We’d heard mixed reviews about Nusa Penida, but with it being only a 45-minute boat journey from Bali, we decided it was worth giving it a go!
We booked our boat with 12 Asia and braved the fast boat across to the island. Despite me absolutely hating every minute of the journey, it was actually completely fine! You hear all sorts of horror stories online, but I genuinely think a lot of it comes down to the sea conditions. We travelled first thing in the morning, at 8:30am, when the water was calmer, which definitely helped.
Getting Around Nusa Penida 🚗
We decided to spend two nights on the island, but quickly realised that getting around was going to be a bit of a shock to the system! Unlike Bali, where we’d been religiously using Grab and Gojek for the previous three weeks, neither app was an option in Nusa Penida. This meant our main options were renting a car or moped, or booking a private driver. One thing we quickly learnt is that you definitely need to plan your transport, as everything is much further apart than you might expect.
We stayed at Camanta Penida, a gorgeous bamboo villa that was absolutely beautiful. However, the roads leading to it were pretty horrendous, and it was around 20–25 minutes from the main road. Because of this, we decided to book a private driver for the following day for 10 hours, costing around £42.
Honestly, this was 100% worth the money! We booked through Bali Trips, and our driver took us wherever we wanted to go throughout the day. We managed to visit Kelingking Beach, Tegalalang Beach, Broken Beach and Angel’s Billabong, stop for lunch, and then finish at Diamond Point — all in one day!
The Best Places to Visit 📍
One piece of advice I’d give is to visit the places you’re most excited about as early as possible. The queues and crowds can be no joke!
We arrived at Kelingking Beach at around 8am, and it was perfect — peaceful, quiet and much easier to enjoy without the crowds. However, by the time we reached Broken Beach at around 1pm and Diamond Beach at 3pm, the experience was very different, with so many more people around.
Of all the places we visited, my personal favourites were Kelingking Beach, Diamond Beach and Tegalalang Beach. The scenery was incredible, and these were definitely the spots I’d recommend prioritising if you’re visiting the island.
On the other hand, we were a little underwhelmed by Broken Beach and Angel’s Billabong. They’re still worth seeing if you have time, but they just didn’t quite live up to our expectations compared with the other places we visited.
Would We Recommend Nusa Penida?
My biggest tip would be to choose accommodation within walking distance of shops and restaurants, if possible. Getting around isn’t as straightforward as it is in Bali, so staying somewhere convenient will make your trip much easier. I’d also highly recommend booking a private driver for the day to explore the main sights without having to worry about navigating the roads yourself.
Overall, I don’t regret visiting Nusa Penida at all. I think it’s always worth experiencing somewhere for yourself rather than relying solely on other people’s reviews, and the island definitely has some beautiful spots that are worth seeing.
That being said, it wasn’t somewhere we fell completely in love with, and it’s not a place we’d be rushing back to. I’m glad we went, but I think two nights was enough for us!
Next stop: the Gili Islands! 🌊
