A guide to the Nusa Islands

So you’re travelling around Bali and you’ve heard of the Nusa Islands located nearby but you’re unsure where to start?

In this blog I’ll help you with everything you need to know about the Nusa Islands, whether it’s best to stay in Nusa Penida or Nusa Lembongan and all the little tricks and tips I learnt when researching and visiting them myself earlier this year.

First up – is it better to stay in Nusa Penida or Nusa Lembongan?
This was my first question but after a little bit of research I found it to be an easy choice. The key difference between the two is that Lembongan is a lot more chilled, less touristy and laidback. This is mainly because all the key sites you’ll have heard about (Diamond Beach, Broken Beach and Angel’s Billabong etc) are all situated in Penida.

For me, this made it easy to choose Nusa Lembongan. Coming from the hustle and bustle in Bali, the chilled vibe definitely appealed more.

BUT I would say it depends on how much time you have. I only had enough time for one day trip to Nusa Penida and this meant that I had to choose between seeing the key sites on the West or East coast (more on this below). If you’d like to see all the sites in Penida, I would definitely recommend one night here as it would feel way too rushed and expensive to see it all in one day.

How to get from Nusa Lembongan to Nusa Penida?
You take a small boat from Yellow Bridge Port which costs 50idr each way and you buy the ticket at the port when you get there. We bought a return ticket for the same day which isn’t any cheaper and the last boat back is at around 4pm.

How to travel around Nusa Penida?
I don’t about you, but this for me was the hardest part to figure out. I am one of those people that will try my best to walk absolutely everywhere unless it’s just absolutely not possible and this was one of those places. So, I researched everywhere for the cheapest alternative.

As with Bali, one of the main ways to get around is by scooter but you have to be VERY confident! The roads here are crazy, you’ll be travelling on very bumpy roads, full of potholes and often uphill. Let’s just say I travelled in a car and even so, I would not want to do that journey again in a hurry…

As someone who’s not very confident on a scooter, I had to find another way and the only other option seemed to be to book a private driver – not a very cheap alternative, I know. I had wondered about haggling with a taxi driver once getting to Penida but this seemed risky and likely very expensive as I wanted to see most of the sites. There were a couple of taxis hanging around the port but as there weren’t many at all, I think any price agreed with them on the day would have been extortionate.

In the end, I booked with a private driver for 6 hours and agreed on seeing only 4 sites along the West coast (which was more than enough). The total cost for the driver was 500idr which is around £25.

What to see in Nusa Penida
Along the West Coast:

Kelingking Beach, this is astonishingly beautiful to see from above but note that it is usually heaving with tourists so I would recommend getting here as early in the morning as possible. You can also walk down to the beach but be aware that it’s a long and challenging journey, and even harder on the way back up again. Make sure to take food and water as there’s no vendors on the beach.
Angels Billabong, you could sit for hours just watching the waves here – It’s magnificent. It gets quiet around half 12 as most tour groups head off for lunch then.
Broken Beach, this is located right next to Angels Billabong so you can walk between the two.
Tembeling Beach and Forest, this is a little off the beaten path and isn’t one of the tourist hot spots so a little gem if you have the time! head here for a forest adventure and beautiful natural pool springs.

Along the East Coast:

Diamond Beach, arguably the most stunning beach in Nusa Penida with its white sand and turquoise water. Best to get here first thing in the morning as it gets VERY crowded and you can head down to the beach at the bottom which takes around 20 min but is a little difficult.
Atuh Beach, again white sand, beautiful blue water and surrounded by green cliffs.

What to do in Nusa Lembongan

Mushroom Beach, a lot of people choose to stay in this area. The beach is beautiful, really chilled vibes and not super crowded. There are lovely restaurants along the beach where you can sit to watch the sunset while having dinner. Expect lovely soft sand, relax and enjoy the beach activities.
Devil’s Tears, this is THE place to go for sunset. It costs 25idr to enter and is honestly, a dream. I sat there for hours watching the waves, taking in the sunset and just enjoying the views.