The best and easiest way to get to the Nusa Islands from Bali is to take a speed boat from Sanur (east Bali) to Nusa Lembongan. Nusa Lembongan is the closest island to the mainland and the most tourist friendly regarding amenities and accommodations.
There are many ferries and/or speed boats that leave multiple times per day from Sanur. The speed boats are a bit pricier, but for the time it saves it's definitely worth it. The two main companies to book with are Rocky Fast Cruise and Scoot Cruise. It’s recommended to book at least a few days in advance to secure a seat and to get the lowest ticket price. We opted with Rocky’s simply because it worked with our schedule better- we had zero issues and would definitely recommend! Pick-up from our hotel in Bali and drop-off at our new villa in Nusa Lembongan were included with ticket price which was extremely nice.
Personally, I believe the best and most fun way to explore the islands is on the back of a scooter. Scooters on the islands are plentiful so it’s extremely easy to get your hands on one, and most hotels can get you one if you’re not up for bartering on the price. Most scooters run about 70,000-100,000 IDR/day.
That being said, driving a scooter around the Nusa Islands (especially Nusa Penida) can be challenging as some roads are partially destroyed and full of rocks/sand – it’s best to find an open lot and practice for a bit before you take it out on the main roads.
For those who aren’t as adventurous or not comfortable renting a scooter, you can easily hire a local taxi driver to take you around the islands for a daily rate.
After doing my own research, we decided to have home base on Nusa Lembongan. I felt that there were many more accommodation options with restaurants/amenities along with accessibility versus the other islands. We used the Ministry of Villas to find our villa on Nusa Lembongan and it was a dream! The villa was beautiful and had a concierge service that provided help with whatever we needed whenever needed, including hiring a taxi, reserving scooters, etc. We also had breakfast freshly prepared for us every morning. The location couldn’t have been better- we were right next to Sandy Bay which was a 30 second walk to the Sandy Bay Beach Club. They had an amazing restaurant (the most amazing margherita pizza) with spectacular views over the beach. We were also within walking distance to Devil’s Tear and Dream Beach. I couldn’t recommend this area enough.
I personally found Devil’s Tear to be the best area on the island to explore. It not only has the best views of the sunset on the island, but some of the biggest waves you’ll ever witness. The intensity of the waves crashing against the coastline is truly sensational, resulting in massive sprays of water creating rainbows on most occasions when the water cascades back into the ocean. It does tend to get very busy around sunset so get there early for the best views!
Dream Beach is one of the most popular beaches on the island and it is also within walking distance from Devil’s Tear. It’s a beautiful white sandy beach with gorgeous crystal blue waters. Our experience there was wonderfully unique. We stopped by early in the morning to take in the views, when an elementary class showed up to do their morning drills on the beach. It was just us and roughly 25 kids ranging in ages from 5-8 running around us giving us high-fives as they completed their morning exercises. They were all so silly and excited to see and play with us- it was such a fun experience! That being said, if you’re looking for more of a quiet and secluded beach this one probably isn’t it.
For dinner we went to the Sandy Bay Beach Club since it was literally next door to our villa. The beach club is another all-day hangout spot where you can enjoy any array of food, fresh juices and delicious cocktails. The restaurant is designed with a rustic beach aesthetic in mind with the stunning backdrop of the waves crashing into Devil’s Tear. However, the actual beach is quite rocky and not a swimming beach at all, although you can enjoy some dips in the pool and soak up some sun on the loungers for a small charge. The restaurant does have live music several nights a week so be sure to check that out!
Since we had a late start our first day exploring Nusa Lembongan, we decided that we would split our second day exploring the other side of Nusa Lembongan and Nusa Ceningan. Nusa Ceningan is the smallest of the three islands and only takes roughly about 30-45min to scooter the entire island.
From Nusa Lembongan, take either a taxi or scooter to the south part of island and head to the Yellow Bridge. The Yellow Bridge is the connection between the two islands and is free to cross. The bridge is extremely narrow only being suitable for pedestrians and scooters, meaning that there are no taxis/cars on Nusa Ceningan so be sure to factor that in!
If you’ve heard about Nusa Ceningan, then you’ve most certainly heard about the Blue Lagoon. It’s located in the most southern part of Nusa Ceningan and is definitely the top attraction of the island. The site has certainly earned its title for its radiant turquoise waters and is quite honestly one of the prettiest places I’ve ever seen. For those a little more adventurous and wanting more than views, you can head around the corner to Mahana Point to do some prime cliff jumping.
This beach is the main strip on Nusa Lembongan. It’s a beautiful white sandy beach with many accommodations and restaurants/shops nearby making it a prime area to be, which also means it's much busier than the other parts of the island. Although it’s a great place to lay out and relax, it’s probably not the best beach to swim due to all the boats anchored off shore and the shoreline being extremely rocky.
Unfortunately, we only had one day to explore Nusa Penida. If I could go back and do it differently, I would definitely spend one day exploring both Nusa Lembongan and Nusa Ceningan and leave two days for Nusa Penida. With Nusa Penida being the largest island, you truly need a minimum of two days to explore. Nusa Penida offers the most to see of the islands, plus the roads are extremely poor meaning you need to factor in more time getting around the island since it’s rather challenging.
Getting to Nusa Penida is relatively easy from Nusa Lembongan. Once again, you’ll need to head to the Yellow Bridge and there you will easily find an advertised ticket desk that allows you to purchase a ticket for one of the many local boats to take you over to Nusa Penida. It’s roughly a 10-15min boat ride that takes you directly to Toya Pakeh Harbor. Once you get off the boat, you're immediately greeted by local taxi drivers and a plethora of scooters waiting to be rented. We rented a scooter to get around the island and although it was an exciting adventure, it was very challenging due to the extremely poor conditions of the roads.
By far the most iconic view on Nusa Penida is the T-Rex shaped cliffs of Kelingking Beach. It was truly breathtaking and did not disappoint. There’s an option to hike down to the beach, but it’s most certainly not for the faint of heart. The trek is extremely steep with a sandy/rocky path mostly secured by a broken wood/bamboo railing, taking roughly 45-60min. Don’t even think about it if you’re only wearing flip flops. At the bottom you will be greeted by one of the most beautiful white sandy beaches with stunning turquoise waters. Unfortunately, swimming at the beach isn’t recommended due to the monstrous waves and strong current, but it’s a perfect place to chill and soak in the earth’s beauty. To sum it up, the hike was more difficult than anticipated and pretty time consuming, but what an amazing experience it was. By far my most favorite activity from all the islands. Highly, highly recommend the adventure.
Another top spot on Nusa Penida is Angel’s Billabong. Its unique limestone formations offer many crystal-clear tide pools allowing you to see all the beautiful textures beneath the surface. To experience it at its best, you need to make sure you arrive at low tide – you can check beforehand on websites such as Magic Seaweed. Unfortunately, we were rushed for time and arrived during high tide and got a completely different experience- still extremely beautiful. Just do your research!
Broken Beach should be next on your list being only a few minutes from Angel’s Billabong. It’s an incredible cove surrounding the bay and is mostly known for its beautiful arch. The arch has been formed over many, many years due to erosion leaving behind a truly remarkable formation with a beautiful view. Sadly, there is no way down to the beach as you’re not allowed to swim in the area.
Our three days on the Nusa Islands were truly incredible. If you have more time to spend, you’ll be glad you did. There is so much to see and explore, especially on Nusa Penida, so learn from our mistake and give it a minimum of two days! The Nusa Islands were a perfect place to unwind with a completely relaxed vibe with focus toward nature-- exactly what we were hoping for and more.
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