Things to Do in Nusa Penida: 10 Essential Stops

The best time generally coincides with the region's dry season, from April to October. During these months the weather tends to be more stable, with less rain and calmer water for activities like diving and snorkeling.

Keep in mind, though, that you can visit Nusa Penida all year round. In the rainy season, from November to March, you may get more rain, but you can also enjoy lush vegetation and greener landscapes. And since it's low season, you'll probably find fewer tourists and lower prices.

There are several day tours from Bali that take you around the island, but if you have time, we recommend staying on the island and letting its charm carry you away.

We gave it 2 days and still didn't get to see everything!

You can get there by fast boat, and they usually leave from the port of Sanur. Everywhere you go they'll offer you the fast boat ticket together with the transfer to the port. We didn't really trust the price, so we looked into how much it costs to buy the two separately, and it's definitely cheaper to book everything together.

It costs 250,000 rupiah (US$18) per person, including the transfer from your hotel to the port and the fast boat from Sanur to Nusa Penida. You can book it here.

The trip takes about 4 hours, leaving very early and reaching the island around 10:30, perfect for starting to explore!

To explore the island, you can split it in 2: east and west. We spent the first day on the east and the second on the west.

There are 2 ways to get around the island:

• Renting a motorbike: The cheapest way, and the one that gives you the most freedom to explore. If you have no experience riding motorbikes, we don't recommend it: Nusa Penida's roads are a disaster, only a few are paved and it's all ups and downs. It's common to run into travelers injured in motorbike falls. If you decide to get around this way, always wear a helmet and stay alert. Since there are few roads, the distances between one spot and another are long. A motorbike costs about US$5 per day.
• Hiring a private driver: It's quite a bit more expensive, but we consider it the safest option. For 2 days they wanted to charge us 1,100,000 rupiah (US$78), and we managed to negotiate it down to 800,000 rupiah (US$57). When we saw what the roads were like, we were grateful we'd spent the money on a driver. If you'd like, you can book a van with a private driver online here.

Day 1. East side of the island

1. Peguyangan Waterfall

It's a waterfall at the end of a long descent down these blue stairs that cling to the cliff face. The way down takes about 15-20 minutes, but if heights make you dizzy, this one may not be for you.

It was one of the places that surprised us most, since we had no idea what was waiting at the end of the path. We found a waterfall running down the walls into pools formed in the side of the cliff, then dropping into the sea! Once you're there, don't hesitate to cool off in these pools and enjoy the incredible view.

It's not just the waterfall: one of Nusa Penida's most sacred temples is here too. That's why, before you go down, they have you rent a sarong for just under US$1, since you pass through the temple on the way to the waterfall.

2. Rumah Pohon Tree House

You can rent this little tree house with its dreamy view on Airbnb.

Imagine actually sleeping in a tree house, like when we were kids, and waking up to watch the sunrise from this spot!! If you really want to spend a night here, we recommend booking well in advance.

We didn't spend the night there, but we stopped by to visit and admire the view and the cliffs.

3. 1000 Island Viewpoint

At the end of the path to Rumah Pohon Tree House you'll find this spectacular viewpoint!

4. Diamond Beach

It's a beach you can see from 1000 Island Viewpoint, with white sand and turquoise water!

Perfect for relaxing for a while and soaking up more of this island's incredible scenery.

5. Atuh Beach

This beach, which also combines turquoise water and white sand, is a few steps from Diamond Beach. Here you can enjoy an ice-cold beer while you take in the view and recover for the climb back up the stairs.

This island is all cliffs, you see: to reach any of the beaches you have to go down endless steps that you then have to climb back up. Still, we consider them part of its charm.

Day 2. West side of the island

6. Kelingking Beach & T-Rex

It's the most famous spot on the island, and even though it's full of tourists, it's spectacular. It's a cliff shaped like a T-Rex, with an impressive view of Kelingking Beach.

We recommend wearing sneakers, bringing a bottle of cold water and going for it, all the way down to the beach. Many people don't, or they stop halfway, which leaves the beach to you and just a few other tourists. Enjoy a swim in the sea, the white sand and the cliffs around it.

The way down is a 20-minute walk, but the real challenge is coming back up. There isn't a single patch of shade and you practically have to climb, which makes it a fun experience! Try to go early rather than at noon, when the sun is very strong.

If you have a drone and want to fly it, we recommend checking the GPS signal carefully. We flew ours from the beach below and lost the signal, then watched it crash straight into one of the cliffs, unable to do a thing!

7. Angel’s Billabong

It's a natural pool of crystal-clear water surrounded by cliffs! Low tide is the time to get in, because otherwise it can be dangerous.

When we went, the tide was very high and the sea very rough, so they wouldn't let us get close because it wasn't safe.

8. Broken Beach

It's a few meters from Angel's Billabong. You can't get down to this beach, but it's incredible to see and one of the best landscapes on the island. It sits inside a circle of rock with an opening to the sea!

Walk along the cliff, go all the way around it and enjoy the fantastic scenery.

9. Crystal Bay

It's the perfect beach for relaxing and enjoying an incredible sunset.

Do you have one more day?

10. Diving and snorkeling with manta rays

This area has lots of manta rays, some of them giant! You'll need to book a snorkeling tour or a diving one.

We couldn't do it because the current was very strong and the tide super high.

For us, the most convenient thing was staying near the port. As we explained, the island is fairly large and the roads aren't in very good shape, which is why we recommend staying around the port. There are also several restaurants nearby for dinner.

• Penida Dream Homestay: A new hotel with a very good location and service. It costs US$12 per night for a private room with breakfast included.