Nusa Penida, Nusa Lembongan, & Nusa Ceningan
I would highly recommend to each of the three islands as the spectacular scenery is some of the best in the world. I also stayed at some amazing hotels that are very much worth mentioning!
Nusa Lembongan & Nusa Ceningan
The two smaller islands off the coast of Bali were a real treat. You only need to spend 2 days here, although more time could be spent if you’d like to relax at one of my favorite hotels. See below!
What to Do
Day Tour
I had the hotel staff set me up with a day tour of Nusa Lembongan and Nusa Ceningan. I was on the back of a moped/motorbike with the driver which was a blast! Here is where I brought my yoga towel with me to sit on after the motorbike was baking in the sun while I was out exploring. It very much came in handy that day! Some of the spots we saw were:
Yellow Bridge (the bridge connecting the islands)
Blue Lagoon on Nusa Ceningan
A bar/club called The View (which had a magnificent view of the islands from Nusa Ceningan)
Dream Beach (softest sand I have ever experienced)
Devil's Tears (where the water hits the cliffs and causes a shooting spray which they call the Devil’s Tears)
Mangrove Forest
A hotel on the beach called The Mahagiri Resort (great photo ops here)
Where to Stay
Batu Karang Lembongan Resort & Day Spa
One of my favorite moments in Bali was eating dinner while watching the sunset on the balcony at this resort with Mt. Agung in the background and the Bali Sea. I felt like I was in a dream :) If I end up coming back to Bali, I would spend a few days here instead of just one night. The little island of Nusa Lembongan was a stunning place to be, and this hotel enhanced my experience to a whole other level. I had my own pool attached to my room which had views of Mt. Agung. I also had a manicure here; I really enjoyed their spa experience.
Nusa Penida
The bigger of the islands off the coast of Bali, Nusa Penida is known for it’s Diamond Beach and Kelingking Beach. These very touristy areas are best experienced in the early morning if possible as it can get extremely crowded and unpleasant in the afternoon especially with the heat.
What to Do
Day Tour
At my hotel, they hired a driver who took me around the entire Nusa Penida in one day. Normally, they just do half of the island one day, and the other half the second day. But, I only had one full day for exploring since I went snorkeling the day before at Manta Point. The driver was happy to accommodate! As a warning, if you get any kind of sea sickness, you will experience that at Manta Point. It is a very rough snorkel area. If you do, I would recommend trying another area for snorkeling! Two out of 6 of us got very sick, and I had to leave the snorkel experience early. The boat ride was similar to the views I saw at the island of Capri in Italy. So I did not regret that I tried, I would’ve just loved it even more to boat there and boat back haha!
Diamond Beach
Bali Treehouses
Teletubbies Hill
Kelingking Beach
Broken Beach
Angel’s Billabong
Snorkel at Manta Point to see the Manta Ray’s
Where to Eat
Coco Penida Restaurant & Bar
A relaxing bar on the beach with views of Mt. Agung! Here I met a few friends and was just able to hang out and relax by the ocean with a few drinks and good appetizers.
Secret Penida Restaurant & Bar
A fun bar/restaurant with great music! I only came here in the late evening but the music was really enjoyable!
Ta Restaurant Penida
On the southern side of the island you can go to Ta Restaurant Penida, which is a very popular place to eat. It has many different types of cuisines. At the time that I visited this restaurant, I had been in Bali for about 10 days, and was ready for some food from home. So, I ate a pizza! It wasn’t the best pizza dough I’ve ever had but the tomato sauce was on point. I sure missed that type of food!
Where to Stay
Deep Roots Dive & Yoga Resort
This brand new luxury resort opened one month before I stayed here. How lucky was I? The staff here was overly kind, accommodating, and nurturing (which I experienced after getting sea sick). The yoga instructor even brought my tummy-relaxing tea and did a 1:1 instruction with me. Throughout my stay, I got a tour of the new property, and had good conversations with the owner and managers of the place. I thoroughly enjoyed my stay which included the accommodations, food, yoga, and personalized services.
