Nusa Penida
Travel Guide

Nusa Penida Travelguide

Day 1: Arrival and heading to Ubud

Nusa Penida is an Island only a few kilometers away from the coast of Bali. Nusa Penida is getting more and more popular because of the many beautiful landscapes and the tranquil vibe of the Island. You can get to Nusa Penida via Speedboat from Bali but also from Lombok and the Gili Islands. The Boatride from Bali to Nusa Penida takes about 45 minutes depending on the weather conditions. There are also day tours departing from Bali that take you to the Highlights of the Island and pick you up and drop you off at your Hotel in South Bali.

In this Guide we are going to write about our Highlights of the Island, how to get around and what you need to know.

When you are on a tight schedule booking a tour from Bali will be the easiest Option for you. With these organized tours transfer from your Hotel, Speedboat ticket, transport on the Island to some of the most important sights like Kelingking Beach, Broken Beach and more and the Transport back to Bali will be included. So booking a Day trip is also a good option to explore Nusa Penida in a short amount of time.

Find your Flight to Bali

Transfer to the Hotel

Book Suarti Boutique Village

How to get to Nusa Penida:

There are a few different boat companies that have scheduled speed boat rides going from Bali to Nusa Penida every day. When getting to the pier (Serangan harbor, Naur pier) you pay for the Ticket and get a colored Tag around your neck. Each boat has it’s own color. When the boat is ready to board they will get you luggage on the boat and you have to put your shoes in a container, as there are no shoes allowed on board. The boat ride can be really bumpy depending on the weather conditions so be prepared for that. After reaching Nusa Penida you get off the boat (in shallow water) collect your shoes from the container at the beach and your luggage which will also be placed on the beach for you to collect.

How to get around:

You can rent a scooter or take a private driver with a car to get you around Nusa Penida. There are cars with a driver waiting at the pier for the people to arrive and you can just ask one of them can give you a ride. Like in Bali every driver can be contacted through whats app. Sojust get the number and negotiate the next few days on what to do and how much to pay. The streets are very narrow in most parts of the island. So there is not much difference to Bali in that part. Nusa Penida is way smaller than Bali but the drives can still take a lot of time as the roads aren’t in good condition at some points. Sometimes the roads are blocked with traffic as the roads are too narrow to fit two cars next to each other so you have to wait and squeeze through somehow. The price for the private driver depends on where you want to go and how long the drive will take. You can expect to pay 600.000 Rupiah for a visit to Kelinglik Beach, Broken Beach, Angels Billabong, transfer from and to your Hotel included. A scooter is of course way cheaper than a car with a private driver so expect to pay around 75-80k Rupiah for a scooter and a full tank a day.

How much time to spend on Nusa Penida:

That depends on how much time you have and what you want to see. There are also some beautiful beaches on Nusa Penida so you can also extend your Bali stay with a beach extention on Nusa Penida. When going individually without a tour we would recommend at least 3 nights to have enough time to explore the main attractions.

How much Budget to plan on Nusa Penida:

The Budget depends if you are only doing a day tour from Nusa Penida where you only have to pay for the tour, food, drinks and tips for the guide or if you are going to spend a few nights here to explore the Island. Basic accomodation is really cheap on Nusa Penida so plan about 20-30 USD a night. The private car with driver will be about 40 USD per day. If you want to drive a schooter it will be about 7 USD per day with fuel so way cheaper than a car with private driver. Food is pretty cheap like on Bai so plan about 4-10 USD per meal depending on where you eat. Local Warungs are way cheaper than the restaurants at the Hotels. The Boat transfer from Bali to Nusa Penida and return are about 15 USD per person.

Where to stay on Nusa Penida:

There are many beautiful places to stay on Nusa Penida. When planning to stay a few days we would recommend changing Hotels in between so you don’t have to drive backand forth. There is a small cute place right at the beach near the pier with a beautiful white sand beach right in front of the door. The Place is called Santen Beach Bungalows. They have like 4 small Bungalows right at the beach. We also stayed at Kelingking Mesari Villa & Spa which was alo a very nce place and the location was perfect for an early morning adventure to Kelingking Beach as you can walk from there. The Raja Lima and Spa near Diamond beach was a little more pricey but beautiful and also had a very good location. You can walk to Diamond and Atuh Beach and the famous tree hous is right in fron of the Hotel only a few meters away.

Book a Private Tour

What to see on Nusa Penida:

Kelingking Beach:

Kelingking Beach is one of the most known attractions in Nusa Penida. The dinosaur-shaped Cliff, also called T-Rex cliff, is one of the Highlights of the Island. The view from above and the beautiful beach where the waves crash into are a stunning sight. There is also a way down to the beach which takes about 40 minutes one way and is quite exhausting and scary at some points. Sometimes there is also a rope to hold on to and you have to hold on with everything you’ve got to get down. The beach is one of the prettiest we have seen around Bali. But be careful with the waves. Sometimes it is impossible to swim there as the waves are too high and it will be life threatening to go inside the water. On both sides of the Beach is a cave which makes a beautiful picture with the cliff and beach in the background.

Tip: Arrive as early in the morning as possible. We were the only ones at the beach for almost an hour. As any day tours from Bali arrive during the day, the early morning and late afternoon are perfect for exploring without many other tourists.

Tip: Be careful with the Monkeys! They are everywhere and snatch your things when you are not careful.

Book a Private Tour

Broken Beach:

Broken Beach is famous for its natural rock archway that stretches over turquoise waters, creating a circular cove. It is accessible by car or scooter, with a short walk from the parking area. This area is also known for it’s Manta Rays right by the coast. Maybe you can spot some floating through the water nearby.

Angels Billabong:

Right next to Broken Beach is the natural Pool Angels Billabong. During low tide, the tide pool at Angel’s Billabong becomes accessible, allowing you to swim and snorkel in the calm and shallow waters. But always be careful when swimming here especially during high tide or rough sea conditions as it can be very dangerous. The rocks surrounding the tide pool can be sharp and slippery, so it’s advisable to wear protective footwear and proceed with care. So always check the weather forecast and also take a look at the tide schedule and how the ocean looks.

Diamond Beach:

Diamond Beach is also a classic photo spot in the east of Nusa Penida. It gets the name from a pointy Rock at the beach. There is a parking lot near the cliff and it is only a short walk to the stairs leading down to the beach. The stairs are kind of sketchy as they are carved right into the wall of the cliff. Some parts are without something to hold on to which makes it extra tricky. But the beach is definitely worth it. It can be very rough especially during high tide so check that before going as there won’t be any way to get on the beach otherwise. We went there early in the morning and there were only a handful of other people. After getting back up there were already a lot of people taking pictures from above the cliff.

Atuh Beach:

Atuh Beach is right next to Diamond beach so it is easy to combine these two beaches. To excess Atuh beach just walk along the cliff walk from Diamond beach and get down some stairs at the end. You can already see the beach from above. There are also sunbeds and some shacks to get food and drinks down at the beach. The Rock Formation that looks a little like a stiletto (that’s what the locals say) is one of the Highlights of Atuh Beach.

Rumah Pohon “Tree House”:

The Tree House on Nusa Penida is also a very famous Instagram Spot. You have a very beautiful view on Diamond beach from here. The Tree House makes a perfect Picture in the foreground. We actually found this place by accident. We did know that it was somewhere there but it wasn’t something we had planned to visit but our Hotel was right behind it (The Raja Lima Spa) and we took an evening stroll and discovered that it was there. We were lucky as there was no one else there and even got the last light of the day coming in. Usually you also have to pay an entrance fee but as we came so late there was no one there anymore to take the entrance fee from us.

Teletubbies Hill:

Everyone is mostly interested in the coastal sights of Nusa Penida but when driving into the center of the Island you will find these green Hills called Teletubbies Hill like the ones from the TV series. During the rainy season and also right after (Decembre till May) they will have this bright green color. In the summer they will turn brown and won’t look as pretty. The area is very big and you can also walk in between the hills to look around. The drone perspective gives you a better view of the area. When you know the Chocolate hills in Bohol, Philippines they look a little like them.

Manta Point:

Around Nusa Penida are a lot of Manta Rays. So it is one of the places in Indonesia where it is almost guaranteed to see them. But it is nature so don’t be disappointed if you don’t see them. Most of the tours leave early in the morning from the pier of Nusa Penida and are group tours. You can also take a day tour from Bali to go snorkeling with the Mantas and also some other spots. But you can also organize private tours when you talk to the people at the pier. There is always a fisherman that can take you on a private tour. The price varies and depends on the one you ask. We paid around 800.000 IDR for a private tour to the Manta Rays and also to a snorkeling spot afterwards. It can get pretty crowded in the water when there are already other people looking for the Matas. Always try to respect nature and don’t swim too close or touch them.

Nusa Penida
Travel Guide