Escape to Paradise: A 2-Day Getaway to Nusa Penida Island, Bali

Nusa Penida or Penida Island is one of the destinations you must include in your Bali trip itinerary. If you've ever researched Bali destinations, I'm pretty sure you've |seen those pictures of scenic ocean views, uniquely shaped cliffs, dazzling crystal clear water, white sand beach, and other astonishing nature this island has to offer.

Nusa Penida is the second-largest island in the province of Bali. Since it is a separate island, the only way to reach it from mainland Bali is by ferry or fast boat. The most common way is taking a ferry ride from Sanur Harbor which is about 1-hour drive from Ngurah Rai International Airport.

There are several ferries operating every day. The first departure from Sanur to Nusa Penida is at 7 am and the last departure is at 5 pm. Meanwhile, the first departure from Nusa Penida to Sanur is at 7 am and the last departure is at 4.45 pm. It cost IDR 70k - 85k for domestic tourists and 110k - 135k or around USD 7 - 8.5 for foreigners (one-way ride), depending on the company you choose. The ferry ride takes around 45 minutes.

Tourist spots in Nusa Penida are divided into two sides, East and West. On the East side, there are Diamond Beach, Atuh Beach, Tree House Molenteng, and Teletubbies Hills. Meanwhile, on the West side, there are Kelingking Beach, Paluang Cliff, Broken Beach, Angel Billabong, and Crystal Bay. The distance between the West to the East destinations is quite far. So, if you want to explore all these tourist spots in one visit, I recommend you spend at least two days.

Even though there is no public transport, you can still explore the island by yourself (in a group). There are motorbike rentals that allow you to use it on your own. They usually charge around IDR 85k - 250k or USD 5 - 16 per day. I believe there is no car rental at the moment since the road is quite extreme, narrow, bumpy, and winding. In terms of crime, I could say this island is pretty safe and tourist-friendly.

I would say Nusa Penida is not well developed yet. However, there are many hotels, bungalows, and villas from budget to luxury with great service and amazing views. There are also some beach clubs, cafes, and restaurants. But don't expect you can find them every 500 m as in mainland Bali. Those hotels with nice views are usually far from the central. You need to take a narrower, bumpier, windier, unlit street surrounded by woods which is not recommended to go through at night. In the worst case, if you lose your internet connection and you cannot access online maps, it could be a disaster.

Considering the facts I mentioned above, I would recommend you take a private tour package, especially if you have a limited time. Many local travel agencies offer various tour packages from 1-day to 3 days trips. You can easily find them on Instagram, Google, or Travel Websites like Airbnb, Traveloka, etc. The package usually includes everything you need, starting from the round trip ferry tickets, private car with local driver slash guide slash photographer, food and drinks, and accommodations (for more trips more than 1 day).

Here are some of the most common packages :

• 1-day trip, West or East

• 2 days + 1-night trip, West or East or mixed destinations

• 3 days + 2 nights, West or East or mixed destinations

Some tour packages also include snorkeling. The price starts from IDR 300k or USD 19 only. The more participants in one trip, the cheaper the cost per person. Since it's a private trip, you can always customize the destinations by discussing them with your guide once you have his contact.

My friend and I used @penidaislandtrip for our first 1-day trip back in January 2022 after comparing the price and package inclusions with other travel agencies. Then, on the second trip in November 2022, my two other friends and I used them again for our 2-day + 1-night trip because their service was simply excellent. As the title suggests, I'll talk more about my 2-day + 1-night trip in this post.

I found @penidaislandtrip on Instagram. The first thing I did was look at their customer testimonials to make sure they were legit. Then I contacted them via WhatsApp which is in their Instagram bio. After asking several questions and comparing their packages with other travel services, I finally decided to use their services.

For a 1-day trip, it cost IDK 800k or USD 60 for two people. It included round-trip ferry tickets, a car with driver slash guide slash photographer, lunch, and mineral water. Meanwhile, for the 2-day + 1-night trip, it cost us IDR 2,400k or USD 153 for three people. The inclusions were the same, but plus one breakfast and one night stay in a hotel room with one queen bed and one extra single bed. If you book for four people, they will probably give you two rooms with a queen bed.

DAY 1 - WEST SIDE

We arrived at Sanur Harbor at 7 am. It was the old harbor, so there was no proper building, only rows of ticket counters of fast boat companies operating to Nusa Penida, Nusa Lembongan, and Nusa Ceningan.

We went straight to the S'Gening Fastboat ticket counter, which @penidaislandtrip informed us the night before. Once I told the staff the booking name, they gave each of us a card as the ticket to enter the boat. No payment was needed since it's all covered in the tour package.

Since the boat departure was at 08:15, we strolled around to get breakfast. There are many food stalls around the harbor that sell local foods. But for me, it's a bit expensive for such quality. If you're not a fan of local foods, you better have breakfast before entering the harbor.

Departure

About 15 minutes before departure, the harbor officer will make an announcement, then the counter staff will direct you to the boat. There was no bridge, so we had to walk through the water to get into the boat. Yes, the water was deep enough to wet our thighs. Plus, it's gross. Fortunately, the crew helped us walk and carry our things.

Anyway, you don't need to go through all this. Because the new Sanur Harbor has been open since November 17th, 2022.

The fast boat experience on my first trip to Nusa Penida wasn't my favorite either. It was stuffy, boiling, and bumpy which made me seasick and ruined my mood. I even thought I would never go to Nusa Penida again just because of this.

But who would have thought that we would get fortune cookies on this second trip? The boat was almost empty. There were only five passengers on board, three of us plus one couple. Even better, they let us sit on the second deck. Imagine enjoying the ocean views with your best friends on a brand-new private boat. Almost sounds like a luxury trip to me.

We didn't even realize that 30 minutes had passed and we arrived at the Banjar Nyuh Harbor, Nusa Penida. You'll see many local guides waiting for their guests there.

Our guide directed us to the car right away. The car was pretty comfortable and spacious for the price.

Around 300 meters from the harbor, there was a counter for the island entry ticket. You need to pay IDR 75k per person for one visit, which usually is not included in the tour package.

Broken Beach

After around 45 minutes of passing through a small, bumpy, winding road surrounded by residential houses, agricultural lands, and forest, we arrived at our first destination, Broken Beach. It was only 10 am, but many tourists were already there before us so it was hard to find a parking space. Plus, the sun burned like hell.

You need to walk around 10 minutes on a rocky track to reach the first spot. So, please, please use your most comfortable footwear and put aside that "I got to look perfect from head to toe" attitude.

But once you see that magnificent view of Broken Beach, you'll effort will be paid off. A bowl-like beach with calm crystal clear water surrounded by cliffs. It's perfection.

I'm not sure if you can get down to the beach. But I saw some international tourists swimming and there was a small boat floating on the water. Perhaps the only way to get there is by boat.

At each spot, there was a queue line to take pictures. If you book the tour package, the guide will queue up for you. So, you can sit and rest at a more comfortable place or simply take time to enjoy the view.

The best thing about these guides is that they will make you feel like a professional model. You will be awkward at first, but they will direct you to pose. I can say they are pretty good at it. If you don't have a good phone camera, don't worry. Usually, they are equipped with the latest iPhone to take guests' pictures. You can ask them to send photos and videos later.

They usually post those pictures to their Instagram account. However, if you don't want your photos posted, just tell them upfront.

One thing I admire about these guides, they respect each other very much. Normally, everyone gets 2 - 3 minutes on each spot. For me, it's more than enough that I even run out of poses. However, if you need more time, no one will rush you. Everyone patiently waits for their turn. So, take your time but don't be selfish!

We walked around that round-shaped beach and made sure we don't miss any spots. Most spots are free except the made-up ones like bird's nest, love-shaped frame, etc. They charge IDR 10k per spot. But no one really used those spots, since the natural ones are more interesting.

Around the area, there are some shops selling drinks, fruit, and some meals. The price was pretty good for a tourist attraction that far from the mainland. One bottle of mineral water was IDR 10k or USD 0.64.

Angel Billabong

Around 5 minute walk from Broken Beach, there was another spot called Angel Billabong. It's a small natural infinity pool made of a coral cliff. You can definitely swim there if the wave is not so high. But be careful, since it's rocky and you can injure yourself. Plus, the waves can suddenly get high and harsh which could be dangerous.

It's hard to take pictures without photo bombers of people swimming in the pool. It's pretty crowded.

After taking some cool pictures, we left for lunch. The restaurant is around 30 minutes from there. Then continue to the next destination, which is Paluang Cliff.

Kelingking Beach

With its T-Rex-shaped cliff, this beach is one of the most iconic beaches in Indonesia.

It's around 30 minutes drive from Broken Beach. No entrance ticket, just a parking fee which was included in our tour package.

You need to walk around 10 minutes from the parking area to get to the first spot. Walking under the hot sun and with a quite difficult track was enough to make me lose my breath.

Along the way, many locals sell beach hats, glasses, etc. There were some shops and restaurants as well.

We arrived around 3 pm and it was pretty crowded. As always, at each spot, there was a queue line to take pictures. All spots in here are free.

The view from above was just amazing. On this second trip, I really wanted to go down and enjoy the beach. But the track humbled me. I lost my breath to reach the first spot. I can't imagine going down 400 m steep cliffs, with extremely high steps. The track down there is even worse. it could be a nightmare if I forced myself. I could pass out.

If you decided to go down. Remember to prepare your stamina. Wear the most comfortable footwear and clothes and bring at least 2 liters of mineral water. The wave could be pretty high sometimes. Some accident has happened to tourist in the past due to this high wave. If possible, go down with your guide so that he could help you. Get back up maximum at 5 pm.

Paluang Cliff

Only 1 km from Kelingking Beach, Paluang Cliff is one of the best viewpoints to see this T-Rex-shaped cliff from the left side.

Basically, this spot is free. You only need to pay for parking, which is IDR 5k or USD 0.32. In our case, it's included in the tour package.

However, for you who want to step up your social media game, they provide some made-up spots to take Instagram-worthy pictures. There are six spots in total. They charge IDR 30k or USD 1.93 for all spots.

You'll see the ticket counter as you enter the area. Once you pay, the staff will ask for your name and put you in the queue. If it's not that crowded, you can take pictures as long as you want. But normally, you'll be given around 3 minutes on each spot.

There is also one shop that sells drinks and gelato. It's pretty good for the price.

Crystal Bay

This beach used to have white sands with bling crystal-like. Since the floods hit Nusa Penida in December 2020, the color of the sand has turned darker.

No entrance fee. Just parking fee which is included in the tour package.

Personally, there is not much special about this beach. But it's pretty easy to access. People usually go there for chilling, swim, sunbathing, or watching the sunset. Near the beach, there is a small rock island. It blocks the wave, so it's not pretty big. The beach on the right end is rocky, so it's not comfortable to swim. There are several stalls sell drinks, coconut, and some meals.

The day 1 tour ended at Crystal Bay. The guide dropped us at the hotel to rest. I'll talk more about the hotel later in the review section.

DAY 2 - EAST SIDE

We agreed to start to trip at 8 am. However, as always we went out of the hotel at 8 am and go straight to breakfast. The guide arrived ontime. Around 9 am, we checked out from the hotel and headed to Diamond Beach.

Tree House Molenteng

The first destination we visited was Tree House Molenteng. Yes, that famous Tree House you might have seen on your Instagram.

At the entrance, there is a ticket counter to take a picture at the Tree House. The ticket is IDR 75k per person.

To reach the Tree House you need to go down the cliff. The guide said there are 198 steps in total. But I didn't count since I was too busy maintaining my breath. At the Tree House, there was quite a long queue. It was only 10 am.

Each person gets 2 minutes. The staff will set a timer. So, you can't get extra time here.

The steps of the Tree House are pretty quite steep. And there is no proper holder, just ropes on both sides which are a bit lose. So, yeah. You need to be extra careful. I couldn't pose properly because I was actually shaking.

Raja Lima

From the Tree House, we climbed a bit to get to Raja Lima viewpoint. The view is much clearer. We can see Diamond beach from the right side.

There were only 2 queues when we arrived. The spot is free. We took some pictures and climbed back to the starting point. Near the entrance, there was a restaurant with a gazebo and some made-up photo spots. I'm pretty sure these spots are free. When we sat there to rest, no one told us to pay or leave. You can also rest at the gazebo for free. The waitress would ask if you want to order. But you don't have to.

Diamond Beach

Around 11 am, we left for lunch. The restaurant was around 10 minutes from the Tree House. The Tree House and Diamond beach only 1 km away drive.

In this area, there are Diamond Beach and Atuh Beach. At the entrance, there is a ticket counter. You need to pay IDR 25k to enter the area. Then they will give you one bottle of mineral water and a bracelet.

The first spot is Diamond Beach steps. Since it was too crowded, we decided to go to other spots first. I really wanted to go down to Diamon Beach or Atuh Beach, but just walking from the entrance to the first spot, I needed to stop every 10 steps.

The track is not as bad and far as Kelingking Beach. But, it's still way too much for me. I was even shaking. Luckily there was mineral water.

Atuh Beach

Atuh Beach and Diamond Beach are only a cliff away. It's on the left side of Diamond Beach. The access is much easier than Diamond Beach. But we were too tired to go down. So, we decided to leave after taking some pictures from above.

Teletubbies Hills

Nusa Penida is not only about beaches. If you want green views, Teletubbies Hill is the best option. It took 30 minutes to drive from Diamond Beach.

This spot is totally free. No entrance or parking fee. The view is actually amazing. But, when we arrived, no one was there. So, we were free to take pictures as long as we could. I thought the space to take pictures was a bit wider so that we could do a picnic there. But in fact, it's just a small field to take pictures. We cannot actually go to the hill. Just enjoy the view and take picture from afar.

REVIEW

Personally, I would say that this 2 days + 1 night trip with @penidaislandtrip was amazing. 100% recommended. But if you still want to know the reasons, here are some detail review for you.

The Booking Process

Before proceeding to the booking process, for a 2-day + 1-night trip, they offered four hotel options which were Nusa Majesty hotel, Samuh Ocean Sunset Hotel, Juan Beach Bungalow, and Sunrise Cottage Nusa Penida hotel. After looking at their review on Traveloka, we decided to choose the Samuh Ocean Sunset hotel.

The booking process was quite simple and fast. They asked me to fill in some data on WhatsApp, such as trip date, name, phone number, Instagram account (if any), etc. Once you fill in and send it back to them, they will confirm and inform the total payment and whether you need to pay for a down payment.

On the 1-day trip, they allowed us to book one day before the trip and pay on the trip day. Meanwhile, for the 2-day +1-night trip, they suggested we book as early as possible since they had to secure the hotel room and required a 30% down payment via bank transfer. Unfortunately, I'm not quite sure about the payment method for foreigners. You should ask them yourself about this one.

Once you've sent the down payment transfer receipt and they confirm, you're all set. You just need to wait for the trip day. They will give the driver contact information a day before the trip. The rest of the payment will be transferred on the trip day.

The Guide

I would say that one of the things that makes this trip amazing is the guide. As I mentioned earlier, the package includes the local driver who is also a guide and photographer. Yes, you don't need to worry about who's going to take the picture for you because this one guy got everything.

Once you arrive at Penida harbor, this guy will welcome you and take you right away to the car and bring you to each destination as the trip that you booked. Our guide's name was Ketut Rai. The same as my first trip. I asked the owner to use him again because his service was simply excellent. He would take you to the best spots. Then take pictures of you and as you are a professional model. He also gives you directions for the best pose and photos. He will not give up until you get the pictures that you like. He also doesn't mind helping you bring your belongings if you need him.

The Foods

I am sorry, but the food in Penida is not the best at all. I am not sure it's the restaurant we chose, but we have eaten in 3 different decent restaurants, and none served decent food. And it was super expensive for the such restaurant. We got fried rice for 75k and lime juice for 25k. It just doesn't make sense. On the mainland, you'll get 3 main courses in a similar-grade restaurant for that price.

The tour package only included 1 breakfast at the hotel and 2 lunches at restaurants. Meanwhile, for the dinner, you need to pay it yourself. But the driver will drop you there.

The first restaurant was near the Broken Beach. Once you arrive, the waitress handed us a menu that is covered in the package. There were are only 3 options for main courses, Chicken Soup, Fried Rice, and Chicken Rice and 5 drinks options. If you choose other than these options or order more foods, then you'll be charged. The prices are illogical. The second restaurant was near Diamond Beach. The food tasted better, but still not as good. But at least it has a nice view, green hiils with coconut trees.

The Hotel

I have to admit that the hotel is actually beyond our expectations. It's called Samuh Sunset Hotel. We chose this hotel since we want to experience sunset while swimming in the pool. But, we arrived pretty late, around 8 am. The staff were nice and helped us bring our luggage to the room.

Once we enter the room, we were like wow. I mean for the price, it's super. Surprisingly spacious, soft mattress, modern design, clean, there is TV, freezer, more than enough storage, wide mirror in the bedroom and more than spacious modern design bath room with hot water. It has sliding door that face swimming pool and ocean. In the swimming pool there is jacuzzi and a small bar at the side. In front of the bar there are day bed and bar chairs facing the ocean.

The hotel was pretty quiet. I guess the room was full, but the guests was not arrive yet. We swim that night and had rest. I wanted to have an early morning swim before taking the second day tour. And didn't expect anything. But, once I opened the door room, I was served with magnificent view. Pinkish skies, wide ocean with boat passed by, fresh air, cold yet warm at the same time, quiet and also noisy with birds chirping. Aaaahh, I still can feel that vibes now. I took some time to enjoy the moment. I deserved that after a tired day. Then go to swim.

After getting shower and get ready, we packed our stuff, and went down to have breakfast at the restaurant. There were 2 options that is included in the package. In the package there are main course, fruits, and tea or coffee. The taste, hmm not so good hahah.

The Cars

On the first trip, they gave us Toyota Avanza. Meanwhile, on the second trip they gave us Suzuki APV. Both fit 8 people. Since it was only three of us, we still had plenty of room to stretch out, even with all of our luggage in tow.

I'll be honest, these cars weren't exactly built for the bumpy road of Penida. The bumps and dips in the road made for a less-than-ideal ride. But hey, for the price we paid, we definitely got our money's worth. And I must say, those cars were spotless. It's always nice to ride in a clean vehicle, isn't it?

That's a wrap! I hope this blog post has given you all the information you need and inspired you to explore this stunning island yourself. Grab your suitcase, pack your sunscreen, and get ready to embark on the journey of a lifetime!

If you have any questions, please let me know in the comment.