As I mentioned on my previous post about Bali, after our days in Ubud we headed to Nusa Lembongan. There are three group of islands which are part of Bali and easily reachable in a short journey by boat: The Nusas (Lembongan, Ceningan and Penida), the Gili and Lombok.
Since our idea was to stay in the less touristic island, we chose Nusa Lembongan. The main activity is the seaweed production and then the tourism. Arriving there was really peculiar. We hired the transfer directly with the hotel on the island. The company picked us up in Ubud and after an hour journey by car, we arrived to Sanur port, from where you take the boat.
The funny thing is the Balinese call it port but it’s actually a beach and the boat is shoes off. So here goes the advice number one: wear flip flops because the shoes are carried in boxes and you will need to wash them later.
The journey lasted half an hour as we took the fast boat and once there, the landing is also in a beach, so advice number two: wear a dress or shorts as you board and get off the boat directly at the sea. Once there they took us to the hotel where we arrived in a couple of minutes as Lembongan is small.
During our stay we rented a scooter (85k rupias, about 4€ for three days) and theoretically you will need the international driving license, although in the end they didn’t ask for it.
What to do in Nusa Lembongan?
1.Tour the island and wander through the bumpy roads with a scooter. On your way your will find views of any type: since beautiful beaches in the distance to shanties surrounded by bushes.
2.Visit Devil’s Tear. The outcrop sucks the water in before it explodes out with a boom, creating the tears of the devil. Not only does it make the devil cry but the spray also creates a rainbow on many occasions. Devil’s Tears may get a little touristy though.
3.Jungutbatu beach. The most beautiful in my opinion as it’s really quiet and the longest on the island. There are several informal bars along the beach. The sunset from this part of the island is spectacular and with a direct view to Mt. Agung in Bali. Here we also enjoyed a lot the wooden swings.
4.Go to Nusa Ceningan. It’s very easy to reach through a characteristic yellow bridge only for pedestrians and motorbikes. Once on the island enjoy some of its beach clubs with a delicious smoothie!
5.Relax on Dream Beach. Just like it sounds as it’s a dreamy beach. It’s also small and it counts with a hotel with an infinity pool and a restaurant to have a lunch. It’s perfect to spend some hours there or all day long.
6.Snorkel or join a diving course. You have lots of possibilities as there are several companies which offer outings to different parts of the islands. The seabed is amazing and the Nusa islands are famous for the giant manta rays and Buda statues only visible under the sea.
7.Go for a massage! I know, I am suggesting the same than in Ubud but on this post I recommend to go to the Organic Spa. After all the massages we had in our two weeks in Indonesia, this was by far the best. So good that we decided to come back. Women working there use a technique out of this world!
If you are going to Bali, add Nusa Lembongan to your list. We really loved the island and we wish we could stay more!
Photography: Carlota Fariña
More on Instagram: #lotainbali
