Best Places and Tourist Attractions to Visit in Nusa Penida

by Tsvete Popp
The very last trip from Bali we made in 2020 was to the Island of Nusa Penida. The last time we visited Bali we chose to visit the Gili Islands and not Penida due to the restricted time we had on the Island… The Gili Islands turned out to be one of the most disappointing places in SEA we ever visited, as the small islands were full of plastic, were overcrowded and the sea life and corals were absolutely destroyed by the local practices of dynamite fishing during the years. As we came back to Austria we wish we had visited Nusa Penida instead. And 3 years later, we finally did it and absolutely fell in love with the small and lush Island!…
The very first place to visit on Penida Island was Angels Billabong. Angels Billabong is an incredible rock formation on Nusa Penida Island’s Southwestern cliff edges. Angel’s Billabong features a natural infinity pool overlooking the ocean and it just so happens to be one of Nusa Penida’s most popular attractions. Between the rocks flows a lagoon crystal clear pools where you can swim and soak the sun. Just a short 5-minute trek around the corner from Angels Billabong comes to another Instagrammable spot – the Broken Beach.
Broken Beach is locally known as Pantai Pasig Uug is one of the top picturesque and most visited destinations on Nusa Penida Island. The beach has a big natural pool with a diameter of 98 meters. Although you can’t go swimming at this particular beach, the location is such an unreal setting in itself. The Broken Beach, one of the most famous spots in Nusa Penida, was named like this because it resulted from the collapse of part of the cliff. The collapsed part has a circular shape. And an arch was formed on the narrowest part that borders the sea. The whole place looks like a circular bay with an arch overlooking the sea. It is one of the places where the drone helps a lot (!!!) to see how it actually looks like from above 😊
What you can do is to take a panoramic walk all the way around the edge of Broken Beach and discover several different viewpoints, each offering incredible views of this unique sinkhole in the cliff. Right now there is no entry fee for visiting the beach or parking at the site.
Kelingking Beach is located on the South West coast of Nusa Penida. The T-Rex shaped cliff overlooking Kelingking Beach has rocketed the number of tourists visiting Nusa Penida during the past few years.
The Viewing Platform is the spot where the majority of tourists queue to capture their famous Kelingking Beach postcard shot. BUT: if you go a little bit up to one of the restaurants you will find the perfect photo spot (for free) – a white terrace overlooking the Kelingking. And literally, Nobody was there 🤦‍♀️🤷‍♀️
Not the cliff, but the beach itself is a hidden gem… BUT: the trek down to the beach takes roughly 1 hour one way, and is secured by not much more than bamboo railings. A friend of ours told us a story of a guy who broke his leg going down to the beach. The way up was impossible for him, there are no emergency helicopters here and the boat could not reach the beach due to the heavy waves… It took 10 hours until he could go to the hospital. Well, that’s reason enough to skip the trail especially if you have only flip-flops on your feet!!! Normally, the entry fee is about 10.000 Rupiah, but right now there are no entry fees on Penida.
Diamond beach is for sure the most beautiful beach in Penida, and is one of the most beautiful beaches we’ve ever been to! The natural scenery is just amazing. Once you reach the top of the stairs you can already enjoy the beauty of Diamond Beach, but it only gets better and better as you walk down. Often the cliff hangs entirely over your head. This walk down may scare some and indeed, in some parts, it was a bit challenging… I highly recommend not swimming here unless you are a strong swimmer. Some of the people who went swimming struggled against the current. Obviously, the conditions change day-to-day so you need to make that call for yourself but be cautious. There is also some underlying reef and rock so it isn’t the best beach for swimming but it is definitely possible.

Places Nusa Penida

As you would expect from a major touristic island in Indonesia, Nusa Penida has no shortage of options when it comes to accommodation. As always, I’d suggest you stay somewhere central, to make accessing all the attractions as easy as possible.

The best places to stay in Nusa Penida are Crystal Bay (Sunset), Kelingking or Angel’s Billabong Beach, or Diamond Beach (Sunrise). However, my suggestion would be to stay near Crystal Bay or Diamond Beach. Crystal Bay is located in only 20 minutes from the fast boat terminal, and the beach is famous for being the best spot for enjoying the sunset and snorkelling. There are also some hops, cafes, restaurants and street food options. Diamond Beach, on the other side, is the best choice if you are searching for a good place for welcoming the sunrise or enjoying beautiful beaches like Diamond or Atuh.

Diamond Beach, Nusa Penida

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