The ultimate chill island of Nusa Lembongan is less than half an hour from Bali. It’s a wonderful place to start or end your tour. Rent a scooter and look for the most beautiful bays, and there are quite a few. Welcome to paradise!
Nusa Lembongan is connected to neighboring island Nusa Ceningan by a large yellow bridge. Most accommodations can be found on Nusa Lembongan. There are not many cars, but there are some pick-ups (taxis) that you can just stop on the street. You can often arrange this from your accommodation. The easiest and most common way to explore the islands is by scooter. The roads are fine and it’s quite quiet so we found it very relaxed driving there. Some roads are a bit steep so a little scooter experience is nice. A scooter costs about 70,000 a day including petrol (less than € 5).
Stay on Nusa Lembongan or Nusa Penida
Nusa Penida is the rugged sister of Nusa Lembongan. This island is only 20 minutes away by boat and is much larger than Nusa Lembongan. We recommend to stay at least 3 to 4 days on Lembongan and from there to do a day trip to Nusa Penida. If you have enough time, you can go to Penida for one or two nights in addition to Lembongan.
Dream Beach
One of the most popular beaches on Nusa Lembongan is Dream Beach. Here you will find a beach club with an infinity pool, where you can rent beds to relax for an afternoon. Keep in mind that the sea is very rough here so you can’t swim very well.
Dolphin watching at Devils Tear
Right next to Dream Beach is the special natural phenomenon Devils Tear. The sea claps here on the rocks, so that the water spouts meters into the air. You have a fantastic sunset here and with a bit of luck you can spot dolphins; a whole group swam along the coast with us. There are some stalls at Devils Tear where you can buy drinks and snacks.
Sandy Bay
Our favorite sunset on Nusa Lembongan is at beach club Sandy Bay. Here you can use the lovely sun beds and infinity pool with great views over the bay. There is live music on Wednesday evening and a DJ on Saturday evening. Prices here are slightly higher than most other restaurants, but we thought it was well worth it
Tip: if you return by scooter from Dream Beach, Devils Tear or Sandy Bay, you will drive right past our favorite restaurant Ten Poh. With this warung you can enjoy delicious Indonesian food. We got this tip from the hotel owner and sat between the local dive instructors and tour guides … a good sign!
Sleeping on Nusa Lembongan
We have chosen to sleep nearby Mushroom Bay. Here the boat arrives from Sanur and you will find several hotels and restaurants within walking distance. A great low-budget accommodation is Lucky Cottage. Do you want something more luxurious? Then check out the Hai Tide Beach Resort and Le Nusa Beach Club. These are both located directly on the beach at Mushroom. Would you rather sleep near Dream Beach and Sandy Bay? Then the Komodo Bungalows are a nice option.
Pool party at Nusa Ceningan
Just over the Yellow Bridge, there are a few nice beach clubs with swings and hammocks in the sea. These are not on the open sea but in a side branch and therefore you can swim here. Are you in for a nice pool party? Then go for lunch and drink cocktails at Seabreeze. A little further you can also have a good lunch at The Island. Here it is a bit quieter because they do not have a pool, but you can swim in the sea.
Most beautiful places on Nusa Ceningan
Nusa Ceningan is a little less known in terms of name, but you will find some beautiful places that you do not want to miss. Let’s start with the clear blue Blue Lagoon. Pay attention; this is only a viewpoint so you cannot swim here. It is definitely worthwhile to stop here and then continue by scooter to Secret Point bay. Although there are swings in the water, the sea is very rough here so you can’t swim very well. Where you can swim is in the pool of Twilight. Order some food / drinks from the restaurant, take a dip and enjoy the beautiful view. Lovely spot! If you drive a little further you have the Secret Beach. A quietly located bay, with beautiful clear blue water, where you can also eat or drink at the same time. Here, too, you have to take into account ebb and flow, as the sea can be wild.
Nusa Ceningan is a little less known in terms of name, but you will find some beautiful places that you do not want to miss. Let’s start with the clear blue Blue Lagoon. Pay attention; this is only a viewpoint so you cannot swim here. It is definitely worthwhile to stop here and then continue by scooter to Secret Point bay. Although there are swings in the water, the sea is very rough here so you can’t swim very well. Where you can swim is in the pool of Twilight. Order some food / drinks from the restaurant, take a dip and enjoy the beautiful view. Lovely spot! If you drive a little further you have the Secret Beach. A quietly located bay, with beautiful clear blue water, where you can also eat or drink at the same time. Here, too, you have to take into account ebb and flow, as the sea can be wild.
Boat from Sanur to Nusa Lembongan
The boat from Sanur to Nusa Lembongan takes about half an hour. Many accommodations offer a total package: a pick-up at your hotel (in Sanur, Kuta, Seminyak or Ubud), the boat trip from Sanur to Nusa Lembongan and a drop-off at your hotel on the island. This costs about 450,000 p.p. for a return. You can also buy your boat ticket separately. We’ve had good experiences with the Dream Beach Express and paid 175,000 for a one-way trip there.
Boat from Padangbai to Nusa Lembongan
If you are coming from the west or north of Bali, it is more convenient to leave from Padangbai. There a large boat leaves for the Nusa islands. Note: it stops at a large jetty where you have to transfer to Nusa Lembongan or Nusa Penida. Then you will be taken to the Yellow Bridge in a small boat in about 10 minutes. We only bought the boat tickets in the harbor and after some negotiation we paid 200,000 pp for a one-way trip from Padangbai to Nusa Lembongan (they started at 350,000 pp but that is far too much).
Tip: go to Padangbai a little earlier to be able to go to the Blue Lagoon. This beautiful bay is within walking distance of the pier where the boats leave. If you go by taxi, you can get dropped off directly at the Blue Lagoon and you only have to walk back to the boat (approx. 15 minutes mostly downhill).
ATM’s on Nusa Lembongan
Contrary to what many websites claim, you can now easily get your money on Nusa Lembongan. We used our Maestro bank card to get cash at the ATM just before Mushroom Bay. In addition, you can pay with your credit card in many places. Sometimes they charge 3% extra, but on the other hand it saves you the transaction costs for debit card payments.
Contrary to what many websites claim, you can now easily get your money on Nusa Lembongan. We used our Maestro bank card to get cash at the ATM just before Mushroom Bay. In addition, you can pay with your credit card in many places. Sometimes they charge 3% extra, but on the other hand it saves you the transaction costs for debit card payments.
