible via a staircase. You can also walk down the newly constructed stairway with the cliffs hanging right above your head and spend some time on the remote Diamond Beach.
Next time you visit Bali, Lombok or the Gili Islands, you may want to hop on a boat and explore one, two, or all three of the Nusa Islands for an incredible island experience that you will cherish for a long time!
Read about all the other wonderful places Indonesia is home to right here!
The Kelingking beach is wonderful with its T-rex views… I wonder if it gets at all busy down by the water, given how popular it is to photograph from above? Certainly looks serene.
The T-Rex and Kelingking beach views are certainly stunning! The trek all the way down to the bottom beach takes about 45 minutes and is graded moderate if you’re careful enough to navigate the rocky cliff that at times can be too steep and tricky because of the lack of proper stairs. But the hike back up is very challenging and takes over an hour. So I guess this deters many people from getting down there, and so the beauty of the beach remains unscathed! 🙂