Let's go to Bali, baby!

Nusa Penida

Next we travelled to Nusa Penida, an island with some of the best beaches I'd ever been to. Most people rent scooters to get around the island, but because the roads were in poor condition and extremely steep, we decided to pay a driver. 

Activities 

The first beach we stopped at was Atuh Beach, which is on the east side of Nusa Penida with incredible rock formations and cliffs. It was a little bit of a hike to get down, which we found was the case with a lot of beaches on Nusa Penida. We went for a little swim but the waves were so strong, even at the shore. While you're here, try a young coconut for a refreshing drink! 

We decided to go snorkeling for one of our days here, but make sure you go on a day where the waves aren't too intense! Our guide ended up having to turn the boat around because the waves were getting so big... It was scary lol. We did end up getting to see some rainbow fish and swordfish. 

Another incredible beach is Diamond Beach, which is also on the east side of Nusa Penida. And again, be prepared for a little bit of a hike down! The water was so rough that we saw a few tourists get pulled too far in, so be careful here. We dipped our feet in but didn't go much further than that. 

Our last day we decided to explore the west side of Nusa Penida, and woke up at 5:30am to see all of the lookout points. The first two places were Angel's Billabong and Broken Beach. Angel's Billabong is this turquoise pool of water next to the ocean and Broken Breach is a very tiny beach surrounded by cliffs with a bridge made of rock surrounding it. Both are lookout points and not places you can swim! 

Nearby is Kelingking Beach, which is known as the most beautiful beach in Bali (I personally found Diamond and Atuh Beach to be equally, if not more, beautiful). It has a famous lookout point and is often times the photo you see when looking up Bali. After about a 20 or 30 minute hike downwards, the beach is beautiful! This tends to be the busiest beach on Nusa Penida however, so wake up early to go! 

Lodging 

Nusa Penida has a lot of different options in terms of accomodation depending on your price point. If you want to splurge a little, staying at one of the many bungalows with a view of the ocean is the way to go! 

Places to Eat

My favorite place to eat on Nusa Penida was a cafe called Secret Penida Cafe. It has a really cute ambiance, with pink walls and twinkle lights, and their food was so good. They offer breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and their veggie burgers are amazing.