The Nusas: Bali's lesser known cousins
Bali, Bali, Bali. While it might be some people’s cup of tea (or glass of Bintang), I personally think it’s become a hub for rednecks, bogans and chavs from all corners of the world to meet. Not everywhere of course. There are still some beautiful places in Bali. We opted to go to the three little islands off the south-east coast of Bali instead: Nusa Penida, Nusa Lembongan and Nusa Ceningan.
If you’re loyal to the gram, you’ll probably recognise this view posted by the number of instagrammers. Nicknamed the ‘T-Rex cliff’ for obvious reasons.
Nusa Penida
A few people have said to me that Nusa Penida is what Bali used to be like 20 years ago. It was so much quieter than I expected, the roads were tiny and there was only one ‘main part’ of the island, where most of the shops, cafes and petrol stations were, and where the harbour was. Other than that, you could spend hours driving through little villages, coconut fields and over hills past miles of farmland.
Speaking of driving, let me tell you something. I’m not exaggerating when I say that some of the ‘roads’ are the worst ones you will ever drive on. It was as mentally exhausting just as much as it was physically to navigate the roads, especially when the bike kept being cheeky and choosing the most desolate, God-forsaken places to turn itself off.
Crystal Bay sunsets
Roads straight out of a postcard
More Crystal Bay sunsets… also that rock out in the middle of the sea has a tiny temple perched on top
But the views once you get to where you’re going… makes the ride worth it. I can say that now.
There’s a raw beauty to Nusa Penida. Everything is still very natural and untouched. It’s hard to describe but the scale of the cliffs, the beaches and the rocks makes you feel really small.
One thing I noticed was that each place had such dreamy names, like Angel’s Billabong, Broken Beach and Crystal Bay. I should mention that the best swim I’ve had in my life was at Crystal Bay. There was no coral at all, no waves, the water was clear and the temperature was perfect.
These next three photos are from Atuh Beach, which is on the opposite side of the island compared to the other ‘attractions’. As it was our last day we wanted to do something more relaxed, so we planned on staying on this beach for the entire day, but our stomachs thought otherwise. Food is kind of a priority. The drive to Atuh Beach is incredibly beautiful. The roads wind up the hillside and are lined with all these picturesque trees, plus you have the best views of the ocean the whole way up.
Atuh Beach
I promise that the stairs are much harder than they look, especially since whoever was in charge of building decided to zig-zag them across the cliff rather than have them go straight down
Low tide meant that it wasn’t ideal swimming conditions, although we did have fun watching some guy struggle in a half sitting/half lying down position while pretending he was having fun getting beaten against the coral
My favourite spot on the island was Seganing Falls. We got there late afternoon so the entire cliff edge was covered in this warm, golden light. If climbing down a cliff edge for 30 minutes on a narrow bamboo path directly above a vertical drop into the ocean sounds like fun to you, then you and I will probably get along. At the bottom of the cliff were three little shrines. But the real showstopper was the rockpool, with its own tiny waterfall that was constantly filling the pool up with fresh spring water. It was so surreal to relax in calm, clear waters when there was an ocean crashing against the shore right next to you. The icing on the cake was that we were the only two there, so we had the entire place to ourselves. Which was probably just as well, because I don’t think more than two people could stretch out in that pool without things getting awkward.
Big fish, little pond
In my zone
Although the sign says ‘women’s bathing’, don’t worry boys – it’s open to males as well
You can kind of make out the track down the edge of the cliff… at this point I hadn’t realised how dodgy it was
More Jurassic cliffs
I’ve never really seen anything quite like Nusa Penida and I’m glad I got to go when I did. Maybe 20 years from now it might not be as off the beaten track (literally) as it is now.
Nusa Lembongan & Nusa Ceningan
A five minute boat ride from Nusa Penida took us to Nusa Lembongan. I honestly had no idea that Nusa Lembongan and Nusa Ceningan would be as busy as they were, considering the islands are much physically smaller compared to Nusa Penida. There were so many bars, restaurants and hotels, and a significant number of bikes and golf buggies cruising the tiny roads.
We drove to the northern part of the island and this old man took us in his boat for a quick ride through the mangrove forest. Fun fact: during the 2004 tsunami in Indonesia, mangroves helped reduce the impact of the disaster by creating a barrier to slow the speed of the tsunami down.
After exploring the mangrove forest, we headed to Devil’s Tear to catch the sunset. This is a large area of rocky cliff edge and the perfect place to spot the huge waves crashing underneath you. There’s also a little popup bar blasting tropical deep house summer hits. Admit it, these playlists are a guilty pleasure.
A yellow bridge connects Nusa Lembongan and Nusa Ceningan, which you can cross by bike (takes approx 23 seconds. Yes, I timed it.)
The next day, we headed across the yellow bridge to Nusa Ceningan to see the Blue Lagoon. We had lunch at this place called Seabreeze Ceningan and every single corner of it was Instagrammable. I was geeking out over the colour scheme, the umbrellas, the food presentation and they had swings as seats.
Although less ‘wild’ and ‘adventurous’ than Nusa Penida, these two islands are the perfect places to dive, snorkel or just chill out on the beach. There’s a fun, relaxed vibe to them and 100% worth a visit if you’re looking for somewhere that isn’t just Bali.
Blue Lagoon (I wonder why they called it that?) in Nusa Ceningan.
