6 Awesome Things To do on Nusa Penida

Nusa Penida is the biggest of the three Nusa Islands just off from mainland Bali. Nusa Lembongan and Nusa Ceningan make up the trio of islands, each with uniquely breath-taking landscapes. There are so many awesome things to do on Nusa Penida but let’s get started with the logistics.

How to get to Nusa Penida

From Nusa Lembongan, the boat to Nusa Penida took only 20 minutes and cost $35 USD split between my two friends and I. However, you can make a day trip from mainland Bali to Nusa Penida.

I have now visited Nusa Penida twice. The first time I only came for one day (7 hours) and this was a huge mistake. You definitely need to spend at least 2 days if not 4!! This way you can fully explore all of these cool spots rather than just getting a glimpse at each location.

If you are staying in Bali.. but still want to spend a day or two experiencing how epic Nusa Penida is, you can take a day trip on a speedboat to Nusa Penida and tour around the sights for the day (or stay for the night) with a guide before returning back to Bali in the evening. For just $63 (or even $45 if you are traveling in a group of 6), the top-rated Nusa Penida Day Tour includes hotel pick-up and drop-off from Bali, lunch, boat transfers and your guide.

Nusa Penida Transport

The island is quite big and it can take over an hour to cruise from one side to another depending on where your accommodation is located. The roads are improving very quickly throughout Nusa Penida as tourist traffic increases but if you are a novice scooter driver this is gonna be an interesting journey for you!

A motorbike costs a little bit more than on Bali mainland. We got ours for 70,000 rupiah per day with a full tank of gas. It wasn’t deal of the year but don’t expect to haggle down to 40,000 rupiah like you might manage on the streets of Canggu or Kuta.

6 Awesome Things to do on Nusa Penida

1. Pura Goa Giri Putri Cave

Our first stop was unbelievable! The Pura Goa Giri Putri Cave is perched midway up the mountain, accessible by a steep winding staircase. Before being allowed up the staircase we had to rent a sarong for 50 cents. We dodged a few rogue monkeys before arriving into the middle of prayer. With no idea what he had walked in on we were blessed with some water to the forehead before crawling through a tiny crack in the ground. Over 100 other people joined us down, crawling through the crack.

Once inside, the roof opened up and we were inside a 300m long cave. More prayer was underway but no-one seemed to mind us looking around. I would have loved to yell out and hear the echo in this massive underground temple. Instead, we wandered around, enjoyed the smell of the incense and the eerie atmosphere before crawling out again.

2. Atuh Beach

After the interesting cave experience, we headed to the coast. We drove through a collection of villages waving to the kids as we dodged chickens, dogs, and potholes on the road. The poor road soon turned to a dirt hill so we abandoned the bikes and crossed our fingers we were in the right spot when all of a sudden we spotted an amazing view through the branches.

Atuh Beach is a stunning white sand beach surrounded by the huge cliffs and remarkable rock formations. An arch sits directly out from the shore while several islets string off in the distance.

We explored the shore and the ocean before enjoying a fresh $2 coconut. Air Asia knew what they were doing when they provided these umbrellas to the resorts. I can’t imagine how many Instagram photos have inadvertently advertised the airline.

3. Peguyangan Waterfall

Peguyangan Waterfall is one of my favorite spots on Nusa Penida because it has a mix of everything. Up and down those steep blue stairs is a workout. Then you add in the spectacular coastal cliff views that are the trademark of the island. Finally mix that in with the tradition and culture of the sacred temple and the waterfall, which is a pilgrimage site and you have this awesome blend in one spot!

The hike down takes about 20 minutes, leading you down to the pilgrimage site. The sacred temple is based on the water blessing. I spoke to one of the locals who was going through his ritual. There are three spouts. In order, they must shower underneath each and then use the fourth main spout to finish. This is how they cleanse themselves and receive blessings. I didn’t go under the three smaller spouts but the local guys who were dressed in just a sarong or underwear for the boy invited me to shower under the main spout.

Shrines and trinkets are spread throughout the sacred site, which eventually leads you down to cascading pools. These pools have the purest of water, it looks like bottled water it’s so clear! The rock pools are tiered down until they eventually flow out into the ocean. It’s a really beautiful area and has so many different things going on. As we left there was a ceremony taking place with 20 locals sat on the ground being led through a prayer.

4. Seganing Falls

If you don’t like heights skip this trek. The path is at times less than half a yard in width. On one side is the giant vertical rock wall and on your other side a tiny wooden fence protecting you from a certain death if you were to fall. The fence looked like something you would see on an old farm. Nevertheless, we made the journey down with a self-appointed guide who insisted on joining us. He was incredibly funny despite not speaking any English. At each scenic point, he would throw his hands up and scream wow, motioning to us to take a photo of him.

The trek was incredible, which made up for the waterfall. We were dripping with sweat, my friend Joel had cut up his leg and we were out of energy hoping to find an amazing waterfall running into the ocean. Once at the bottom we were surprised to find a cascade of trickles running down the rock face. It was an anti-climax after the crazy trek down. I would suggest this trek as it was truly one of my favorite things to do on Nusa Penida. However, don’t expect Niagara Falls at the bottom.

5. Kelingking ‘T-Rex’

The Instagram famous coastal cliffscape, which truly does look like a T-rex didn’t disappoint. I still remember the moment I laid eyes on the beach below. It felt like I was a human drone. I watched the crystal clear water slowly form into a wave before crashing below us, in what seemed like slow motion.

We took a short trek down the spine of the T-Rex and took in the epic drop-offs down each side. This is definitely my favorite thing to do on Nusa Penida and is just one of those landscapes that make you feel small. It makes you feel lucky to be in its company, to be able to witness earth’s creation.

Nusa Penida has so many amazing views making it hard to pick a favorite. But when the cliffs form in the shape of a Tyrannosaurus Rex at Kelingking Secret Point Beach it is bound to be a crowd favorite. Kelingking actually translates into English meaning Pinkie a term referencing the smallest finger on the hand. Just like a pinkie promise, the land does also appear to take the form of a Kelingking or pinkie finger. However, it is the comparison to the T-Rex that has caused this location to become so popular.

6. Manta Bay

We hopped on a group snorkel tour from Lembongan with one thing on our minds. We were keen on swimming with giant Manta Rays as is a popular thing to do on Nusa Penida. After initially not being able to locate the Manta Rays our awesome captain found them. We were able to swim and snorkel with the playful Manta Rays for over half an hour.

You can book a tour locally for about $20 USD if you are already on Penida or Lembongan or you can book online before you arrive with Viator by clicking here for the top rated snorkelling tour if you are going to be in Bali. Alternatively, you might prefer to go scuba-diving with the Manta’s, which would be the most magical experience ever.

They were majestic and intimidating. I would dive down as the Manta swam straight at me with its mouth wide open before darting away at the last moment. This was one of the most amazing experiences of my life and it was only the start of the snorkel trip! I made a short video on my GoPro: https://youtu.be/YS0mgMvvmuQ

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