Nusa Penida

Nusa Penida is an Island located South east of the Bali Island and is part of the Kecamatan district which include also two smaller islands, Nusa Lembongan and Nusa Ceningan which we presented in the previous article. The Island is drier than the nearby island of Bali. The island is very hilly and has little to no tourist infrastructure, therefor this is a destination more for those who want an adventure on an island with amazing landscapes and want to escape from the touristic and overpriced resorts.

It is not fair to compare Nusa Penida with Bali, but we can compare it with Nusa Lembongan. 

A lot of people chose to visit only Nusa Lembongan because it is easier to get there directly from Bali. I am not saying that Nusa Lembongan doesn’t worth the effort, because it totally does, but Nusa Penida is less touristy, less expensive, has more untouched beaches and everything seems to be cleaner than in Nusa Lembongan.

How to get there?

It is only one way to get there and this is by boat. With two departure options: from Sanur, Bali or from Nusa Lembongan. 

Tip! Do not make a boat reservation before you arrive in Bali, because some companies are selling day tours at more than 10 times normal price. 

We visited Nusa Lembongan first and from there we wanted to go to Nusa Penida. Boats for Nusa Penida are leaving only from Yellow Bridge. 

How do you travel?

Either you choose to travel with the locals in a small boat and you pay no more than 100 000 IDR with pick-up service from your accommodation or with the same type of small boat, but privately you pay a lot more. 

We chose the first option, with locals. You can arrange this trip directly on the Yellow Bridge with locals who have stores there. They will give you all the details as time of living, pick-up time and costs. 

Tip! They do not provide drop-off service on Nusa Penida Island, so make sure that your accommodation from Nusa Penida Island  will come and pick you up. Otherwise, the locals from there will try to take advantage of your situation and will ask a lot of money for a small distance. They asked us 400 000 IDR for 8 km. 

When you want to return, just go to the harbour and they will offer you a boat in a short time. 

Tip! Ask for a boat with life jackets at least. Even if the distance is not big, only 15 minutes with the boat, you will feel safer having those jackets, trust me. 

Traveling on the island.

Again you have two options: renting a scooter or a private car with a driver. 

Renting a scooter: A big advantage is that it is cheap, less than 80.000 IDR per day and the fact that you can make your own program and stop everywhere.

A big big disadvantage is that the roads are insanely bad. If you don’t have too much experience skip it and choose a private car.

Tip! If you still decide to rent a scooter make sure that you are using a helmet and drive slow. The first day we asked how the roads to Atuh Beach are , they told us that they are bad but we still can make it, but it was worse than that. We met a lot of tourists that were wishing luck to each other to get out of that area safely. 

Private tours: A big advantage is that you travel comfortably and have a lot more energy to visit what you wish.

A lot of people are saying that Nusa Penida is similar to Bali 20 years ago. Here you will find a lot of accommodation options that are not too luxuries but with all you need. 

We stayed at MaeMae Beach House and it was a really good choice. Runned by a young local guy, Mae Mae offers you clean rooms, really good breakfast, rental scooters, private tours on the island and a really cool bar with reggae vibes and an amazing view with the ocean and Mount Agung.

– Kelingking Beach –

(also known as T-Rex because of the mountain shape that is surrounding a stunning beach that is very hard to reach).

Definitely the most iconic spot of the Nusa Penida island and also a Must to visit, the area itself is very hard to reach from any accommodation you will chose on the island. for this location we definitely recommend to hire a car with a driver because let me tell you the roads are not just bad but also dangerous because of the stiff cliffs and narrow roads that sometimes collapse. If you then reached the destination you realize that it worth every minute and cent that you spent to get there, the view from the above is simply breathtaking. If you are crazy enough you can reach the beach by climbing down the very stiff mountain. There are always people that are going down but in my opinion is not safe without the proper climbing gear.

–  Pura Palung –

Near T-Rex cliff view you can visit a very bizarre Temple that honors cars, so if you want to say a prayer for your beloved car you have at home or just for a safe return with the car back to your accommodation, now is the time to do so, the name of the temple is Pura Palung.

Crystal bay

ATUH beach

Broken Beach

Angels Billabong