Nusa Ceningan – Song Tepo Beach: Picturesque Swing on Shallow Beach

Nusa Ceningan is a rather small island, and it is pretty easy to explore around on a scooter. The main road goes along the shore passing through several restaurant and bar which guarantee great view of the shallow beach of Nusa Ceningan. 

Having dropped by Le Pirate Beach Club for brunch after our visit to Blue Lagoon and Mahana Point, we were supposed to head back to our hotel to proceed with check out before leaving for Nusa Penida. However, as we rode back to the Yellow Bridge, I couldn’t resist asking Terry to stop by at one of the beach side restaurant. Reason being? The swings which we saw earlier were no longer submerged in water (due to high tide). The tide has now ebbed to reveal the beautiful swings along the shallow beach. 

There were several swings on the beach but seeing how many people were hogging the ones near Seabreeze Ceningan, we decided to head over to the one at DT Ceningan – a swing with the sign of “Song Tepo Beach”. No one were around that morning, so I basically had the swing to myself. This is definitely a much more pleasant experience compared to the swings at Gili Trawangan were I had to queue for my turn. 

Cost

Good news all, this place is also free of charge, that even the parking is free!

How to get there

Song Tepo Beach Swing is 2 minutes away from the Yellow Bridge, and about 6 minutes from Blue Lagoon.

If you’re travelling over from Bali, you’ll most likely arrive at Mushroom Beach ferry port in Nusa Lembongan. From here you can grab a scooter for around RP 70,000 per day. Nusa Ceningan is just across the Yellow Bridge which connects both islands. If you’re coming from Nusa Penida, you will also alight at the Yellow Bridge. There are scooters available for rent at the Yellow Bridge as well. 

If riding a scooter isn’t your thing, you can barter with local motor taxi (or ojek as the Balinese called it) to take you around the two islands. Coming in a big group? You can also hire a driver to drive you around for about RP 500,000 to RP 600,000. Staying in Bali but still want to do a day trip to Nusa Lembongan? Fret not, as there are also tour package available which includes return speedboat to Lembongan, driver and guide as well as hotel pick up and drop off. This can be easily arranged through your hotel in Bali. 

As everywhere on Nusa Lembongan and Nusa Ceningan is reachable within a 30-minute drive, exploring the island with a scooter would be the most recommended option.

Click HERE for A Complete Guide To Planning Your Trip To Nusa Lembongan, Nusa Ceningan and Nusa Penida.

Best Time to Visit

Best time to hit a beach is obviously anytime of the day, right? But with the beaches on the Nusa Island, that doesn’t really seem to be the case. As we rode around the coasts of Nusa Lembongan and Nusa Ceningan (and later Nusa Penida), I notice that the tide was particularly high in the morning, and there is no way you can access the beach. Even the swings were almost submerged in the water. But as we rode back to Nusa Lembongan, the tide ebbed, revealing the beautiful strip of pristine beach along the coast. 

Epilogue

The water along the shore of Nusa Ceningan on the main strip of beach near the Yellow Bridge is one of the most beautiful I’ve ever seen, in bright blue and turquoise colour. Since I can’t swim, the shallow water is perfect for me who was only looking forward to playing around instead of some serious swimming. Unfortunately, we were rushing to head to Nusa Penida and couldn’t stay for long.