Nusa Lembongan has recently become my most favourite place in the world. We visited this tiny island on our last trip to Bali. Imagine what Bali would have been like 30 years ago and that is how it feels stepping onto Lembongan. There is no traffic, no stallholders hassling you. The pace over there is slow, relaxing and exactly what we needed for a 2-day stop over to chill out, refuel and explore.
It was the highlight for me of our trip, and when we return back to Bali – I will be booking at least 4 nights over on this untouched paradise.
The details that you need:
Image via Pinterest
Getting there
Nusa Lembongan is a 12km boat ride east of Bali. A number of boat charters head to Lembongan from Sanur with up to 3 boat rides there daily. We chose Glory Boats. Return boat ride with transfers from you hotel cost approx 500,000 Rp ($50 AUD).
Check out Glory Fast Boats site here for more information.
Where to stay
There are many accommodation options for all budgets on Lembongan. We usually stay in the more budget options as we spend most of our time exploring, eating and soaking everything in, so our room is basically for our luggage and sleeping. We stayed here on our last trip. $23 AUD for the night. Clean, Air-Con, spacious and right on the beach! I literally walked off the fast boat up the sand embankment and we were at our accommodation!
If you are after something a bit more ladida, check out Tiger lily’s. Balinese hut style accommodation and the most beautiful garden and pool outdoor area. We stopped here for lunch and the food was amazing! Expect to pay up to $140 AUD for the night here.
Image via Tigerlillys website
How to get around
Scooters are king here. A daily rate to hire a scooter (they are readily available) is approx $7 AUD. Always make sure that you have your international licence before hiring any scooters in Bali and Nusa Lembongan. The roads are not very well kept so for riding, be mindful of potholes and loose rubble. Take extra care when riding up and down the hills on Lembongan. If you are a solo traveller and are not comfortable riding a scooter yourself, ask one of the locals to take you around for the day.
What to see
Lembongan is famous for it’s crystal clear waters, water sports, snorkeling and scuba diving. The mangroves area north of the island is a beautiful spot where you can spend an afternoon lunching, drinking and exploring.
Dream Beach (on the other side of the island) is iconic for it’s gorgeous sunset. They have a wonderful bar area here with cool lounges offering food as well where you can just hang back and watch the world go by. Their famous swing is a must touristy thing to do and get a pic!
There is a little Island directly next to Nusa Lembongan call Nusa Ceningan. These islands are joined by a small, narrow, yellow bridge used for both walking across and for scooters. Note, the roads are even a bit worse here than on Lembongan so I suggest only confident motorbike riders attempt to ride here. Nusa Ceningan is home to the famous iconic Le Pirate huts. We popped in here for breakfast. So cute and you can stay here for approx $50 AUD per night.
Image via Pinterest
And next to Nusa Ceningan is the bigger island of the three, Nusa Penida. We rode up to the top of Nusa Ceningan after breakfast to the lookout area between these two islands. The view was AMAZING! I tried my first ever coconut there. Was so bloody refreshing! The channel between these two islands is where snorkeling and scuba diving enthusiast can swim with the Mantra Rays!
So there you have it! My top tips for visiting Nusa Lembongan. But sssshhhh, keep it to yourself. This place is a hidden gem
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