A Complete Guide To Planning Your Trip To Nusa Lembongan, Nusa Ceningan and Nusa Penida

Bali is no longer the same Bali 20 years ago. Due to its popularity, tourists flocked over to Bali and as a result, the island is getting too overcrowded, commercialised, and expensive. Try googling for the admission fee of the attractions in Bali and compare them against the prices 10-20 years ago and you’ll see how cheap is was back then. Remember those postcard photos of Bali we’ve seen all over the internet? Bali is no longer as rural and pristine as portrayed in those pictures. 

However, in recent years, the news about three Nusa islands off the east coast of Bali started drawing more visitors to Bali, in hope of finding the beauty of Balinese culture sans the crazy crowd back on the main island of Bali. Comprising of Nusa Lembongan, Nusa Ceningan and Nusa Penida, the three Nusa islands is what people say Bali was like 20 years ago.   

I visited all three islands during my Bali trip back in August 2018, and to help you better organise your trip from Bali, here’s some useful guide for your reference:

How to get there?

From airport to Sanur

You can book a grab ride from the airport to Sanur which costs approximately RP 91,000. The ride took us around 40 mins and a taxi ride from the airport is normally around RP 150,000 to RP 200,000. If you have pre-booked your speedboat through your hotel in Nusa Lembongan or Nusa Penida, most hotels will also arrange complimentary pick up and drop off service at the airport or your hotels in main Bali island.

Waiting for our boat at Sanur Beach

Accidentally turned on the beauty cam mode, which made our face unnaturally flawless. LOL

There are stalls along Sanur Beach, where you can shop around while waiting for your boat

From Sanur to Nusa Lembongan

Although you can also travel to Nusa Penida or Nusa Lembongan from Padang Bai and Gili Island (Lombok), most people travel from Sanur. From departure from Sanur, you have the following options:

🔼Local slow boat. Longest journey of 60 to 90 minutes. Least comfortable but cheapest at around RP 60,000 to RP 100,000 per person.

🔼Perama local boat. Similar journey of 60 to 90 minutes. Larger and more comfortable boat. Costs around RP 150,000 per person.

🔼Fast boats. Fastest journey of only 30 to 40 minutes. Costs around RP 150,000 to RP 300,000 depending on the companies. About 4 departures daily. Most common mode of transport for foreign visitors.

Fast boats which will take you to the island

Be prepared to wade through the water as you board. It can go up to as high as your butt (in my case, since I'm petite)

For the price you are paying, I wouldn’t recommend taking the local slow boat or Perama boat, simply because you would be spending too much time traveling and missing out on the time to explore the places in the Nusa Island. More reputable fast boat operators may be changing a high price of approximately RP 250,000 to RP 300,000 per way, but there are plenty of other fast boat operators which goes as low as RP 150,000.

You will be asked to remove your footwear after which they will carry this basket on board and returned to you upon arrival. My advice? Don't wear you favourite, expensive footwear.

We managed to get one-way ticket to Nusa Lembongan for RP 200,000 per person, although I did read somewhere that a one way ticket for RP 150,000 is possible. Our ticket also includes a free drop -off service to our hotel which help us save on our transport to get there. A return ticket is usually cheaper, but we will be coming back to Bali from Nusa Penida instead, and the boat operators who serve both routes are different.

View from my seat as we travelled to Nusa Lembongan

Mount Agung hiding behind the clouds

Tip: Almost all hotels on Nusa Lembongan, Ceningan or Penisa can help to arrange speed boat for you with usually comes with airport shuttle service or pick up from your hotel in Bali. The price is not expensive and actually quite competitive. Plus, you skip the hassle of having to book a grab ride or finding a boat operator at Sanur. The hotel we booked collaborates with a boat operator with departure time is 11am, 3pm and 5pm respectively. Knowing we couldn’t make it for the 3pm boat and 5pm would be too late, we figured we could just try our luck at Sanur and get one which departs for 4pm. However, for those of you who have ample of time on hand and wouldn't mind paying a bit extra for convenience, the arrangement via your hotel could be quite handy.

Arriving at Mushroom Beach

Our scheduled boat ride was 4pm but was delayed until 4.30pm. The ride took about 30 minutes and we reached Mushroom Beach of Nusa Lembongan a little past 5pm. The hotel we booked is located at Jungut Batu beach instead, but luckily our boat ticket comes with shuttle service which dropped us directly at our hotel (that’s around 10 minutes away!)

Mushroom Beach which looks more happening than Jungut Batu Beach, to be honest

Tip: Always check with the boat operator on which beach they will be stopping at as each boat operators is different. Alternatively, engaging one via your hotel might be a better choice. You will probably pay just a little bit more.

Everywhere along the beach, you can find snorkelling packages like this and also scooter for rent. It's very convenient

From Nusa Lembongan to Nusa Ceningan

There are no boat services to Nusa Ceningan from main Bali island. However, this smallest island of the trio is connected to Nusa Lembongan via the Yellow Bridge. It’s only a short ride away from Nusa Lembongan, and the main attractions for the two islands can be done in a day.

Nusa Ceningan and Nusa Lembongan is connected via the Yellow Bridge

From Nusa Ceningan / Nusa Lembongan to Nusa Penida

The only way to get to Nusa Penida from Nusa Lembongan or Nusa Ceningan is by taking the fast boat from the Yellow Bridge. The boat usually departs every 30 minutes and there are so far two boat operators on the beach. After asking about the price, the operator company which is located right on the beach charged at a cheaper price (which is also fixed and non-negotiable) of RP 60,000 per person as opposed to the operator at the Yellow Bridge (I was quoted RP 75,000). The boat ride is only about 15 minutes away and you will be dropped off at Toya Pakeh beach.

Boat to Nusa Penida from the Yellow Bridge

Tip: You may consider booking a hotel near the Yellow Bridge, so that hiring and returning scooter can be done somewhere within walking distance from the Yellow Bridge. Alternatively, you may request the boat operator to drop you at the Yellow Bridge upon your arrival instead of dropping you to your hotel. This way, you can rent the scooter at the Yellow Bridge. However, this is only applicable to those who are going to Nusa Penida next as the boarding harbour for boat heading back to Sanur would either be at Jungut Batu beach or Mushroom Beach. Other than that, there are also ojek (motor taxi) service around the island and you should be able to get one to the Yellow Bridge for about RP 50,000 per person.

We took the 12.30pm boat from Nusa Lembongan and reached Toya Pakeh beach around 12.45pm.

Arrived at Toya Pakeh beach

From Nusa Penida to Sanur

To go back to Bali, you would have to take the fast boats from Toya Pakeh harbour. The fast boat from Nusa Penida costs about RP 150,000 per person and it’s a 40 minutes journey back to Sanur.

Toyah Pakeh harbour where boats came from Nusa Lembongan and Bali

On the day of our arrival, we came across a local who offered us both scooter for rental and return boat to Nusa Penida. You don’t have to buy them on the spot. In our case, we had them reserved two tickets to Sanur at 1.30pm for RP 150,000 per person. This also comes with a free drop off to the harbour.

Tip: There are about 3 to 4 daily departures from Nusa Penida to Sanur, with the last boat departing at 5pm. To avoid missing the boat, always ask beforehand and be there at the dock at least 30 minutes earlier.

How to Get Around Nusa Islands?

The best way to explore the Nusa Island is none other than renting a scooter. We were quoted RP 70,000 for 12 hours by our hotel in Nusa Lembongan and RP 100,000 for 24 hours everywhere else. RP 100,000 does sound like a rip-off but sadly every place around the area quoted us the same and all claimed that it is a peak-season price. I did some homework before the trip and read that it costs only RP 60,000 to RP 70,000 for 24 hours. Not having much luck with bargaining, we succumbed to the price quoted. On the other hand, the scooter on Nusa Penida is much cheaper at RP 80,000 per day. The scooters normally come full tank and it’s more than enough for 2-3 days usage.

The road in Nusa Lembongan is smoother and riding a scooter there is easy

Everywhere on Nusa Lembongan is accessible within 30 minutes and there aren’t as many cars as in Bali, making it such a pleasant ride. The roads on Nusa Penida on the other way is a different story. The attractions are scattered all over the island, and it takes approximately 45 minutes to one hour to almost every single attraction. The road started smoothly from Toya Pakeh but get tricky as you near the attractions. They are steep and rocky and if you’ve never driven a motorbike before you might find them a bit terrifying. If you aren’t comfortable riding a scooter, you can also hire a driver to drive you around for about RP 500,000 to RP 600,000 a day.

The road in Nusa Penida is bumpy and full of plot holes

Tip (Nusa Lembongan):  

Generally, the fast boat operator will also drop you off at your hotel for free, so it is recommended to book a hotel near the Yellow Bridge, as this is where you will be taking the boat to Nusa Penida. This way, you can rent the scooter at the Yellow Bridge. Alternatively, you may ask the driver to drop you off at the Yellow Bridge instead of your hotel. If you are going back to Bali instead of heading back to Nusa Penida, you should then rent your scooter at Mushroom Beach or Jungut Batu beach depending on where your fast boat would be departing from.

Tip (Nusa Penida): 

Nusa Penida is a very big island, and all the attractions are scattered all over the island. Unless you are staying near Toya Pakeh beach, it is recommended to rent a scooter right upon arrival which you can used immediately. You can also rent scooter from your hotel, but as in our case, the one we booked happened to be located about 15 minutes away from Toya Pakeh beach, so it is only wise to rent one at the harbour.

Scooters available at Toyah Pakeh beach

Things to note if you are going around with rented scooter:

① Carry small change with you (RP 2,000 and RP 5,000) as some places on Nusa Lembongan requires parking fee. Some toilet might also be charged.

② If you are riding a scooter, cover your head with a shower cap before putting on the helmet. The helmet might stink from the accumulated sweats from previous users.

③ Place a towel on the seat of the scooter while exploring around, as the seats get hot under the scorching sun. You don’t want to get your butt roasted.

④ Bring a mask, handkerchief or buff if you’re driving a scooter. This will be useful to cover your mouth and nose as the road can get quite dusty.

⑤ Be careful when standing near any cliff. At Devil’s Tear and Angel’s Billabong, the waves are strong, and you may get washed off the coast if you are not careful. Play safe!

What to do in the Nusa Islands?

Nusa Lembongan

Devil’s Tear || Dream Beach || Mangrove Forest || Panorama Point || Jungut Batu Beach || Mushroom Bay Beach || Sandy Bay Beach || Snorkelling Trip

Nusa Ceningan

Yellow Bridge || Blue Lagoon || Mahana Point || The Swings || Secret Beach

Nusa Lembongan and Nusa Ceningan are relatively smaller as compared to Nusa Penida, and it can be easily covered in a day. Allow yourself one full day in Nusa Lembongan and Nusa Ceningan and if you are keen, stay a night on either island and go on a snorkelling or diving trip the next morning, before heading over to Nusa Penida (or back to Bali if you came from Nusa Penida)

Tip: Do you know that Bali is part of the Coral Triangle, the area with the highest biodiversity of marine species. In this area alone, over 500 reef-building coral species can be found. This is about seven times as many as in the entire Caribbean. So, go for the snorkelling trip and be awed by the beautiful underwater world.

Nusa Penida

Nusa Penida is way bigger than the other two islands combined, and you would need at least two days to cover everything. If you only have one day, set your priorities and decide which area you would like to see – the west or the east?

The West (The Famous Three)

Broken Beach & Angel’s Billabong || Kelingking Beach || Crystal Bay Beach

The East

Atuh Beach || Pulau Seribu (Thousand Islands) and Rumah Pohon Molenteng || Suwehan Beach || Pura Goa Giri Putri || Teletubbies Hill

Others (Southwest)

Peguyangan Waterfall || Seganing Waterfall || Banah Cliff || Tembeling Beach

Be it the east or the west, they can be covered in half a day if you plan wisely, however the two area is far apart from each other, and it would take more than an hour to travel from west to east and vice versa. To make the most out of your trip, a minimum of two days is required.

Plan one day for the west attractions and if time permits, add in Seganing Waterfalls, Banah Cliff and Tembeling Beach. There’s nothing much at Crystal Bay Beach, and this can be sacrificed to make way for those places.

Plan another day for the east attractions and if time permits add Peguyangan Waterfalls to it. Snorkelling and diving can also be done from Nusa Penida, if you are not doing it on Nusa Lembongan. They are done in the same snorkelling / diving spots anyway.

Epilogue

I hope this guide helps in planning your next trip to the Nusa Islands. Have fun and don’t forget to share this post if you like it. 

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