Hello and welcome to my blog on the best things to do in Nusa Penida. My name is Sandra and I was born in Bandung, the capital of Indonesia’s West Java province. I have had the good fortune of living in a few countries over the years including Australia (during college) and also Singapore (for work).
Since those years, traveling and discovering new places has been one of my biggest passions. Travel gives me the opportunity to grow on a personal level, to learn about other cultures and to meet different kinds of people.
Visiting Nusa Penida for 3 Nights
One place I visited recently that touched my heart was Nusa Penida. I had heard about this place for a long time, but I never had the chance to visit during the times I was in Bali. Given that it’s a beautiful place, there is this negative reputation that the island has gained due to its over-popularity.
The island is always full of both domestic and foreign tourists, so it’s not a comfortable place to visit. Some people even told me that you had to queue for 30 minutes just to take a photo at a popular spot! But anyway, a few months ago I decided to spend a couple of weeks in Bali and give Nusa Penida a shot – I thought it might be quieter due to the travel restrictions.
And in the end, I didn’t regret this decision at all! I spent three days and two nights on the island and it was quiet, which gave me the chance to really enjoy the atmosphere. On my first day I visited many places such as Atuh Beach, Diamond Beach, the Rumah Pohon Tree House, and also just enjoyed simple things like watching the beautiful sunset at night.
During my second day, I got the chance to go snorkeling at Manta Point, Gamat Bay and Crystal Bay. In the afternoon, I hiked down these blue stairs to the Peguyangan Waterfall and saw the Tembeling Natural Pool. This was capped off with a sunset viewing in Amok (sunset bar).
On my third and final day, before heading back to the main island, I went to Angel’s Billabong (a crystal clear tide pool cascading into the ocean), checked out Broken Beach and ticked Kelingking Beach off my bucket list too. I’m pretty sure that I visited every interesting spot on the island.
Out of all those places that I visited, I think my favorite place was Tembeling Natural Pool. You have to hike down these very steep stairs for about 20 minutes (don’t try this if you’re not physically fit or if you have a phobia of heights)! This is a great place to visit if you are looking for something a little off the beaten path and away from the tourist hot spots of Nusa Penida.
7 Best Things To Do in Nusa Penida
- Have a beach day at the beautiful Atuh Beach
- Take photos at the Rumah Pohon Tree House – the view is worth a million dollars!
- Enjoy a sunset at Green Kubu – they have live music as well!
- Snorkel with manta rays at Manta Bay and Manta Point.
- Visit Tembeling Natural Pool, my favorite place in Nusa Penida.
- Check out Angel’s Billabong. Unfortunately, now they restrict visitors not to swim there as it has become quite dangerous.
- Make your way to Kelingking Beach to see the T-rex.
Need to Know Before you Go
Accommodation in Nusa Penida all depends on your budget. When I stayed there I booked three nights at Semabu Hills Hotel which was great! It’s normally a high budget hotel but everything was cut because of the pandemic. So I was lucky enough to get a much cheaper rate than normal.
Be sure to come to Nusa Penida for more than just a day trip. Many travelers only spend a day on the island but they miss out on so much! The island is quite big: the locals divide it by north and south. Try your best not to visit during the Indonesian holiday season as the crowds get large then.
