Nusa Penida travel blog — The fullest Nusa Penida travel guide & suggested 3 day itinerary

Nusa Penida Island is a neighboring island of Bali in the Southeast, if you love the sea, you must definitely visit Nusa Penida for a few days to explore, the beach and sea here is the most beautiful in Bali combined with the cliffs that create a majestic, overwhelming, spectacular scenery that there are no words to describe its beauty.

So, is Nusa Penida worth visiting, what to do in Nusa Penida and how to plan a perfect Nusa Penida trip for the first-time? Let’s check out our Nusa Penida travel blog (Nusa Penida blog) with the fullest Nusa Penida travel guide (Nusa Penida guide, guide to Nusa Penida) from how to go Nusa Penida from Bali, best time to come, where to stay, best places to visit, what to eat and things to do in Nusa Penida as well as suggested Nusa Penida 3 day itinerary on how to spend 3 days in Nusa Penida to find out the answer!

This is also the place most people come to check-in when coming to Bali with the symbol is a mountain back with the shape like a T-Rex tyrannosaurus in Kelingking beach (But I find it more like a whale).

Next to Penida island are two small islands: Lembongan and Ceningan, these two islands are connected by a very stunning Yellow Bridge, and most of the population, the place to eat in the evening is concentrated in Lembongan, and the tourist attractions, beautiful scenery is in Penida.

Nusa Penida travel blog: How to get to Nusa Penida from Bali?

Nusa Penida Island is only about 30 minutes by boat from Bali, so it is completely possible to go in a day, but when you plan a trip, you should stay for about 3 days to explore the whole island.

Nusa Penida Island is still quite pristine and from Bali, the only way is traveling by boat, there are daily express boats, ferries from Bali to (from Sanur beach).

There will be 5 daily boat trips at: 8am, 9am, 10:30am, 4pm and 5pm. The fare is about 200,000 IDR ($13.65)/way. If you getting from Ceningan and Lembongan, go to the Yellow Bridge to catch a boat to the main island of Penida (15 minutes).

There is a little note that every year Bali has a day called “Day of the silent ocean” calculated according to the fourth full moon of the year (google search for more clarity). On this day, there will be no boat service, so please pay attention to search first.

Another note is that from Penida to Lembongan, the last boat trip is about 4:30~5pm, so you should pay attention to the time to get to the pier on time.

After that hour, the tide will be low, it will be difficult to move, so there is no boat to take anywhere, if any, you will have to hire a fishing boat at sky-high prices.

Nusa Penida travel guide: Where to stay in Nusa Penida?

There are many options: Lembongan or Penida. If you stay in Lembongan, it will be more crowded and bustling, and there will be more dishes and restaurants in the evening.

If you stay in Penida, it will be more country style, more popular, less bustling and shops. But going out every day, it will not take time and money to rent a boat to Penida island, but most of the places of interest to explore are located on Penida island – the largest island.

In my opinion, just stay in Penida for convenience, on the last day, return to Lembongan for one night because Lembongan and Ceningan are connected by a bridge, so you can explore both.

And the best is spend 4~5 days in all these 3 islands.

My family stayed in Penida for 1 night at La Nusa Homestay Hotel in a remote area, deserted but the room is clean and nice. The space is as airy as a resort, cheap.

The next day, I rented a room at Kakiang Guesthouse in Lembongan (Agoda.com, Booking.com) – this area is quite far from the Yellow Bridge and the port, but the price is cheap and the room is clean and nice, then I rented a motorbike to getting around.

Or refer to Kastapar Bridge Lembongan, quite close to the bridge, the center but the price is quite cheap (~$20/night).

Below we recommend more best budget, mid-range and upscale hotels with good ratings and reviews you can refer to.

• Adiwana Warnakali Resort (Agoda.com or Booking.com)
• Hotel Arsa Santhi Nusa Penida (Agoda.com or Booking.com)
• Semabu Hills Hotel (Agoda.com or Booking.com)
• Mahaloka Valley (Agoda.com or Booking.com)

Check out more top & best hotels in Nusa Penida on Agoda.com or Booking.com.

Nusa Penida guide: How to getting around on the island of Nusa Penida?

There are 2 ways to getting around the island you can choose.

Rent a motorbike to explore by yourself: Cheap (50,000~100,000 IDR/day/piece), active, comfortable, riding while watching beautiful scenery along the way (who likes to travel this way will understand). However, I do not recommend riding a motorbike, if you do, you should be a firm driver because the road on the island is quite bad, traveling in the left hand, so it’s easy get fall with weak drivers. I saw a lot of tourists get into motorbike accidents.

Renting a car with a driver: More expensive (550,000 IDR/car/day) but going faster (because the driver is familiar with the road) and safer.

Nusa Penida blog: What and where to eat in Nusa Penida?

If you go and back to the mainland in the same day, then there is nothing to discuss because taking a tour will include eating and drinking at spots along the way. Or if you ride a motorbike, you can go to any restaurant to eat, but there are many options to choose from.

Mostly evenings!

I stayed in both Nusa Penida and Lembongan, note that in Penida, in the evening in the center, there are a few cafes with live music that you can come and drink beer and smoothies.

Food doesn’t have a lot of options, the streets were dark, don’t focus on eating and drinking. In Lembongan will be more bustling and vibrant, with more eateries.

We only stay in Lembongan for one night, so there are not many food reviews here. My family chose to eat seafood at the seaside restaurant Mama Mia Bar & Grill to cool off, the food is quite good, but for me, it is a bit less and of course the restaurant is crowded with a nice location, so what do you expect to be affordable, right?! But at night when the tide went down, there is nothing to see =)))

In the dark, the water receded so much that people waded between the two islands to catch something.

Nusa Penida trip blog: Where to go, what to do in Nusa Penida & things to do in Nusa Penida

Here are the activities and places to visit to check-in in Penida: (should go all because every place is beautiful).

Scuba diving or snorkeling

I said that the sea in Penida can be said to be the most beautiful in Bali, so don’t experience, it’s too pity. If you don’t try scuba diving, snorkeling is fine.

On the island, there are many tour operators that sell tours, that take you explore about 3 or 4 spots in one morning:

Manta bay: This is the place to watch Manta ray. I don’t know if it’s normal how it is, but the day I went, the waves were super big and scared. However, the captain still told me to go swimming and watch the fish normally – at that time it sounded like a sock :v. And diving here with big waves brought a very SCARY FEELING because… the water is very DEEP.

Crystal bay: This place is a small beach, the sand is not very white. But if you watch the sunset, this place is probably the best.

Gamat bay + Wall spot: The 3 diving spots above are mainly for coral diving – and according to the captain, there are a lot of fish. But the only thing that impressed me was the SUPER HUGE coral reefs! The remaining color was a bit pale, the fish is not much. There’s only las spot with super big blackfish.

You can book a tour to explore the island of Nusa Penida through this LINK, or rent a car with a driver to take you out according to your desired itinerary via this LINK, renting a motorbike to go out on your own through this LINK is also ok. On this island, they often say that the price is very challenging, so please book in advance with peace in mind!

Surfing

Yeah, Bali is famous for surfing, Penida is also a very popular spot for surfing in Bali, but that’s not for the newbies because the waves in Penida are quite strong and dangerous for the inexperienced ones.

Usually visitors will join a surfing course in Kuta, Canggu. But the water there is not as blue as in Penida, I will definitely come back to learn how to surf well and go to Penida to surf, haha.

Yellow Bridge

This is the bridge connecting the two islands of Lembongan and Ceningan, the path is small. Here, I don’t have many words to write other than pictures.

Blue Lagoon + Mahana Point

All I can say is beautiful :)). And this is also the point to try the feeling of jumping from the cliff into the sea. But also pay attention to the sea and the weather before jumping because the sea in Penida is rough sea, so it’s a risk.

I arrived early in the morning at low tide and could not experience the jump feeling, missed the chance again.

You can refer to the snorkeling tour via this LINK or this LINK, or the scuba diving tour through this LINK.

West Penida

Kelingking

This is the back of a T-rex dinosaur, the symbol of Penida in particular and Bali in general. Interestingly, Kelingking was also discovered in 2003 or 2006 by a group of divers, then it was exploited for tourism and became a must check-in point in Bali.

In addition to the checkin at the legendary back, you can also climb down to the bottom beach through a small steep staircase. Requirement is physical strength to climb down and up.

Angel Billabong and Broken Beach

The 2 places close to each other and a must visit in Penida. I illustrate with pictures that you will know why.

Tembeling Beach and Forest

This is a spot with a small lake near the Tembeling beach, people often come and call it Tembeling natural swimming pool, besides, the beach and… I missed it again because I didn’t have enough time.

Tembeling is not visited by many Southeast Asian tourists, and is rarely mentioned because it takes about half a day to reach Tembeling and Peguyangan Waterfall.

Peguyangan Waterfall

The way to it is also quite far and climbing down is not easy, but BEAUTIFUL!!!!

Stairs down the cliff edge, one side is the deep sea with strong waves, but the destination is a temple on the cliff and a waterfall pours into a small natural pool, soaking in it, overlooking the extremely majestic sea. I guarantee you will want to stay there forever.

East Penida

This part, people also come less often because they often come to check-in at the back of the dinosaur, but it is a regret if not to come because this side is equally beautiful, and also because few people come, it is even more natural and beautiful.

Atuh Beach – Diamond Beach

I combined them into a combo because these 2 beaches are located right next to each other. But when you come, you should park your means at Diamond Beach and then walk to Atuh beach.

These 2 spots are nothing special but BEAUTIFUL and PRISTINE, it has something as beautiful as in Kelingking, but also has its own unique look. True to the name Diamond Beach, it deserves that name. Beautiful like a precious diamond.

These 2 beaches, please note that swimming needs attention because at Diamond Beach, the waves are super huge, watch out for rolling out to sea. And the waves here are so big that “the waves knocking my pants down are real” – I almost lost my pants :)).

And remember to search the tide schedule first because if you come here when the tide recedes, the sea will be empty, ugly or full of rocks (most people come here around 10am-2pm, it’s comfortable and beautiful, if you have poor dignity, you’ll get stuck haha) .

Because the tide is different every day, there are days when the water recedes late, and the water rises to cover all the sand on Diamond beach, so there is nothing to come down to play :))

Tree house + Thousand Island View

Also right next to Diamond Beach. From Diamond beach go to the left is Atuh Beach, and to the right is Tree house + Thousand Island View.

Tree house is just a tree house, very unique and if you have the conditions, it is also good to stay here. Why is it a place to visit? Because from the tree house, take pictures with a very beautiful view of Diamond beach.

In addition, Thousand View is also right next to it, which is also a point to see a beautiful panorama of Diamond beach.

Suwehan

This is also a beautiful, blue beach, in the middle there is a rock like this, very interesting but I missed it due to not enough time and my driver advised not to come because this spot is still very wild and have not exploited the way down, so climbing down is very dangerous.

Other points

In addition, there are many, many other points waiting for you to discover, I have only listed the most typical points, so 3 days may still be not enough.

How to visit Nusa Penida: Some notes when coming to Nusa Penida Island

I also mentioned above sections:

• If you return to Lembongan, remember to return to the port in Penida before 5pm.
• It is recommended to go by car for safety and to save time. Exercise well before going because you have to climb up and down a lot.
• Eating at Nusa Penida also depends on the restaurant, cheap or expensive, but the common point is to remember to exchange money first on the big island because it is expensive to exchange here.
• Remember to bring enough sunscreen, remember to bring water when you go out because you are very thirsty due to hard activities like workout.

Nusa Penida 3 day itinerary: Suggested 3 days in Nusa Penida

Here is a suggested Nusa Penida 3 day itinerary for you refer to if you plan to spend 3 days on the island.

Day 1: Bali – Penida

• Morning: Usually will mainly depart at Sanur beach, come here around 7:30am to buy tickets to get on the boat (or buy in advance from the day before). Arriving Penida, spend the morning diving and snorkeling.
• Afternoon: Explore, playing around the Yellow Bridge, Blue lagoon, mahatan point. Return to Penida in the evening to go out early the next day (or stay in Lembongan the next morning catch the boat to Penida early).

Day 2: West Penida

• Rent a car – go to Kelingking in the morning – Angel Billabong and Broken Beach
• Afternoon: Tembeling Beach & Forest and Peguyangan Waterfall. Overnight stay in Penida.

Nusa Penida 3 day itinerary: Day 3: East Penida

• Morning – noon: Atuh beach + Diamond – Suwahan beach. The main thing here is to go to the beaches, so you don’t have to travel much, so it will be less tiring than explore West Penida.
• At around 3pm, started to return to catch the boat back to Bali (I’m not sure about the last boat back to Bali, so ask the hotel to know more. Otherwise, back in early the next morning).

This is a comfortable itinerary, or else you can refer to my Nusa Penida itinerary for a little more than 2 days and still go all the way but it will be very tiring.

Day 1: Bali – West Penida

To save time, I accept more expensive but for quick, I bought a full day tour including snorkeling and exploring the western half of Penida: Kelingking – Angel billabong and Broken beach. Overnight in Penida.

Day 2:

Go early in the morning to Tembeling Beach + Peguyangan waterfall. Afternoon -> afternoon continue to explore East Penida from early morning. Breakfast along the way and around 10am to A Thousand viewpoint, then head to Diamond beach and down to Atuh beach for lunch.

After having lunch and resting until about 1:30pm, we went to Peguyangan waterfall, because we had to return to the port before 5pm to catch the boat to Lembongan, so we could not reach Tembeling in time.

The reason is because the roads to attractions are very bad, so traveling takes time, hopefully later they will repair the roads, so you can go comfortably.

Day 3

Take advantage of exploring the Yellow Bridge, Blue lagoon and return before 8 am to leave the island (go this way, you only just go to Manhattan point to see, but you can’t jump off.

It sounds like a short time to go, but the timeline will be extremely hard and each stop will not stop long (so regret).

To book a tour or rent a car, you can contact this Mr. Sugar. Very enthusiastic and kind (he bought me a cheaper boat ticket to Gili than usual): Whatsapp: +6285238378669

Conclusion

To summarize, to be able to eat and play comfortably and feel Penida, you should stay here for about a week. Trust me, it’s not a waste of time. Although it is hard to travel, Nusa Penida is worth checking out as it is one of the most beautiful destinations in Bali, I think.

Some best day tours, trips, activities and transfer services, tickets in, to and from Nusa Penida and Bali you can refer to

• Bali All Time Favourites Private Day Trip
• Bali Private UNESCO Heritage Sites Trip
• Nusa Penida Full Day Trip from Bali
• Bali Swing and Waterfall Full Day Tour in Ubud
• Bali Instagram Tour
• Private Ngurah Rai Airport Transfers (DPS) for Bali
• Private Sightseeing Custom Tour for Bali
• Private Sightseeing Custom Tour for Ubud & Surroundings
• Bali Private Car Charter
• 3G/4G Prepaid SIM Card (DPS Airport Pick Up) for Bali
• 4G Portable WiFi for Bali
• 4G Portable WiFi for Indonesia from Uroaming
• 4G LTE WiFi (MNL Delivery) for Asia
• Nusa Penida Day Tour from Bali
• Snorkeling Experience in Nusa Penida
• Nusa Penida Day Tour from Bali With Photographer
• Fast Boat Ticket between Bali (Sanur) and Nusa Penida
• Nusa Penida Join In Tour from Bali
• Nusa Penida Private Car Charter
• Nusa Penida Scooter Rental
• 2D1N Nusa Penida Tour from Bali (Include Overnight Accommodation)
• Nusa Penida Instagram Day Tour from Bali by Liburan Bali
• Nusa Penida Custom Tour from Bali
• Nusa Lembongan and Manta Bay Snorkeling Experience
• Diving Experiences in Nusa Penida by Legend Diving Lembongan
• 2D1N – Nusa Penida, Nusa Lembongan and Nusa Ceningan Tour from Bali
• Fast Boat Ticket between Bali and Nusa Penida by Golden Queen

Are you looking for more Bali travel guide and top things to do in Bali: Tours, activities, attractions and other things? Read more: Bali travel blog — The fullest Bali travel guide blog for a budget trip to Bali, Indonesia.