We provide daily dive trips and dive courses around the island of Nusa Penida, Indonesia
Looking for tips and tricks about diving, marine life or what to do in Nusa Penida? Follow us on our blog for weekly updates from the team!
We are here because of the fantastic diving, but Nusa Penida's rugged coastline, friendly people and adventurous spirit really captured us. Nusa Penida is the largest of the three Nusa islands covering almost 200 square kilometres and reaching over 500m above sea level. With such a huge playground, it may come as no surprise to hear that we highly recommend making a Nusa Penida tour during your stay with us. Here we're going to explore some of the must-see places, explain how to get around the island and tell you when you can fit everything into your trip.
Nusa Penida has a LOT… Think dramatic cliffs with stunning views, beautiful beaches, adventurous hikes, awe-inspiring caves, natural rock pools, bird watching, crazy rock formations and a temple or two! There are also places near and far from the resort to catch the sunrise or sunset.
You will return from your fabulous diving day between 1 and 3pm depending on which sites you visit, so there's plenty of time to do some island exploration in the form of a Nusa Penida tour after diving each day, this would allow you to visit one or two spots and explore the island gradually over your stay with us. The other option is to take a full day (or two) and take in a full tour route of the island.
If your travel plans allow then this can be done on your arrival or departure day, we think it's a great way to while away your no fly time on your last day! Also if you're here a little longer and plan on taking a rest day in between some of your diving days then this is an excellent opportunity to take in some of the island's topside attractions. We can customise our diving packages to include a rest day for you.
To visit the sights on your Nusa Penida tour you have three options for getting around the island…
If you're confident driving a scooter then the cheapest way is to hire a scooter and drive yourself. This also gives you a lot of flexibility and you can stop for as long as you like at each point.
If you like the idea of going by scooter but aren't too sure of your driving skills then you can take a scooter tour - You get the sun and the breeze plus the ease of scooting around while someone else drives you!
If you're with friends or you think you'll either be too hot on a scooter or not comfortable on one, then you can get a tour car. With this option you can relax in the AC and have someone who knows the area like the back of their hand drive you around. Admire the scenery on the way to the places or take a nap!
There are three main routes around the island for your Nusa Penida tour:
This is very popular and includes Kelingking, Angel's Billabong, Broken Beach and Crystal Bay. The west side of the island is beautiful for sunset and includes some of Penida's most selfie-worthy spots.
This is growing in popularity due to improved road surfaces (and Instagram!) and includes Atuh Beach, Diamond Beach, Thousand Island viewpoint (Treehouse) and Goa Giri Putri cave temple. Atuh & Diamond beaches are a top pick for sunrise.
This is the least traveled route but has some gems! Places to visit include Tembeling (Forest, rockpools & beach), Peguyangan waterfall, Seganing waterfall & Teletubbies hills.
You can visit any of these places as a single location too if you don't have the time for a full tour during your trip.
After diving you definitely have some time for to explore the island's sites one by one, and this is a great option if you don't have time for a full Nusa Penida tour during your stay. We return from diving between 1pm and 3pm, depending on the dive sites we visit, and sunset is between 5:30pm and 6:30pm, depending on the time of year so there are a few hours of exploring to do each day! It's possibly a bit optimistic to try and fit in multiple stops, but here are some of the most popular ones that our guests visit after diving:
Kelingking - 45 minutes drive from the resort
Angel's Billabong & Broken Beach - 45 minutes drive from the resort
Crystal Bay at sunset - 25 minutes drive from the resort
Diamond Beach or Atuh Beach - 60/70 minutes drive from the resort (it's better to do this one when we return from diving at 2pm or before because of the longer drive time). It's also awesome for sunrise, if you're an early riser!!
Goa Giri Putri Cave Temple - 30 minutes drive from the resort
Nusa Penida has a reputation for being a wild and rugged island, and although the natural beauty of the island represents this, we have seen some developments in infrastructure over recent years, one of the best additions being more tarmac roads! Most of the island now has good road surfaces, and the roads around the resort are flat and follow the coastline, so these are good even if you are not super confident driving a scooter.
Nusa Penida is a hilly island, so visiting the sights will involve driving up some steep hills - the views even on the drive can be spectacular though and the road condition is mostly very good! As you get further inland you may come across some rockier roads, or roads which have broken edges - Extra care should be taken here and we would only recommend driving a scooter on these parts if you're confident or experienced.
Most of the roads on Nusa Penida are wide enough for two cars to pass by side-by-side, but going on a car tour may be slower compared to going by scooter.
For navigating around the island the app "maps.me" is really useful, it doesn't require an internet or data connection and has very up to date routes.
Nusa Penida is hot and dry most of the year round (drier than mainland Bali), when you're out exploring take sunscreen with you and some water (fill up your water bottle for free at the resort before you leave!), take a hat and sunnies too. For some places it's recommend to wear trainers / sneakers rather than flip flops. If you're planning to visit a temple please respect the rules and dress code for entering, in most cases the temples which require you to wear a sarong to enter do offer rentals, but it's never a bad idea to bring one in your bag. Bring some small notes with you (Rp 2,000/5,000/10,000) as most places have a small entry or parking fee.
Last but not least - Bring your camera!!
Fill up your fuel at the petrol station nearby before venturing too far on your scooter and drive cautiously on the roads. There are three petrol stations on the island, all on the north coast, and inland there are warungs selling fuel by the litre in case you get stuck. Make sure to wear a helmet and that you know how to recognise your bike as many rental scooters look similar!
This post gives you a good overview of which areas to visit, the kind of activities you can do and how to get about the island. Look out for future posts where we will feature specific sights around the island, and of course feel free to email us if you have questions about land tours you would like to do during your stay or to ask us what you can fit in on your arrival or departure day.
