Located on the southeast of Bali Island in Indonesia, Penida Island (or as locals call it Nusa [i.e. island] Penida) is turning into a major tourist attraction in the Southeast Asian country. Penida is the biggest of a trio island close to each other that each has its own amazing natural beauties.
They are fast boats designated for transferring tourists from mainland Bali to Nusa Penida. This trip takes some 40 minutes before you can catch a view of the greenery of the island.
As soon as arriving at the port, you can hire a driver or a scooter, if the trip is not organized by tour agencies. The point is if you are not accustomed to left-hand traffic, driving in the narrow roads of the island can be a bit dangerous.
Road construction machinery can be found almost everywhere as authorities are ramping up efforts to further develop the island’s infrastructure and prepare it for hosting more tourists in the coming years.
There are a lot of things to do and see on the island and you can find out about them with a quick googling. For a person who has just spent some seven hours on the island, I can assure that this is not enough for truly enjoying and knowing the place. There are plenty of amazing beaches to visit and I suppose a three-day stay could be enough to make unforgettable memories.
Here are the three beaches that we visited.
Kelingking Beach
It is definitely the most famous beach on the island and a must-see site. Getting a glimpse of the jaw-dropping T-Rex shaped cliff side will immerse you in its beauty and grandeur while at the same time taking you back to the time of creation. Those powerful in imagination can surely envision the time of dinosaurs in the place. There is a path that leads you down from up on the cliff to the beach. It takes one hour to go down and it is better to wear appropriate shoes as the path is not smooth.
Broken Beach
This is one of the Instagram-famous sites for selfies and certainly a must-see. An eye-catching arch allowing ocean into a natural bowl impresses all who get the first glimpse. Visitors can take a panoramic walk all the way around Broken Beach to inspect different viewpoints and takes shots that cannot be taken anywhere else.
Visitor’s comments
Thanks to the internet, there are lots of information and comments about different tourist sites from both experts and from daily tourists. Here are two among thousands of comments about Nusa Penida that are worth reading:
“Nusa Penida is one of those places overlooked by some tourists. A lot of people short-change themselves by taking a "one-day" tour of the island then complain about only having 10 minutes in each spot crowded with tourists. This is what happens if you day-trip it however if you stay for a couple of nights, you can see these spots before the tourists arrive and enjoy your time there. Penida is a very large island and it takes a while to get around so it is well worth spending at least two nights on the island - 3 is more ideal.”
"We spent 4 days here and it wasn't nearly enough. We definitely want to come back and spend at least a week exploring the beaches, dive sites and inland hills. Bali is enchanting, Nusa Penida is a pearl."
Reporting by Mohammad Ali Haqshenas