After finishing an Eat Pray Love like “soul searching” in Ubud I headed to the Nusa Islands. The Nusa Islands are in the South East of Bali and have to be reached by a short boat ride.
I started out with Nusa Lembongan, I wanted to do some snorkeling and beach visits. The nice thing about islands near Bali is that the beaches and water are extremely clear and clean. I did a snorkeling tour organized by my hostel, which lasted for 2-3 hours and was on 3 different locations. Sadly, no manta rays were spotted that day.
Recommended places:
- Dream Beach
- Jungut Batu Beach
- Devil’s Tears
- Mushroom Bay
Getting around the island could be done with scooter
After visiting Nusa Lembongan my original plan was to go to Nusa Penida, the bigger island for exploring. Sadly, the day I wanted to go to Penida it was a national holiday and no boats were allowed to depart. So, I went to the connecting island, Nusa Ceningan, which is connected by the Yellow Bridge and walkable or doable with a scooter. In Ceningan there was not a lot to see and I just lounged by the pool for a day with a short visit to the “Blue Lagoon” phenomenon on the island.
The next day I arrived at Nusa Penida, a much bigger island than the former two with a lot of natural landscaping preserved. The island is divided into east and west with different sightseeings to do. Getting around was fairly difficult by scooter if you are not experienced since the roads require a more seasoned driver. Hence, I booked a day tour with my hostel roommates. The four of us shared a car and went to visit the west side of the island. The island was beautiful and definitely worth exploring.
Must see:
- Kelingking Beach: most “Instagramable sight” in Bali. It is also definitely worth the trip going down to the beach.
- Broken Beach
- Angel’s billabong
- Crystal Bay
Accomodation:
Nusa Lembongan (3 days): Bong Hostel, an eco-friendly and clean hostel. Beautiful but difficult to reach.
Nusa Ceningan (1 day): local hotel
Nusa Penida (2 days): Nuansa Penida Hostel, staff was okay-ish, fellow visitors were lovely though.
This is very interesting! I am jealous that you were able to spend a month in Indonesia :)