Nusa Lembongan and Nusa Ceningan in 2 days with a scooter
Nusa Lembongan and Nusa Ceningan in 2 days with a scooter
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After exploring the biggest of the three islands Nusa Penida with a driver, we were very excited to discover all the beautiful places of Nusa Lembongan and Nusa Ceningan on our own with a scooter. The roads there are a lot better then on Nusa Penida and these islands have less traffic. Anyway the vibes on the smaller islands are more chilled. Nusa Ceningan is located directly next to Nusa Lembongan connected with a big yellow bridge passable by scooter. Therefore you can easily explore both islands in two or three days. We put together a 2 – day itinerary with the best places on both islands.
Day 1 – Start at Nusa Lembongan
This first day is all about beautiful views. Half of the day you can explore Nusa Lembongan and around the afternoon you can drive your scooter across the yellow bridge to spend the evening at the smallest island, Nusa Ceningan. Ask your hotel about a scooter rental.
1. Check in at Tigerlillys (Lembongan)
First of all, you have to check in at one of the amazing and hip hotels on Nusa Lembongan. The style, furniture and vibes here are pretty similar to Bali. We absolutely loved the hotel Tigerlillys. The wooden villas, the pool and dinner area is very beautiful designed and the stuff is amazing. Also they gave us a really good scooter. The food was very tasty with a lot of vegan options.
2. Eat at Bali Eco Deli (Lembongan)
Then check out the organic restaurant “Bali Eco Deli” a few meters down the road from Tigerlillys. It’s a really nice place to relax, work or to enjoy a smoothie bowl.
3. Visit Mangrove Forest in the North-East (Lembongan)
Nusa Lembongan is famous for it’s Mangrove Forest in the North. From the center it’s a 10-minute drive with the scooter. Arrived at the dead end of the road, you can see the river coming from the ocean surrounded by big Mangrove trees. You can book a boat tour here or rent a canoe to explore the area on the water, there are no hiking trails. The families living around this area looked like they hadn’t a lot of money but they were very kind. On your way back to the centre, stop at the diving school “Planet Nomades Dive Resort” located directly next to the main street at the water. Ask them, if they have a spot open for a snorkeler on their diving boat going to the famous Manta Point the next morning.
4. The cute kids at Panoramic Point (Lembongan)
We imagined a beautiful viewpoint, but we were surprised by cute kids playing on the highest point of the island. We took lots of pictures together and had a lot of fun. And the view is fantastic as well. From there you can even see the big Mt Agung on Bali.
5. Yellow Bridge to Nusa Ceningan (Lembongan-Ceningan)
Now it’s time to cross the yellow bridge from Nusa Lembongan to Nusa Ceningan. It’s amazing that both islands are connected with this bridge! Don’t forget to take a picture!
6. Next stop: Mahana Point and Cliff jumping (Ceningan)
From the yellow bridge, drive to the West of the Ceningan Island to Mahana Point. There you will see a lot of surfers trying to get the perfect wave. One restaurant has the best view over the ocean and the surfers, but do you see the little jumping area in front of the terrace? Well, actually cliff jumpers plummet down from there into the depth.
7. Walk to Blue Lagoon next to Mahana Cliff (Ceningan)
A few meters up the sand road you can visit the Blue Lagoon. The water has a very intense blue tone mixed with white surge. The view from there is fantastic! You can fly your drone here like everywhere on the Nusa Islands.
8. The cute swing at The Sand Restaurant (Ceningan)
Almost before sunset drive to the restaurant The Sand. This place has the perfect swing framed by palm trees from the terrace. Also they have hammocks on both sides. Sometimes the tide is really low and there isn’t any water, sometimes the swing stands in the water. Both times this place is beautiful!
9. Sunset in front of The Sand with boats (Ceningan)
From the restaurant the Sand, you can walk down some stairs to the beach. Walk until you reach the reflecting water. When the sun is already gone behind the horizon the light gets so beautiful here!! The boats were the perfect photo spot. These colors aren’t edited! The sunsets there are just magical! Then drive back across the yellow bridge to Nusa Lembongan to your hotel.
Day 2 – snorkeling at Manta Point
On day two a dive boat will take you to the famous Manta Point for snorkeling and you will have time to explore more beaches and viewpoints of Nusa Lembongan.
1. With a dive boat to Manta Point – Planet Nomads Dive Resort (Lembongan)
We asked a lot of snorkel tour companies, if they go to Manta Point. But most of them provide only snorkel points at Mangrove Forest or Manta Bay. Then we found an amazing dive school on our way to Mangrove Forest, which wanted to go on a dive tour to Manta Point the next day and took us along as the only snorkelers. At 8 am we had to be there and directly got 2 millimeter neoprene and shoes for diving fins. Keep in mind that the water around the Nusa Islands is really cold due to some flow. The other divers prepared their stuff and we quickly stowed away all the equipment in a small transporter who brought us to our dive boat. Actually the tour should have been 3 hours, but they extend to 5 hours without asking for more money. I’am sure we couldn’t have found any better snorkeling tour then this one – there were no other tourists!!
The crew was really nice and we actually had a personal dive teacher from Argentina who snorkeled and free dived with us. After a 45-minute drive, our first stop was the famous Manta Point and they didn’t promise us too much! We saw 8 Mantas!!! Everyone told us that the Manta Point is dangerous and far out at the ocean but it actually was pretty close to the cliffs. However the swell is very intense there and the water very cold! Maybe you should take some travel pills because of the waves. It was an incredible feeling to be surrounded by 8 of these gigantic creatures, they have a wingspan of 3 meters! As far as we know they aren’t unnaturally fed here.
The second spot Crystal Bay in front of Nusa Penida was also amazing. We saw a lot of fish and corals. Luckily they only told us after the snorkel session that someone saw a white shark the days before…The water at Crystal Bay was even colder than the water at Manta Point. After a 3rd snorkel spot in front of the islands we were very exhausted but also very happy about this incredible experience. Next time I would also dive here. Going out with a diving boat is much more relaxed and will give you a more authentic experience than a normal snorkel tour, because you will not be surrounded by a group of hysterical snorkelers seeing their first manta.
2. Eating at the restaurant The Deck (Lembongan)
After this incredible snorkel or diving morning you might need a shower at your hotel first. Then drive to the restaurant The Deck and eat some incredible food with the best view.
3. Next stop: Dream Beach Cliff (Lembongan)
Ready for another beautiful beach in the West of Nusa Lembongan? This beach has a beach bar, blue water and a nice swing. Take some time here to relax and enjoy a drink. Also there are some cute dogs at the beach.
4. Next stop: Devil’s Tear and Sandy Bay (Lembongan)
For sunset drive to Devil’s Tear, a blowing hole not far away from Dream Beach. Sometimes high waves are slamming over the cliffs and due to the pressure big fountains are coming out of the blow holes. It’s also a popular place to watch sunset, because of the perfect orientation of the sun going down at the horizon. Unfortunately we also saw a lot of plastic on the way to the blow hole.
When the sun is already down, you can walk to the neighboring beach Sandy Bay. There you find a beach bar with tables and candles next to a pool and a nice view over the ocean.
5. Dinner at Ginger and Jamu (Lembongan)
Now we want to tell you about our absolutely favorite restaurant on Nusa Lembongan: Ginger and Jamu! It’s located directly at the west coast with cute tables and light chains at the beach. And the food is INCREDIBLE!! So ahh-mazing!! We ate bowls, wraps and you have to try willy wonka! They have many vegan options!! I wish I could eat there again…
Where to stay?
At Tigerlillys! There are a lot of beautiful hotels on Nusa Lembongan, but we were more than happy with our wonderful wooden villa at Tigerlillys. The location is absolutely beautiful, the furniture modern and the food healthy and tasty. You definitely have to go there! Also they help you with getting a good scooter, helmets and where to find the best spots!
Where to eat at Nusa Lembongan?
- Jinger and Jamu!!!
- Bali Eco Deli
- Tigerlillys
- The Deck
How to get there?
Either you can arrive directly with a motor boat from Bali (they start at Sanur or Padang Bai) or you take a little motor boat from the North of Nusa Lembongan. Ask your hotel for a pickup at the beach.
↠ Read here, how to get from Bali to Nusa Penida.
How to get back to Bali?
From your hotel you take a transfer to the South of Nusa Lembongan, where the smaller motor boats will drive you to the bigger boats. We can recommend Glory Fast Boat for 300.000 IDR per person. They had good reviews on trip advisor, however we started 45 minutes later than announced. Also, a transfer to your next destination like Sanur or Seminyak was included.
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