Nusa Penida is a small island off the Southeastern coast of Bali. It is popular for day trips, however, I recommend passing on the pricey tourist boats and staying several nights on the island instead! I spent a week on the island and it was more than enough time to explore the area and experience some Balinese culture as well!
How to get to Nusa Penida
Book a Fastboat with your accommodation beforehand. There are various ports that will take you to Penida Island and your hotel or hostel will know which one is closest or easiest.
NOTE: Don’t expect a luxury boat. Fastboats are crowded, hot, and very rocky. Bali to Nusa Penida isn’t terrible, but the ride from Lombok or the Gili Islands can make some of the strongest stomachs nauseous.
Once on the island, the best way to get around is by motorbike. The roads are quite narrow and at times extremely rocky so know your bike’s limits and be careful while exploring, especially if you are a new driver. I have included my road quality rating below for each location to help out!
Appreciate the Island’s Natural Beauty!
The majority of Nusa Penida’s Coast is made of cliffs that drop far down towards the water or beaches below. Explore the magnificent rock features, specifically along the Southwestern coast!
Kelingking Viewpoint & Beach [road quality: easy] – Otherwise known as the T-Rex Cliff, this spot is famous for its stunning scenery. Go early in the morning since tour groups begin arriving around 10am.
You can choose to take the trek down to Kelingking Beach below, but be warned: it is DIFFICULT. At times it feels like you are rock climbing because it’s so steep, so don’t go unprepared if you are set on visiting the beach!
Broken Beach & Angel’s Billabong [road quality: medium] – These are some stunning views. You can wade or swim in Angel’s Billabong and there are some cute warungs (local restaurants) around the area to grab some lunch or refreshing drinks.
Smoky Beach [road quality: hard] – Not very popular with a tedious path down to it, but definitely enjoyable. We actually ditched our motorbike right before a rocky hill and walked another 10 minutes to reach the rocky spot. Once we were there, though, we didn’t want to leave due to giant geysers of water that will get you soaked!
Diamond Beach [road quality: easy] – All the way on the Eastern side of the island is this beautiful white sand beach. It costs about $1 USD to enter and includes another steep trek down to the beach – although much less brutal than Kelingking.
Manta Point Cliff [road quality: medium] – This was my absolute favorite sunset location! On top of a stunning sunset and insane cliffs, it was completely empty of people.
If you’re confident driving a moped in the dark over rough terrain, I definitely recommend visiting this spot.
Go to the Beach!
If you want to go to the beach but aren’t feeling like taking a terrifying hike to get there, there are a couple beaches you can head to instead:
Crystal Bay [road quality: easy] – Crystal Bay is a decent beach with various restaurants right on the sand. I would only recommend it if you want a convenient beach that you don’t need to hike to.
Black Sand Beach [road quality: easy] – This beach doesn’t have a name but if you head to the north side of the island and to the back of Coco Penida Restaurant, you will find yourself at a little black sand beach! I stumbled upon the location by simply wandering into an alleyway, but it’s a lovely hidden gem on Nusa Penida.
See Manta Rays – Along the Northern coast of Nusa Penida are plenty of scuba dive and free dive companies that will take you to the year-round habitats of Manta Rays. I just booked a snorkel tour and still saw loads as well!
NOTE: I recommend just booking a snorkel tour with your accommodation as they all take you to the same spots. My tour was with Nusa Penida Explorer for 200,000 Rupiah (or $14 USD). Check out their website HERE
Visit Sacred Sites!
Bali is a majority-Hindu island although Indonesia is majority-Muslim. This means Nusa Penida has a couple of Hindu temples and sacred sites open to tourists that are amazing opportunities to see examples of Balinese religious tradition.
NOTE: These sites require you to wear a sarong into sacred areas. You can find sarongs for purchase all around Bali or simply rent them at the entrance of most locations.
Guyangan Waterfall [road quality: easy] – The Guyangan Waterfall is a sacred site on the Southern coast of Nusa Penida. Walk down bright blue stairs until you reach various waterfalls and adorned statues. Continue on to the sacred baths for an unreal swim in cliffside pools.
Goa Giri Putri Underground Temple [road quality: easy] – Unfortunately I didn’t make it here, but this underground temple is available for tourists to crawl their way into. Always remain quiet and respectful, though, as different ceremonies could be going on in the temple.
I was so happy to have stayed so long on this island. You can definitely squeeze everything into a few days but I was glad to have slowed down a bit to really get to know the island and some of its locals. There is limitless beauty and kindness spread around Nusa Penida that is worth experiencing!
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