If catching nice lil' waves, sunbathing in paradise and discovering unreal cliffs is your thing, then the Nusa Islands are your new playground. These three sister islands are only a short boat ride away from Bali, and the best part is that they are a lot more untouched and wild than the rest of the islands. Yes, that means that it'll be just you, the palm trees, the waves, and the stunning views that stretch for miles.
Our first stop was Nusa Lembongan, a small island off the southeast coast of the main island of Bali. Many areas around the island are great for diving and snorkeling, the water is crystal clear, with plenty of marine life and beautiful coral. It is also a great surf spot with three main breaks depending on your level, Playgrounds, Shipwrecks and Lacerations. Lembongan was perfect for us as it had great waves for Dan and white sand beaches for me. We actually spent almost a week in this beauty so in the end we were pretty much feeling at home, we even found our favourite restaurant where we had dinner almost every night! "Jungut Batu Theatre" restaurant offers great hospitality, good food and you can request movies while you enjoy dinner on bean bags or beds. Most movies being about surf, snowbooarding, any extreme sports or any movie from their list.
Nusa Ceningan is only 20 to 30 minutes away from Lembongan if you ride a motorbike so you can easily make it a day trip. Grab your bike, cross the bridge and you are there! This island has some serious jaw dropping spots to visit, starting with The Blue Lagoon; this rocky cove with bright turquoise water is "the place" for scenic views and sunset watching. If you drive a bit further in for around 10 minutes you'll bump into "Le Pirate Beach Club", a beautiful quirky resort for the cool travellers eager to enjoy views of the Bali Sea while enjoying a drink at the pool. You can choose to spend the nigh at the resort in cute thatched cabins overlooking the beach or drive back to Lembongan before it gets too dark as the roads have not street lamps.
Since we were staying in Lembongan, we had to get up really early in order to catch the first boat going to Nusa Penida. We planned this carefully in advance, we knew that this island was the real gem so most tourists would be around the best places. By 6am we were at Lembongan's harbour ready for the next adventure. Most of the times you will have to barter for prices when catching the boat over from next to the yellow bridge. Roughly, you should be paying Rp 75k per person per trip. As soon as we arrived to Penida we hired a scooter for the day; generally on this island are about Rp70k to 80k per day which is a little more pricey than every where else but that's the going rate so don't be too put off.
Compared to some of the other islands, Nusa Penida is quite big so you'll probably need more than one day to cover it all. But if you are there for the day, the most popular and unmissable places will be Angel's Billabong, a natural infinity pool where you can forget about the world; Broken Beach, located just beside Angel's Billabong. This beach is from another galaxy; it features a range of high cliffs that surround the sea so it looks like a giant pool. Its unusual appearance is due to volcanic activity; the beach appears "trapped" between the cliffs, which have allowed a giant pool to develop.
Last but for sure not least, the majestic Kelingking Beach, hidden below the high cliffs and hills of the peninsula that look like a T-Rex, is like a piece of paradise in the bottom corner of the island. The views from this spot are absolutely breathtaking, you will fall in love with Penida straight away!
For more information on the Nusa Islands or other destinations get in touch with us on youmentheseatravel@gmail.com
