What to do & where to visit in Nusa Penida? — 15+ best places to visit, must-do & best things to do in Nusa Penida

You’ve been to Bali N+ times, you’re so used to green rice terraces, luxury resorts, sacred temples, thrilling activities like skydiving, windsurfing on a crowded beach. You want to find another place and what to do that has all the points of interest: Pristine, isolated from the world, blue sea and white sand, many super virtual check-in spots and still have many games and things to explore. Then Nusa Penida is the island for you!

So, what to do in Nusa Penida, where to go in Nusa Penida and where to visit in Nusa Penida? Let’s check out our top rated 15+ top things to do in Nusa Penida, best places to visit in Nusa Penida, best things to do in Nusa Penida, must do in Nusa Penida,must visit places in Nusa Penida as follows!

Traveling to Bali but skipping Nusa Penida island is a pity. This is an island with many points to check-in, many beautiful beaches to chill with the waves, many diving spots to admire the beautiful sea creatures, many interesting restaurants to enjoy delicious food… And Here are best things to do in Nusa Penida you should not miss when coming to this paradise island.

Overview of Nusa Penida

Nusa Penida is the largest of three beautiful small islands in southeast Bali with an area of 202 square kilometers, 25 kilometers from Bali and 40 minutes by boat. The two small islands next to it are Nusa Lembongan and Nusa Ceningan. It took me less than 1 hour from Bali to set foot on this beautiful island.

The best time to visit the island is the dry season from April to September, it is sunny and does not rain.

Due to Nusa Penida is an island off the coast, you’ll need to take a boat from the main island of Bali to get there. Speedboats depart from Sanur Beach, cost about 150,000 IDR and operate from 7 am to 4 pm daily.

As soon as I stood at the pier, I felt the peaceful and comfortable atmosphere. There are no crowded beaches, no noisy groups of guests checking in in front of famous places, only the golden sunshine spread across the island, the cool breeze and the salty air of the immense sea.

Nusa Penida is unspoiled but quite full of services. You can buy a day tour from Bali, rent a self-drive car or have a driver on the island depending on the needs and desires of each visitor. I chose to rent a motorbike to riding around the island by myself, let the sun and wind caress my face, to ride on the bumpy and smooth roads, so I can slip into the nooks and crannies that the car could not reach.

You can rent a motorbike right at the pier to run back to the hotel, save a small amount of money or you can rent a motorbike at the hotel/guesthouse/resort you stay. The people renting motorbikes at the port are very enthusiastic and hospitable, no need to ask you to deposit, just say the name of the hotel you are staying at. When you get on the boat back to Bali, you just need to leave the car at the pier, plug the key into the motorbike and announce that you have left it.

To have enough time to explore and enjoy the scenery, attractions in Nusa Penida, you should spend at least 2 days to “eat – pray – love” here. As for me, I thought 2 days was enough, but then I went around and missed how I stayed in Nusa Penida for 5 days.

Below are what to do in Nusa Penida, where to go in Nusa Penida and where to visit in Nusa Penida and best things to do in Nusa Penida.

Rumah Pohon “Tree House” (# best things to do in nusa penida)

Address: 6JC8+HPW, Pejukutan, Nusa Penida, Klungkung Regency, Bali 80771, Indonesia

The first thing I had to admire immediately was the tree house perched on top of the tree called Rumah Pohon. Rumah Pohon is located on the east side of the island, about 1.5 hours from the pier by car. This place has no phone signal, no wifi, completely isolated from the outside world, so the days here are days of rest, relaxation, slow living and enjoying life.

Before I could live slowly, I had to walk down a few stairs. Wake up early, watch the first rays of sunlight stretch up the small mountains and the sun gradually rises from the sea or stay up late to watch the galaxy full of stars, the bright moonlight shining down on the sea. This will be an unforgettable and worthwhile experience. Rumah Pohon has three houses and is often fully booked on booking sites so if you want to stay here, you have to book a few months in advance. You can reserve it via Booking.com or Agoda.com

Atuh and Suwehan Secret Beaches (# best things to do in nusa penida)

From Rumah Pohon, I visited 2 very famous check-in places, Suwehan and Atuh beaches. Atuh beach is truly a paradise with a long stretch of pure white sand, clear jade-green sea like you can see the bottom. Especially the limestone ranges surrounding the beach make the scene more majestic. Suwehan is one of Nusa Penida’s most unspoiled beaches with huge towering cliffs, emerald green waters, pristine white sand, and in the middle of the beach is a small spear-shaped mountain.

Suwehan is not on the main sightseeing road and is not easily accessible, I climbed the stairs from the top of the mountain, through a forest to reach the beach. But that’s why Suwehan is considered the hidden gem of Nusa Penida. There are very few tourists here, so there will be times when you are alone with the sea and nature. There are no restaurants or services here, so you have to prepare food and drink if you want to have a picnic here.

Giant dinosaur Kelingking (# best places to visit in nusa penida)

Nusa Penida’s most famous spot is a beach surrounded by cliffs that looks exactly like a sleeping T-rex. Photos of the green dinosaur lying in the sea on instagram have made tourists flock to Nusa Penida just to see this wonder of nature with their own eyes. From the back of the dinosaur you can walk down to Kelingking beach.

The way to the sea is simple steps, fenced with tree trunks but quite sturdy. This beach is really a paradise with turquoise water hitting the cliffs creating white foam waves, smooth white sand, and mountains embracing the beach in the distance. In addition, Kelingking also has cliffs with spectacular sea views and is a very popular photo spot on social networks.

Most of the visitors to this Nusa Penida are to go virtual living, because when looking for pictures of Bali tourism, you will see a lot of pictures taken from this Nusa Penida island. Like the spine of a T-Rex at Kelingking Beach.

If you don’t want to try your hand at walking to the beach in the hot sun, there are a few cool restaurants and cafes in Kelingking where you can sit and enjoy delicious food or a cup of fragrant coffee while sightseeing. Or you can also go to the observation points around to see the dinosaur from above and from many different angles.

Other attractions (# must do in nusa penida)

This beautiful Nusa Penida island has many unspoiled places such as Angel’s Billabong, Broken Beach, Diamond Beach, Banah Cliff Point- a famous sunset spot with a unique image of Bana island with a unique hole in the middle.

And if you have time and health, take the time to take the stairs down to the foot of the mountain to enjoy the beauty of Mother Nature. Always love it!

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!

Peguyangan Waterfall (# top things to do in nusa penida)

Address: 6G99+FRR, Batukandik, Nusa Penida, Klungkung Regency, Bali 80771, Indonesia
Hours: 6 AM–7 PM

Nusa Penida’s “specialty” is probably the waterfalls where you have to scratch your skin, climb stairs or grovel every step of the way to get there. Peguyangan is a small waterfall and natural swimming pool located at the foot of some cliffs. I had to step by step along the narrow and very long stairs, cradling halfway up the cliff, one side was the roaring waves of the sea creating a very stimulating feeling, both scared and wanted to conquer.

But what is to be admired in Peguyangan is very interesting: an ancient sacred temple lying peacefully in the middle of nature, local people have the custom of bathing under three sacred falls, they believe that the water here is clean and healthy, bring blessings. A small natural swimming pool can lie down all day watching the sea, plus a few more beer bottles is too great.

Seganing Waterfall (# what to do in nusa penida)

Address: 6FQP+JP9, Bunga Mekar, Nusa Penida, Klungkung Regency, Bali 80771, Indonesia
Hours: Open 24 hours

While most waterfalls in Bali are hidden in green forests, in Nusa Penida, Seganing waterfall on one side leans against the mountain, about 5m from the sea and its water flows straight into the sea. Beautiful small waterfall, murmuring water just a few meters from the waves crashing on the shore.

Magical nature has created rock niches like a small swimming pool with clear water for you to take a dip and enjoy the majestic scenery around. The fluttering butterflies and flowers, the green color of moss, the yellow color of the sun and the white color of the silver waves, you will see that this place is truly a fairyland.

The path from the top of the mountain to Seganing waterfall is quite slippery and steep, one side is cliffs, the other is the beach. It’s hard, hot, and tiring, but once you get there, you’ll find the scenery below is truly worth the challenge.

Diving (# where to go in nusa penida)

The underwater world of Bali in general and of Nusa Penida in particular, I say… it’s so beautiful! There are many species of fish and coral that you don’t seem to see if you go to the waters of Vietnam. Like the Manta Ray, the Mola Mola moon fish, and so on and the clouds. As for diving spots, there are countless, the most famous ones are still: Manta Bay, Crystal Bay, Manta Point, etc.

What if you are a scuba diver? Then Nusa Penida has many great diving spots:

Manta Point: Swimming with a giant manta ray, finding yourself as small as a grain of sand in the middle of the ocean is an experience not to be missed… if you know how to dive.

Crystal Bay: Just hearing the name can imagine the water here is perfect blue to be able to see the schools of colorful fish.

You can choose from services such as scuba diving or free diving. However, you need to have recognized diving certificates from organizations such as PADI, SSI… Depending on the level, you will be diving to the specified depth.

Wandering near the port, you will encounter many dive centers, which offer professional scuba dive and freedive services. To participate in this activity, you need a diving certificate issued by international diving organizations such as SSI, PADI, AIDA, etc. And depending on the certification level, you will be allowed to dive to a certain depth. Each level of depth, there will always be marine species living at that depth. So you have more chances to meet strange and bigger fishes.

If you can’t swim or don’t have a scuba diving certification, you can take part in the snorkeling activity. You just need to put on your life jacket, propeller, diving goggles and snorkel. Then face the sea to watch. There are spots where you will enjoy the beauty of coral reefs and beautiful schools of colorful small fish, if you are lucky enough, you may even meet sea turtles swimming around the coral reef.

In particular, you can meet huge schools of Manta Ray when diving or snorkeling at Manta Point diving site in Nusa Pendia. You have to see it with your own eyes to feel the giantness of this Manta Ray, huge, and feel you so small.

While these manta rays are quite friendly, you should not try to swim close and touch them. According to a 2014 statistic, this Manta Ray fish can bring in millions of dollars for Indonesia thanks to that tourism activity.

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

Enjoy the food at Penida Colada Beach Bar (# where to visit in nusa penida)

Address: Jl. Ped-Buyuk, Ped, Nusa Penida, Klungkung Regency, Bali 80771, Indonesia
Hours: 8 AM–11 PM

This is probably the restaurant with the most beautiful sea view, the best food and the cutest service staff on this Nusa Penida island. The price is also reasonable, too!

In addition, the story about this restaurant is also very interesting. As they will prioritize ingredients that are grown on this island to help the farmers here, the staff are indigenous people on the island, coconut oil used for cooking is also made in the traditional way and their menu is more healthy options available to both vegetarians and savory.

You can come here all day, just to lie on the lazy pillows to watch the sea, listen to the waves, sipping cocktails or delicious dishes, in the evening enjoy LIVE performances. It’s okay to be lazy when you come here.

Stay at least 1 night on the island (# must visit places in nusa penida)

Most tourists come to Nusa Penida island on a day tour while Nusa Penida is very large, has many things to explore and I am sure it will give you more emotions when slowly experiencing the island.

What I like most when staying here is wandering on the road around the island to see the lives of the people, interspersed with resorts, hotels… for tourists to stay.

And I love watching the sunset and sunrise from this island too.

The place I stayed is The Dewi Sun Sun Suite (Agoda, Booking), located about 2km from the pier but right next to the sea. Just take a few steps to be able to rush to the sea, but still facing the North, so you are free to admire both sunset & sunrise, and in front of you also see the towering Mount Agung.

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)

Or you can find other hotels, resorts and villas on this island on Agoda.com or Booking.com

How to get to Nusa Penida Island?

Take a speedboat from Sanur port, travel time is about 45 minutes with a ticket price of about 250k IDR/round trip. There are many boat lines for you to choose from, depending on the time frame you want. It is recommended to book in advance to ensure you have a seat, there is this LINK with a wide selection of boats and timetables for you to consider.

Coming to Nusa Penida, you should temporarily leave the bustling and noisy life behind to enjoy the ocean-flavored and spacious atmosphere, have fun in the clear water and immerse yourself in the vast mountains. If you have fallen in love, you will surely love the paradise island of Nusa Penida.

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.