Curating the Best Spots for a 2-day Nusa Penida Exploration

“I wheeled through the Stars,

My Heart broke loose on the Wind”

I thought of Pablo Neruda’s words often while exploring the islands of love in the Indian Ocean.

Tucked in the heart of the Indian Ocean, Indonesia is an archipelago of its idyllic islands nestled in azure waters. But I am convinced that it is the ‘otherworldly beaches’, ‘luxurious resorts’, ‘alluring palms’ and the ‘plethora of adventure’ you encounter every second of your stay that makes ‘Nusa Penida’ Island, stand out from the rest.

We took a slight detour from Bali to take a sneak peek into this gorgeous island. Gilli Islands (Lombok) and Kommodo Islands (famous for its Kommodo Dragons) were close contenders. But we would anyways experience the laid-back vibes of Gilli Islands, in our three-day Beach Stay in Southern Bali.  I had a mild inkling to pack our bags for a few days and rejuvenate in the wilderness of Kommodo. But the sheer distance from Bali and the fact that we had only two days to spare made us wrap our heads around the fact that we would not be doing Komodo Island the justice it deserved. Handshakes with the Komodo Dragons would have to be reserved for another time.

Enter Nusa Penida. One look at the pictures and we fell in love. A limestone island that offers incredible white sand beaches, dotted with 200 metre high cliff drops thronging to touch the skies. And to top it, it took barely 30 minutes from Bali (Sanur Port) by boat. We were sold!

Nusa Penida – Day 1

We drove through cassavas and corn farms. We sped through the windmills at every criss-cross juncture of the snaky paths. Our driver told us that these windmills were the sole power generator for all the three Nusa islands. We reached our cottage in the West coast after driving for roughly 45 minutes. And no sooner had we arrived, our host greeted us with a scrumptious breakfast spread outside our cottage verandah. Yummy! My tummy is rumbling as I write this. . .

Scrumptious Yummilicious Breakfast spread outside our cottage !

Kelingking Beach

Since we had booked a resort on the West Coast, we had Day-1 reserved for West Side Sightseeings. We changed to our beachwears, hopped onto our rented scooty and dashed straight to our first destination for the day, the Kelingking Beach.

The Kelingking Beach in All its Glory. . .

We stopped and posed along the way, to take in the view. . .

Giving our Viewers ‘A Glimpse’ of the Hike. . .It only gets more and more steep from here

Kelingking Beach definitely lived up to all the Instagram vibes created around it. The beach is Unreal! From the Cliffs overlooking the Sea to the hike down to the beach, the views are something out of a movie. There are some photo stops along the way, but there is a spot, a little shy of halfway down the hike, where you get amazing shots of the T-Rex.

Pro-Tip: The Hike is quite strenuous even for people into fitness and training. Wear Trainers and shed off any luggage in your scooty/car compartment. Carry waterbottles. Your legs might ache for days but reaching the bottom to the beach is quite an achievement in itself. However, if you feel you cannot continue down below owing to shortness of breath or time crunch, it is best that you take in the views from where you are and retrace your steps.

If possible, plan your visit early in the morning before 8 am or post 5 pm to beat the crowds.

Photostops at Angel Billabong and Broken Beach

Angel Billabong and Broken Beach are unique geological formations that have been formed from millions of years of natural erosion. The two Nusa-Penida highlights, in their own right, draws thousands of tourists every year to witness this rare natural phenomenon.

Both the Beaches were at the same site, and we took turns seeing them.

Broken Beach

Broken Beach is a rocky archway that was formed from a collapsed sea cave many years ago. The strong tides on Nusa Penida continue to sweep beautiful, turquoise water through the arch and into the void everyday. We soaked in the beauty of the cove with archway and marvelled at the sea waves crash through and fill the collapsed sea cave below.

We could not spot the Manta Rays but managed to click a good enough picture of the Broken Bridge!

You can walk all the way around the exposed hole, but we simply took some photos of the archway near the edge. If you are lucky, you may even spot Manta Rays from the arch.

Angel Billabong

Just around the corner from Broken Beach towards headland stands Angel’s Billabong. We took a 5 minutes walk from Broken Beach to reach here.

Angel Billabong is an Infinity Pool par excellence. . .

If you plan your trip correctly and arrive at Angel Billabong around low tides, you will enjoy the beautiful pools that are perfect for swimming. Now that the spot is so popular, there is a good chance that you may have to share your space with other fellow travellers.

Crystal Bay

After having our fill at a nearby beach side café, we made our way to the other corner of Nusa-Penida – The Crystal Bay. This incredible sheltered cove attracts thousands of beach bums especially during the sunset hours. We took our own sweet spot on the sand. There is nothing quite like sipping on coconut water and devouring tender coconut meat while looking out to miles upon miles of the gorgeous turquoise ocean.

Maddy went deep into the waters. ‘Crystal Bay’ was all about chilling and fun. . .

We played in the waters as the sun started to make its exit from the visible horizon. We saw lots of scuba divers and surf boaters heading towards the water just before sundown. My partner nudged me to see if I would be at all interested into going for some last-minute diving. But I was firm. We are going to stay put and watch the gorgeous sunset!

The Gorgeous Sunset!

Streets are pitch dark post sunset. Fortunately, Crystal Bay was just couple of minutes from our accommodation. We grabbed a feast of sea food at a café near the beach and sped our way back to our resort. After playing to our heart’s content in the salty sea waters, it was time for some real bath. We took a refreshing shower before retiring to our bed. Finally curtains down for the day.

Nusa Penida – Day 2

We had reserved Day 2 for the East Coast Exploration of Nusa Penida. The East Coast harbours the most beautiful pristine white sand limestone beaches. But this paradise is often overlooked by tourists in the favour of more well-known spots like the Kelingking Beach.

We had to drive for more than an hour to reach the coveted spots. We made a request for an early morning (6:00 AM) breakfast to which our host very kindly complied. By 6:30 AM we were on the roads, following our trails on the Google Maps. As usual Maddy was the rider and yours truly, the navigator.

Pro-Tip: The Hot Tip is not to put Atuh Beach in your Google Maps. Although Atuh Beach and Diamond Beach are just adjacent to each other, if you park on the left side of Atuh Beach, you will have to do a long drive all the way around. However, if you park at Diamond Beach Parking Lot, you get an easy access to both the beaches.

It took us upwards of 75 minutes to reach the Diamond Beach Parking Lot.

Diamond Beach

Tucked away in the easternmost tip of the gorgeous Nusa Penida, Diamond Beach is a sight to behold. Think pristine white sands, crystal clear waters and some seriously impressive verdant cliffs. The cherry on top? The diamond shaped rock formations thronging to reach upto the mighty skies. And it is these diamond shaped rocks that gives the beach its name.

Postcard Shot of Diamond Beach! What a Beauty. . .

Poser Boy. . .

Now getting down to the beach was a bit of a workout – there’s a steep staircase carved out in the hills hat one needs to navigate. Buy hey, with those jaw dropping views on your way down and the slice of heaven awaiting your arrival below, you will hardly notice the climb.

The staircase at Diamond Beach on Nusa Penida is unarguably my favourite part of the beach. Walking down the stairs carved out of the cliff with an iconic view of the crystalline blue waters, white sand and palm trees felt surreal. There are very few beaches in the world that boasts of such an entry. The view just got better and better as we climbed down the cliff. We stopped at places just to take in how the stairs were constructed. The air was so fresh and crisp that we could still see all of the chisel marks in the wall.

The Beach is not meant for swimming and rightly so. The unpredictable currents and large corals swimming up to the shore along the tides makes it an ideal ‘only chill, no swim beach’.

Atuh Beach

Reknowned for its serene beauty and secluded location, Atuh Beach features a crescent shaped stretch of white sand beach encircled by towering rugged cliffs. The beach is accessible by a steep staircase cut into the cliffside, and the breathtaking view from the top is nothing short of mesmerizing.

From the top of the cliff, the view was pretty insane. The marvelled at arch that ran along the rock formation of the water, we were awestruck at the huge sheer drop off of the cliffs and the amphitheatre like white sandy beach at the base of it all were indeed a sight to behold.

The hike down takes hardly ten minutes but is quite steep. The thick density of the trees and vines along the way hides the view from you for most part of the hike. At times, a break in the foliage gives you a small window to the Atuh Beach.

If you are a Sunrise Enthusiast, there can be no perfect place in Nusa Penida than the ‘Atuh Beach’. If you manage to get down on the beach before the twilight hours, you can see the sun rise right through the arch. My Long Exposure Photographer Friends will froth over this location.

Perks of being the only Souls on Atuh Beach. . .You get to dance around!

Maddy taking in the Beautiful View at Atuh Beach!

However, it was already past 07:30 hrs – long past sunrise. To our good fortune, it was still early in the morning and not another soul was on the beach. These early morning chills are the ones you live for, don’t ya think?

Parting Thoughts

Nusa Penida will always thrive to keep you on your toes. The hikes to beaches are strenuous and rewarding in equal measures. You might sweat bucketloads on the way up and down, but fret not – stunning panaromas await.

Take your time to absorb the gorgeous view of the tiny islands ringed by Cerculean waters. Count the shades of blue as you gather your breath for the hike to the starting point.

It is at this time that you will realise, “Life is a journey meant to be savoured, not a destination to be conquered!”

If you have missed our previous blogs on Bali, you can find the links to the same below:

Everything you need to know to plan a Perfect Trip to Bali – CoffeeBreak Diaries

Ubud Bali – A Romantic Languorous Utopia – CoffeeBreak Diaries

10 Most Instagram Worthy Places in Bali – CoffeeBreak Diaries