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The Perfect Nusa Islands Itinerary

04/12/2018 by Kristin 30 Comments

The Nusa islands off the coast of Bali in Indonesia are exactly what you’re looking for if you want the beauty of Balinese culture but wish it came without the crowds. Located just 30 minutes by boat from Bali’s Sanur, this is what people say Bali was like 30 years ago.

There are three Nusa islands: Lembongan, Ceningan, and Penida. Nusa Lembongan is the closest to Bali and the most popular, followed by the smallest; Ceningan, and then the biggest and least popular; Penida.

Most people just pop over to the Nusa islands for a day or two, and only visit Penida as a day trip. I hope this guide convinces you to reverse that, spending more time on Penida and exploring this beautiful, mystical island, the only one of the three that truly does feel like a quieter Bali.

This trip can be done in four days, though you can easily expand it to cover a week or several weeks.

nusa islands itinerary
How can this be real?! The Blue Lagoon on Ceningan

This is the ideal Nusa Islands itinerary:

Getting There

Nusa Lembongan is the starting point for your Nusa islands trip. You can either get there from Bali or Lombok. There is just one fast boat company operating out of Lombok’s Senggigi, Scoot, though there are more options from the Gili islands in which case the price is more negotiable.

If coming from Bali’s Sanur, You have the following options:

  • A local slow boat: This one leaves Sanur starting at around 8am (though public boats in Indonesia tend to just leave when full) and costs 60,000-100,000 Rupiah. The journey takes about an hour to 90 minutes and is the least comfortable and safe option.
  • Perama local boat: Leaves Sanur at 10:30 and costs 150k Rupiah and also takes 90 minutes to an hour though on a slightly larger and more comfortable boat.
  • Fast boats: A fast boat with four daily departures which includes pickup at your accommodation, a safer and faster boat, and a quicker journey of about 30 minutes. The cost is much higher, however, at 250k-300k Rupiah. You can book that here.Β 

If you’re low on time, I suggest taking a fast boat from Bali and checking out Nusa Penida, my favorite, as a day tour and factoring it into the budget in order to maximize your island time.

Day one: Nusa Lembongan and Ceningan

Since both Lembongan and Ceningan are so small, it’s pretty easy to drive around each one and power through most of the sights in just a day. For ease, it might make the most sense to just stay on Lembongan, rent a motorbike immediately from the port or your accommodation, and ride around to see the following:

The Mangroves

nusa islands itinerary
Snorkel and cruise the mangroves

Driving to the top of the island, you’ll eventually come to the end of the road where you’ll see signs for mangrove tours. I was offered one for 100k which includes about an hour of boating through the mangroves and some snorkeling. I’d been through some mangroves in Raja Ampat prior so I took a pass and droned over it instead, but don’t be lazy like me, see the mangroves!

Next I took a drive over the Yellow Bridge to Ceningan to avoid the day tourists on Lembongan and save the more spectacular sights there for when the crowds were thinner.

The Sand

nusa islands itinerary
Yes, please

Upon crossing the bridge and turning right, you’ll notice gorgeous, crystal clear water and several beach bars along the shore. This quirky bar, the Sand, is great for lunch or a drink – complete with paper straws instead of plastic (yay!) and these hammocks over the water.

The Blue Lagoon

nusa islands itinerary
The Blue Lagoon on Nusa Ceningan

About a 10-minute drive, if that, from the Sand, you’ll see signs for the Blue Lagoon on your left. The water at this lagoon is a shade of baby blue I’d never seen before, despite years of exploring the tropics. It’s hard to believe until you see it with your own eyes!

Mahana Point Cliff Jump

nusa islands itinerary
Not a bad surf spot!

Just across the way from the Blue Lagoon you’ll see signs for the Mahana Point restaurant and cliff jump. The restaurant has two jumps: a shorter one for 25k or a higher one for 50k. It’s also the access point for one of the best surf spots on the island and gorgeous views of Bali’s Mt. Agung.

Golden hour at Dream Beach

nusa islands itinerary
Dream beach at 4:30, much nicer!

Next, drive back over the bridge to explore more of Lembongan, turning left at the end of the bridge towards Dream Beach. Dream Beach is one of Lembongan’s most famous attractions which is why we’ve left it for later in the day when there are fewer people around. After seeing the beauty of Cengingan it was harder to appreciate dream beach to be honest, but it’s still worth seeing and hanging out if you want a chance to lay on the sand.

Sunset at Devil’s Tear and tide pools

nusa islands itinerary
Dreamy

The Devil’s tear got its name thanks to the spray when the waves crash up against the cliffs. It’s only dazzling at golden hour if it’s high tide, though the tide pools to the right of it are perfect for sunset no-matter what the tide.

Just be careful around the cliff edges here. The waves are unpredictable and can splash up at any time.

Sleep: I thought the value, coffee, and hospitality at Kawan’s Inn was fantastic. They rent scooters as well!

These are just a few of my suggestions for these two islands. If you have more time to devote to them, read more about Nusa Lembongan here and more about Nusa Ceningan here.

Days two through three: Nusa Penida

Take an early AM yoga class at Yoga Shack on Lembongan, then pack up and get ready to head to Nusa Penida.

Day two will involve some time just getting to Nusa Penida, which you can do either by taking a public ferry from the Yellow Bridge, which leaves when full and costs about 50,000 IDR per person, or by heading to the mangroves to organize a private boat for 400,000 IDR. The latter is nice because it’s easier to get dropped off at an area of your choice and you don’t have to wait around for the boat to fill up.

Once on Penida, hire a motorbike for around 70,000 IDR per day.

The roads on Nusa Penida can be tricky in some places. They are steep and rocky and if you’ve never driven a motorbike before you might find them a bit terrifying. It’s also possible to hire a driver and a car – just ask at your guesthouse or at the port. While exploring the island, it’s a good idea to wear sneakers instead of flip flops. Nusa Penida is a lot more rugged and less developed (thankfully!) and has a lot more cliff edges and steep stairways. It’s all part of the adventure!

Pick your favorites of the following amazing places over the next couple of days:

Kelingking viewpoint and beach

nusa islands itinerary
Nusa Penida’s most famous spot

Kelingking viewpoint is possibly the most photographed place in all of the Nusa Islands but for good reason – it’s stunning! There’s a white sand beach at the bottom of the cliffs that is perfect for exploration as well, though it will involve steep scrambling up and down rocks and steps to get there. If you’re up for it, it’s worth it, though!

Crystal Bay, Broken Beach, Angel’s Billabong

nusa islands itinerary
Angel’s Billabong by Georgi Kovachev used under creative commons

I’ve combined these three sights on Nusa Penida since they’re close together and all good to visit in either the early AM hours or later in the evening after the day trippers from Penida have already headed back to Lembongan or Bali. Angel’s Billabong is a crystal clear natural pool, Broken Beach is a cliff lookout over a hole in the rock, and Crystal Bay is popular for its crystal clear blue water, though honestly, you can find a less crowded version in the following spots on Penida.

Peguyangan Waterfall

nusa islands itinerary
750 narrow steps but whoa, that view!

This is a steep one with 750 steps but the views are incredible and I loved how secluded most of the experience was, especially heading there later in the afternoon for golden hour. There’s a temple at the bottom of the cliff, though the ‘waterfall’ is more of a show of the waves crashing into the cliffs. There’s a sacred vibe there that had me enchanted, and feeling that it was worth the climb.

Snorkeling trips

nusa islands itinerary
Nothing quite as magical as seeing a Manta!

Snorkeling trips to see the Manta rays and the statue garden around Penida are on offer on each of the islands, but they all come to the same place – Manta Point on Nusa Penida. You’ll see signs posted all over the Nusa islands advertising snorkeling trips to Manta Point, or you can head to the point yourself and ask a local to take you out on his boat. For this, negotiate! It all comes down to how long you want to be on the boat for. The more people you can split with, the better. You can also do this as a day trip from Bali, which you can book here.

Sleep: For night two, I recommend staying at the Airbnb on the top of the hill, which is a gorgeous secluded house with a sunset view. (click here for $25 off your booking!)

nusa islands itinerary
The view from the dining area

Day Four: Sunrise at the treehouse on Penida

For your last night, I recommend heading east to the treehouse for the best sunrise view on the whole island and quite a unique experience.

Rumah Pohon

nusa islands itinerary
Just as dreamy as it looks!

To be completely honest, I have mixed feelings about the price of the treehouse given how basic it was, but I still think it’s worth it for the incredible views and the experience of staying there overnight.Β If you stay, be sure to bring food and water along with you. It’s a beautiful and rustic experience! You can read my full review here,Β book it here,Β andΒ get $25 off here.

If you’d rather have more time at the house on the hill from night two you can still drive to Rumah Pohon for sunrise, which will take about an hour, and visit the following beach on your way back:

Suwehan beach

nusa islands itinerary
White sand? Check. Pointy rock? Check.

Heading east, this beach also requires a steep climb down but you can get it almost all to yourself. There was unfortunately a lot of trash when I visited, but the water hue is stunning and the sand is white.

Goa Giri Putri Cave Temple

nusa islands itinerary
A peek into local culture

This cave temple is a pretty cool cultural experience while on the island. To go inside, don a sarong and climb up a few stairs (of course!), get a blessing with water on your forehead, then climb inside the cave. There are often ceremonies going on inside with locals all wearing white, along with some bats flying around, and chanting.

For more explanation of each of these places, you can read my full Nusa Penida guide here.

From there you can head back to the port area where you took the boat in from Lembongan initially. There you can either hire a private boat or take the public ferry back to the Yellow Bridge, which is what I did. Scoot and Rocky will both pick you up from the parking lot near the Yellow Bridge if you arrange it with them beforehand to take you back to Bali.

Again, if you can give this entire itinerary more time you’ll be glad you did. I spent about six days on the Nusa Islands but left feeling like I could have spent a whole lot more on Nusa Penida. It truly did feel to me like exactly what I think most people are hoping for when they visit Bali – a mystical, jungly experience with beautiful beaches and dreamy temples.

The ultimate guide to your trip in the Nusa Islands, Bali, Indonesia! A full itinerary that will help plan your trip, with all the best spots to see & go, accommodation and transportation tips! Be My Travel Muse | Nusa Lembongan | Nusa Penida | Nusa Ceningan | Blue Lagoon | Devil's Tear | Angel's Bilabong | Dream Beach | Kelingking Viewpoint | Bali travel tips | Indonesia travel tips
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From there, I highly recommend checking out Lombok, my favorite island in Indonesia, or checking out Keramas beach on Bali, a beautiful black sand beach without the crowds!

READ NEXT: The Ultimate Guide to Kuta, Lombok

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I'm Kristin, and my vision of a better world is one where more women are empowered and living out their dreams. Solo traveling is the best method I've found to become the best, bravest version of me. This site is all about how YOU can have the adventure of a lifetime in an easy, fun, approachable way, so that you can feel empowered, too. Want to learn more about me?

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Comments

  1. Lane Beck says

    04/12/2018 at 12:01 pm

    That image at Rumah Pohon is stunning, Kristin! And great job on the buns workout as evidenced the “pointy rock” pic! πŸ˜‰ Love the caption! Hilarious! Sadly, I have not yet been to Asia (unless you count Turkey) but heard great things about Thailand, Chiang Mai, and Bali. Are you a long-term traveler?

    Reply
    • Kristin says

      04/13/2018 at 5:04 pm

      I love all of those places, and yes it’s been about 5.5 years now and counting!

      Reply
  2. Dominique | dominiquetravels.com says

    04/12/2018 at 12:50 pm

    Now that i saw your tip on Insta-stories I have one question. Did you take all the “selfies” with your phone & tripod? If that’s the case I have a new goal for the upcoming years πŸ™‚

    Reply
    • Kristin says

      04/13/2018 at 5:02 pm

      Yep or sometimes a timer, or I ask someone nearby to take it exactly the way that I show them.

      Reply
  3. Matthew Castanessi says

    04/13/2018 at 8:05 am

    It’s amazing how beautiful nature can be. For me, Bali, Bora Bora and Fiji are the best definition of perfect natural landscapes. I really enjoyed reading your experience. It makes me plan and save some money for my next voyage.

    Reply
  4. Shay says

    05/14/2018 at 7:11 am

    Love this post. I’m doing the Nusa islands portion of my trip in Bali solo. And Im so impressed you were able to get so many shots of yourself solo! It’s my biggest concern ??
    I read you used a tripod? And just asked people?
    That is amazing

    Reply
    • Kristin says

      05/14/2018 at 8:26 am

      Gurl, got all of my tricks here: https://www.bemytravelmuse.com/how-to-take-best-travel-selfies/

      Reply
  5. Grace says

    06/09/2018 at 9:12 pm

    Thanks for the post! How did you figure out how to get around the island? DId you purchase a SIM car or rent a portable wifi hotspot?

    Reply
    • Kristin says

      06/09/2018 at 9:40 pm

      I always get SIMs abroad. Makes it so much easier.

      Reply
  6. Sophia says

    07/15/2018 at 12:20 pm

    Hello! How lovely that you traveled to all these places girl! I’ll be going there in September and thought I would get a cheap villa in Ubud to leave all my luggage and venture out to explore the nusa islands and maybe Lombok. I just need to know how much time I need in each island to be able to see everything ! I want to see everything ubud (monkey temple, more temples, elephant sanctuary, food and the Bali swim etc) has to offer then escape to the nusa island and Lombok. How long do you think I should stay in ubud, nusa le, nusa ce and nusa pe and then Lombok if I can squeeze that in. Thank you !!!

    Reply
    • Kristin says

      07/15/2018 at 12:57 pm

      So hard to say because it depends on how much time you actually have to work with and how much rushing around you want to do! Lombok is huge, as is Bali, but the Nusa islands are small and you could, in theory, do this itinerary in 4 days.

      Reply
  7. Tina says

    09/02/2018 at 3:48 am

    Hello there! Thank you for such an informative blog, I really find it helpful! Do you mind sharing how much was the total cost for this Nusa Island trip? Thank you!

    Reply
    • Kristin says

      09/03/2018 at 11:57 am

      You can do it for pretty cheap. I think I spent $40 per day or so.

      Reply
  8. Abhishek Mandal says

    10/31/2018 at 3:38 am

    Hello Kristin ,

    It will be my honeymoon on December .I will have 2 backpacks and a Trolley .Shall I dump them in Villa while check out (in that case we have to keep the hotel booking ) before starting the Nusa Trip or shall I take them along .I have a plan of 3 days and 2 nights for Nusa Islands.will stay at Lembongan on 1st night and 2 night at Penida.
    Kindly suggest

    Reply
    • Kristin says

      11/04/2018 at 12:39 pm

      I brought all of my stuff along.

      Reply
  9. Alfie says

    12/29/2018 at 7:26 pm

    Awesome post. Thank you!

    Reply
  10. chirita diana says

    04/03/2019 at 4:19 am

    hello i would like to go at the sand in nusa ceningan but i saw that in some parts of the day there is no water at the swings can you tell me what time did you go to the make this wonderful pictures please?i don`t want to go there and to find the low tide..

    Reply
    • Kristin says

      04/03/2019 at 12:34 pm

      Tides change with the moon so the best thing you can do is check the surf report for when the tide is in when you plan to visit.

      Reply
  11. Nat says

    05/16/2019 at 9:52 pm

    Hi Kristen, I’m about to head to the Nusa Islands in a couple of months and I’m hopefully going to roughly follow this itinerary I was wondering though, is a scooter or motorbike the best way to get around? I’m not overly confident but was wondering whether I’d be better getting a driver for the day or hiring a scooter? Thanks!

    Reply
    • Kristin says

      05/17/2019 at 7:22 am

      It is the best way to get around, and on Nusa Ceningan and Lembongan the roads weren’t too bad. On Penida, however, they are REALLY bad and joining a day tour or hiring a driver might be a good idea. I got lucky and found someone who is really experienced riding motorbikes to hang with while I was on Penida, but since I was totally solo on Ceningan and Lembongan I drove myself and it was ok! If you’re not comfortable you can always join a day tour.

      Reply
  12. Luiza says

    05/17/2019 at 10:24 am

    Dear Kristin, please what would you suggest , it is my first time in Indonesia and I have 12nights …I am thinking 3 nights in each place , Uluwatu, Ubud, Gili Islands and Nusa Islands. I am arriving in Bali airport 3pm, where is it more convenient to start the trip as Nusa has to be my last destination (I will meet a friend there so it has to be in the end of the trip)? Thanks a lot

    Reply
    • Kristin says

      05/17/2019 at 12:30 pm

      I’d pick either the Gilis or the Nusa islands as there’s a fair amount of travel time between those.

      Reply
  13. Bev says

    07/21/2019 at 10:16 am

    Hi Can you recommend nusa lembongan or gilli air I really can’t deide between the 2? I am looking for quiet beaches, beautiful swimming/snorkeling, yoga & a relaxing time, least tourity which would offer that?

    Reply
    • Kristin says

      07/21/2019 at 3:44 pm

      Nusa Penida πŸ™‚

      Reply
  14. Zonja says

    09/06/2019 at 5:54 am

    Hi, I really do love reading your blog. And I have read this one over and over. I am going to Bali for 2 weeks. I wanted to do Nusa Islands and Gili Air, but wondering if I should skip Gili Air completely as it might be similar to Nusa Islands? And perhaps find my way to Munduk?

    Reply
    • Kristin says

      09/07/2019 at 11:02 am

      Welcome! Gosh they are quite different. I’ve been seeing people complain lately about the crowds on Nusa Penida, not that the Gilis are less popular by any means. I would go based on what you want to see. The Nusa Islands are, to me, more beautiful but the Gilis have more of a vibe, especially as a solo traveler, that I loved.

      Reply
  15. SUBHABRATA DAS says

    11/04/2019 at 8:44 am

    Hi, really liked your blog. Could you please suggest if I can get direct ferry/fast boat from Nusa Penida to Padang bai as I couldn’t see much option over the internet. Appreciate you help. thanks

    Reply
    • Kristin says

      11/04/2019 at 3:21 pm

      You can book it in person. It’s definitely possible from Nusa Lembongan, I’m not sure about Penida.

      Reply
  16. Alex says

    11/14/2019 at 9:42 pm

    Do any of the nusas have docks? Or do you need to wash thru the water?

    Reply
    • Kristin says

      11/15/2019 at 9:08 am

      I think Gili T at least had a dock. Maybe they all do. It also depends on the sea conditions and a few other factors so don’t count on dry feet.

      Reply

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