Nusa Penida, the biggest of the three Nusa islands. Just 20 km off the Balinese coast is one of the most beautiful islands we’ve ever been to. The nature here is truly incredible and so pure. Welcome to our Nusa Penida Guide!
We visited all three islands because it’s very easy to get from one island to the other. Nusa Ceningan and Nusa Lembongan are connected by a bridge, and from both islands you can take a boat that takes you to Nusa Penida in just 10 minutes.
3 days on Nusa Penida are good to see some highlights, but we could definitely spend 5 days or even a whole week on this beautiful island!
WHAT TO SEE?
ATUH BEACH AND DIAMOND BEACH
When you arrive at the parking lot you will see Atuh Beach on one side of the cliff and Diamond beach on the other side. Take the path down to Atuh Beach and relax at the beach. You can sip a fresh coconut here while watching the amazing rock formations.
Take the path back up and make your way to the other side, Diamond beach. The path to Diamond beach is just stunning! The view is incredible and very instagramable 😉
Once you’re on the beach, it’s just beautiful. Most of the time you will be completely alone here!
THE TREEHOUSE AND THOUSAND ISLANDS VIEWPOINT
Our next stop is the famous treehouse with amazing views on thousand islands. You’ve probably seen this treehouse already on Instagram. It must be a dream waking up here, although we wouldn’t like all the people taking pictures at our front door.
T-REX CLIFF ROCK AND KELINGKING BEACH
This place is probably the most famous one on Nusa Penida. The cliff rock really looks like a T-rex! Or does it look like a whale? (Because that’s what Nicolas sees). When you’re here, you absolutely need to go down to Kelingking beach. It’s one of the most incredible beaches and big chance you’ll have the beach to yourself, because not too many people hike all the way down.
And there’s a reason for that…
This hike is the steepest we’ve ever done!! But it’s absolutely worth it! If you really are afraid of heights… this is the perfect place to overcome your fear. We highly recommend you to do this hike early in the morning and not at noon like we did! Learn from our mistakes 😉
ANGEL BILLABONG AND BROKEN BEACH
Angel Billabong 
Kelingking Beach
Angel Billabong is actually a natural swimming pool! Every now and then a wave crashes against the rocks and water flows into the pool… It’s a really cool place just to sit and watch the waves, or to take a swim!
At the same location, you will also find ‘Broken Head’, which is actually a hole in a cliff that creates a natural bridge.
TELETUBBIES HILLS
This is more an extra that you can do if you got some spare time. The green hills really look like those from the Teletubbies! It’s just a nice place to stop and take some pictures. The road leading there isn’t the best, but more on that further down this post!
MORE PLACES TO VISIT
We didn’t have the time to visit the following places, but we really recommend you to visit them if you have more time on Nusa Penida:
- Goa Giri Putri, an underground temple
- Peguyanan Waterfall
- Crystal Bay
HOW TO GET AROUND?
You will read on a lot of blogs that it’s impossible to do this island on your own because of the difficult roads. Recently, they invested in better roads, but there are still some parts that are really bumpy and sometimes dangerous if you don’t take caution. We did it by scooter and it went perfectly fine! If it’s the first time you’re driving a scooter, we would probably recommend to get a driver or book a tour. But if you’re an experienced driver, discover this island by yourself!
Just be careful on the bumpy gravel roads and drive slowly. Get off your scooter and walk if you don’t feel confident at some point.
Most hotels can help you with the rental of a scooter and it shouldn’t cost more than 5 USD a day.
If you decide on doing a tour, we can recommend Islandtime. They provide amazing tours, and even special snorkeling tours to see Manta Rays!!
WHERE TO STAY?
A must in our Nusa Penida guide! Where to stay? Click on the name of the hotels/villas to see pictures, prices and check availability.
- La Roja (our favorite, you can choose for small villas by the pool, or a cheaper option are the little bungalows, both very cute)
- Treehouse Rumah Pohon (the famous treehouse spot)
- Coco resort (beautiful place, more expensive)
WHERE TO EAT?
- Kekinian (the best place we ate at on Nusa Penida, a lot of vegan options, but also regular food)
- Penida Colada (vegan options, good salads, they give a free coffee in exchange for picking up a bag of rubbish on the beach, we love that!)
- Ba’Bar Kitchen (western food, pizza and pasta)
Want some other great ideas and guides about Indonesia? Definitely check out our Komodo Islands guide, our Ubud guide or our Canggu guide!
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WOW ! So amazing 👌🏻🥂 you are actually family, you just don’t know it… Honestly !! Watch video 1 and 3… We will celebrate YOU ( Insta : travel_dollars )