Day Trip to Nusa Lembongan with Dojo Bali
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Nusa Lembongan is one of my favourite little islands that surround Bali, Indonesia so when I heard the crew at Dojo Bali (co-working space) had planned on going for a day trip to Nusa Lembongan, it was a no brainer.
And ALWAYS travel with Travel Insurance
Cheers to the Dojo Bali team for setting this up and cheers for the photos shared amongst this trip. It was an epic little getaway from Canggu!
Paradise Getaway – Nusa Lembongan, Indonesia
Nusa Lembongan is a small tropical island just 35km off the Southeast coast of Bali. It is approximately 35km away from Sanur beach and takes around an hour to get there by fast boat. While Bali has become has become the worlds favourite destination in the world in 2017 (named by Tripadvisor), Nusa Lembongan is still one of the hidden gems of Indonesia. Surrounded by luscious white sand beaches, crystal clear water and sheer cliff faces, this is a place you should definitely visit while travelling to Bali.
Snorkeling in the bay
Some of the best snorkeling around the Nusa Islands are at Manta Point and Crystal Bay (Nusa Penida) as well as Lembongan’s Mangrove Point. Being a day trip though, we didn’t have enough time to reach those points. We did manage to jump off the boat though just off the mainland to check out some coral and tropical fish.
Next time I go to Lembongan, I’ll definitely be going to do the full day snorkeling tour to Nusa Penida. I absolutely LOVE that island.
Arriving in Nusa Lembongan
All the boats arrive on one little stretch of coast on Nusa Lembongan while it is high tide, and leave from a little cove further down at low tide. This is where you’ll find all the vendors for activities, accommodation and motorbike rental for both the islands. We went up to Wura Wura Restaurant for a quick lunch and swim before grabbing some bikes and touring around the islands. If you are planning on booking accommodation, I have previously stayed at THIS PLACE but either finding a place to stay as you arrive or using https://www.airbnb.co.nz/c/pwilson134 is probably the best way to find a good place.
Getting between the Nusa Islands
One of my favourite parts of the Nusa Islands is the bridge that connects Nusa Lembongan with Nusa Ceningan. Heading across the now bright yellow bridge (which collapsed not too long ago, so it was rebuilt) has such incredible views either side of the tropical blue water. Considering the islands are only tiny, it only taken 15 minutes to so to get from one island to the next.
Cliff Jumping at Blue Lagoon Nusa Ceningan
I’m not going to lie, I’m a HUGE chicken when it comes to heights. Especially when it’s 15 metres on the side of a cliff with decent swells passing through! There were a few courageous people though that jumped into the freezing water, thankfully no one was hurt! To get to the Blue Lagoon in Nusa Ceningan, it’s a bit of a mission i’m not going to lie. The roads to get there are pretty rugged and offroad, but we all managed to make it down on our rented scooters. You can find the location here. On a side note, this is actually a dangerous spot and cliff jumping is not advised. There have been a lot of accidents here.
Relaxing at Driftwood Bar
After an hour or so cliff jumping, we went and relaxed at the Driftwood Bar. There was an epic infinity pool overlooking the next bay from Blue Lagoon, complete with beers and cheap prices. They even have a zip line that stretches over the cove and past the infinity pool. It’s more of a leisurely zip though, nothing too crazy. Needless to say, we relaxed in the infinity pool after an epic 6 hours on the island snorkeling, motor biking, exploring and cliff jumping.
Planning tips for Nusa Lembongan & Ceningan
Getting to Nusa Lembongan from Bali
The Dojo team had pre-organised 2 private boats for our party of 22 to get to the island. Each boat cost around 3,500,000 IDR ($280 USD) for the day including snorkeling, but you can get there by public speed boat for around 300,000 IDR return from the Sanur Beach or pickup your hotel in Bali. If you book online, you can generally expect to pay more than booking in person either at Sanur or from a local tour company. If they are charging more than 350,000, try and barter it down. Also make sure you discuss the time you leave, I hear lots of stories from people that had to wait for hours at Sanur waiting for their boat to arrive. The actual trip takes about 1 hour each way and the last boats leave before sunset. Once it gets dark, the sea turns into some kind of horror movie. Not so fun for those with weak stomachs!
Getting around the Nusa Islands
The easiest and best way to get around the Nusa islands is by scooter (motorbike). Prices will vary and usually involve a little bit of bartering to get a good price. We paid 70,000 for each motorbike for the day. Majority of the roads are pretty good on both of the islands. Getting to places like Blue Lagoon though can be a bit of an off road experience, so drive carefully. Note that not all motorbike renters provide helmets either, so look for the ones that do!
Remember to play it safe on Nusa Lembongan
As these 2 Nusa Islands are an hour off the main land and only 8km2 in area, they are a lot less westernised compared to Bali or Lombok. This also means that there are NO HOSPITALS on these islands either. If you get hurt on the island, apart from first aid you will have to wait until returning to Bali. Some things to avoid this are hiring locals to drive you around the island. It will of course be a little more expensive, but none the less they know the island. You will be much safer.
And ALWAYS travel with Travel Insurance
Cheers to the Dojo Bali team for setting this up and cheers for the photos shared amongst this trip. It was an epic little getaway from Canggu!