Located southeast of Bali, across the Badung Strait are the Nusa trio, Lembongan, Penida and the very little sister Ceningan. Choosing the one to spend our mini break from Bali on was more faff than I thought it would be, but after much deliberation we eventually settled on Nusa Lembongan. You can read about my three days here and below you’ll find an overview of the how’s and what’s of the Island.
Getting there
We decided to stay the night before in Sanur, we wanted to be on a morning boat trip and thought it would be a good way to see another spot in Bali. You can of course travel from other places in Bali, it would just involve some extra time on the road before hitting the port in Sanur. Sanur didn’t wow me if I’m honest, and you can find more out about my experience in Sanur here.
There are a few different options for getting across the water; Public slow boat, public speed boat, perama boat or through a company who will offer pickup and drop off at each end. We were going to go to the port and haggle our way across but just couldn’t be bothered, time was our biggest concern so we booked the package with a company for around 350,000, about £20 return. You can book these through hotels, tour companies, online and at the port. There were several departures throughout the day, taking 30 minutes and we went with the 9am-ish trip so we could make the most of our time on the Island. Most will land at Jungut Batu beach and then Mushroom Bay and the package should also involve transport to your accommodation on the Island (and once you return to Bali), but be sure to double check this before you leave.
Where to stay
The Island is pretty small, but there are a few main spots. When booking I would think about how you plan on getting around as there are no ‘proper’ cars on the island but you could hire a scooter or buggy. If not then you may be limited in getting to and from your area easily, just something to think about.
Jungut Batu beach
We felt this area ticked a lot of boxes for us and had more going on; yoga, lots of food and drink options and easier to get access to as the boats land here (or Mushroom bay) from Sanur. We stayed at Nitya Homestay which had a nice pool but I couldn’t rate anything else. There was a mess up with Agoda’s booking which said we would get air-con and hot water, which we didn’t and they refused to let us have it for that price despite our booking saying it did. The food was pretty awful too…..So don’t go there! But there are many other lovely ones, I heard good things about Secret Garden Bungalows (home of the Yoga Shack) and Mainski resort, which was right on the beach but reasonably priced. The beach around here was nice too, not quite the white sands I was hoping for but I heard Mushroom Bay would be the best option for that.
Just to note, when I say this area has more going on, please don’t think it’s like the West end in Ibiza! I just mean it is home to a few more restaurants and bars, so gives you a little more choice.
Mushroom Bay
I didn’t visit this area but heard good things, whiter sands and bluer seas and you’ll spot most people’s recommendations to stay at the Sadeg resort or Mushroom Bay Beach Bungalows, but there are of course more options. There is much less going on here, so unless you’re happy to live the resort life, a moped would be advisable.
Dream Beach
Dream beach is right at the other end of the Island, a beautiful spot but much more secluded so again your own transport would be a good idea. It is a little more pricey this end, but Dream Beach Bungalows might be a good options if you’re looking for views. Just around the bay is Sandy bay and the aptly named Sandy Bay beach club, I couldn’t see a huge amount in accommodation offerings but Komodo Garden looked like a pretty nice option.
Getting around
There are no full sized cars (only with special permission from Island elders) on the Island and the roads are pretty dinky! The biggest you’ll probably notice are the little taxi vans that scoot people about to their accommodation. Some hotels or resorts will organise for your travel to and from but otherwise if you want to explore the island you’ll need to consider your own transport options.
Scooters are your cheapest option 50,000 IDR and there are spots everywhere to rent them and most weren’t even checking for drivers licenses. I had mine with me but not the skill or courage unfortunately, unlike some of these expert scooter drivers…
Push bikes were around 80,000IDR for the day and were great fun, just double check the hill situation before heading off!
The most exciting way seemed to be little buggies that held up to four people. They looked like great fun and had there been more of us I would have loved to have rented one. They were slightly more pricey though, most of the quotes were coming in at around 300,000IDR, around £18 for the day.
And of course you could just walk! If you’re saying around JB beach area this is of course the easiest to way and means you can have as many cocktails as you like without worrying about a thing.
How to spend your days…
Head to the Mangroves for an afternoon take scooters out and explore the corners of the Island and the crashing coves such as Devil’s Tear and Sandy Bay. Make your way across the yellow bridge to Lembongans little sister, Nusa Ceningan or take a boat across and explore the bigger sibling, Nusa Penida. For those seeking adventures to the watery depths then you’ll be in your element there is scuba diving, snorkelling and boat trips, you could join the search for whale sharks and manta rays out in the blue seas. You could also take some time to relax! Getting into the flow of Island life (like this little fella) is pretty easy to do here and unless your just over for day trip then having lazy morning on the beaches and nights reading your book under the starry sky are a habit well worth getting into.
And for yoga fans, you can find out all about that here.
