People think I’m mad when I say I enjoy the pre-holiday planning as much as the actual holiday itself! There’s something so exciting about the anticipation of creating a travel itinerary to travel around a country like Thailand or Indonesia with stop offs every few days in a new town or city. To me, it’s the only way you can truly get to experience the food, culture and energy. If you’re heading out to Bali, here’s why you should make sure Nusa Lembongan is also on your travel itinerary.
Nusa Lembongan
Nusa Lembongan itself is one of three Nusa islands which are located close to Bali. This small tropical island is known for its laid back and chilled vibes, its live music, good food and beautiful beaches.
Just half an hour away from Bali on the boat, it’s a wonderful way to escape the busy tourist hot spots and explore a lesser known and very tiny island. If you’re planning a trip to Bali, I’m hoping that I might just convince you to hop on over to this cute, relaxed part of Indonesia.
Travelling to Bali
We flew from London Heathrow to Changi Airport in Singapore which took around 13 hours followed by a connecting flight to Denpasar in Bali which took around 2 hours 45. From here, most people would head to whichever area of Bali they’ve planned to stay – Canggu with its hipster influencer vibes, Seminyak for the busy hustle, bustle and shopping, or Ubud for its spiritual energies and relaxation.
I’ve been to Bali before, as well as the Gili Islands (Gili Trawangan, Gili Meno and Gili Air which are all accessible by boat), but Nusa Lembongan is an island I’d never even heard mentioned before, let alone visited.
You’ll need to get a 30 minutes boat from Sanur Port (around 1 hour drive from Seminyak) to take you over to this beautiful island. We used Rocky Fast Cruise to book our journey to and from the island and they also arranged to pick us up from our hotel in Ubud and our onward taxi from Nusa Lembongan’s jetty. It’s worth knowing they have their own private jetty in Teletak village which is a different port of entry to the other boats which travel back and forth from Sanur.
What to Take
As with all tropical islands, there’s bound to be bugs – and you can never be too careful when it comes to protecting against mosquito bites. Make sure you’ve got a new can or two of spray which should keep those pesky things at bay while you’re enjoying a pina colada or two on the beach after sunset.
Parts of Nusa Lembongan are still undeveloped and if you’re planning on hiring a scooter like we did (It’s around £5 per day) then you’ll want to make sure you’ve got constant data on your phone incase you run out of diesel or happen to get lost. We used a travel eSIM for Bali which kept us constantly connected. They’re super easy to download to your phone and you can keep track of how much data you’ve used.
When it comes to luggage, there’s no denying that rucksacks are a more convenient way to travel – especially when you’re island hopping and using several boats. That said, we took suitcases which were absolutely fine and the staff on our fast boat were able to store the luggage up top and hand it back to us when we arrived.
Nusa Ceningan
While you’re on the island of Nusa Lembongan, it’s definitely worth taking a trip to Nusa Ceningan which is another small island which you can access via a bridge. We took our scooter but you can also arrange a trip there with one of the local tour companies. Nusa Ceningan is a traditional seaweed-farming village which is only around 3km squared in total! Its known for its Blue Lagoon, surfing, trekking and hiking and there are plenty of bars, restaurants and hotels dotted around here too.
Nusa Lembongan’s Beaches
There are several beautiful and picturesque beaches here including the most popular for bars, restaurants and hotels – Jungu Batu Beach, Dream Beach is personally the most beautiful beach on Nusa Lembongan and perfect for a lazy day away from everything. It’s quite difficult to get into the water on most of the beaches as there is so much coral, but if you’re looking for a nice smooth entry point, Mushroom Beach is best.
Where to Stay
The accommodation is super varied on Nusa Lembongan ranging from basic budget to high end. We experienced two great places while we were staying on the island. Shrining Cottages are up in the hills – a little further out but on a very quiet part of Nusa Lembongan and if you hire a scooter from the cottages, you can get down to the village in less than 10 minutes. These little cottages are cute and clean and all face out on to the main pool with a little balcony. Each private cottage has its own toilet and shower outside so if you like to feel at one with nature, it’s a great place to stay! We paid £30 for the two of us per night and that’s including breakfast!
At the other end of the scale, somewhere like Indiana Kenanga Boutique Hotel & Spa is around £200 per night and located smack bang in the middle of it all on Jungut Batu Beach. This beachfront accommodation with a spa, wellness centre and swimming pools, has direct access to the beach with plenty of loungers and waiter/waitress service from the hotel’s Ylang Ylang restaurant. Exclusive suites and villas here are ultra luxurious and many have private gardens. The Baja fish tacos are to die for! There’s also live music on several nights of the week and a happy hour.
Bars and Restaurants
You’ll find the most concentrated area of bars and restaurants are situated on Jl. Jungutbatu. We’d definitely recommend Ylang Ylang on the beach front for a combination of Balinese and European cuisine including scallops and tuna tataki, pork belly, leg of lamb and a French inspired duck l’orange.
Just a five minute walk from Ylang Ylang, you’ll find Curry Traders Restaurant and Bar. The food here was so good, we actually came back twice more! With authentic curries and meat cooked on the tandoor, the restaurant is owned by a well travelled couple called Michael and Kendra who have spent time in India, Sri Lanka and Thailand. Their vision has been brought to life by chef Rohan who has honed the menu with some excellent dishes. Our favourite was the butter chicken marinated for 24 hours and the goan fish – a delicious creamy coconut curry.
For beach club vibes, Ohana’s is where it’s at with live music and djs, beach seating and happy hour cocktails. The sunset vibe on Jungut Batu beach is spectacular. The most incredible sunsets are set against a back drop of chilled out beats or brilliant live music.
A Note on Accessibility
The island of Nusa Lembongan is quite steep and hilly in places and so might not suit everyone. Transport around the island consists mainly of golf buggies and scooters which you can hire and book.
How Long Should I Stay?
We booked for three nights but wish we’d been able to stay longer. Nusa Lembongan is a really magical little place which really invites you to slow down and relax. Still a relatively quiet island, it’s a great place to visit at the beginning of your trip when you’re adjusting to the time difference and can enjoy lazy days and early nights (everything shuts down around 10pm,) or at the end of your trip to mentally prepare for a return to reality!