Snorkelling with manta rays in Bali's Nusa Islands
Nusa Penida
We just got back to our villa in Ubud yesterday after nearly a week of legitimate bliss. The Nusa Islands are every single bit as spectacular as everyone says they are (if not more so). We kicked off our week in paradise by spending four days on Nusa Penida (i.e. the biggest of the three Nusa Islands off Bali's mainland). We did pretty minimal research, to be honest, however it is pretty clear the second you start to do research at all that Penida is the biggest of the three islands. The boat over was super easy, thanks to Blondy and the guy that shuttled us all to the boat dock. It is a beautiful boat ride out. The boat first stops at Lembongan and then off to Penida so we were the second stop.
Let me tell you something...I have never seen water as crystal clear as when we got to Lembongan. I was literally grinning like a weirdo and nearly jumping up and down in my seat, I was so excited. Penida is unreal. I just don't even know how to explain it. I was a little concerned we wouldn't find a scooter (we prefer scooters to taxis for a few reasons whenever and wherever possible) but literally the second we got off the boat and walked onto the beach, a guy came up to us and gave us a crazy cheap price (around $15 AUD for the four days), so off we went with our little backpacks (again, thank goodness we have learned how to pack lightly!). We got on our scooter, filled it up to the top, and put in the directions to our little bungalow. We stayed in a bungalow literally off the same "Insta famous" palm road that leads you to Crystal Bay Beach.
So, we pulled up, saw some cute dogs (already one of the things I love most about Indonesia is all the beautiful little pups and cats everywhere), and had a swim and some food before going to sleep. We got there a little late by the time we found our bungalow because we took the afternoon boat over (our fault for not booking well ahead, thank goodness Blondy could even get us over there with so little notice!). So, if you want the full day when you get there, take the morning boat over. The beaches on Penida are just unbelievable. We got up the next morning to scooter a little over half an hour to Kelingking Beach. In case you don't know it by name, Kelingking is that famous beach that is nicknamed "T-Rex" (you can see the shape in the pictures....Kelingking itself is the head and then the body and tail wrap around to the right off that main cliff drop).
'Wanderer, there is no road - only wakes upon the sea.'
Antonio Machado, Campos de Castilla
We were very chill about how we approached Kelingking. I cannot stress enough that if you are going to tackle this spot, you need to understand that it is a literal hike down a rapidly steep incline, you ned to go prepared, and you need to have water with you (also sunscreen and a hat...the Indonesian sun is brutal so slip, slop, slap, and all that). We went in midday, I was wearing a dress, we both wore thongs, and stupidly we did not buy water before we went down. I got legitimate heat stroke and thought I wasn't going to make it back up...before we even got to the bottom. So, a kind tourist gave me some water from his water bottle and we had to go back up. It only gets steeper the further you go down. Lesson learnt. We will smash it next time! (its a good reason to go back, right?). Even so, we got quite far down and it was still a beautiful day with some wildly gorgeous views.
We got back up a little before the sun was going down and bought a massive water bottle, chugged most of it, bought another, and started to make our way back to our scooter at the top of the cliffs. While we were buying water and snacks, a guy came over and asked if we had snorkelled the islands yet or seen the manta rays. This was one of the big bucket list ticks that we wanted to do while here however we were trying to be smart and book on the ground (a risk but it can be soo much cheaper doing it this way rather than through a website before you go on your trip). I said that we hadn't and he got our WhatsApp, gave us a slip with tour information and an address, and told us to meet him early the next morning to go out with his company.
No joke, we got a full day snorkelling and swimming tour around the Nusa Islands, complete with manta ray swimming, for $20 AUD each. For comparison, websites quoted anywhere from $70-$120 AUD per person for the same trip. Of course, you can get ripped off this way but we felt confident in all the information he had given us and all the contact info and I checked the company's name out on my phone as we were walking to our scooter. It all looked legit and if it wasn't, we just lost $20 each. On our way away from the cliffs, the sun was starting to set, so we took the scooter down a little path and watched the sunset over Kelingking from the left side of the main cliff area, away from the crowds. I will never forget that sunset. It was perfect yellows and bright oranges over the T-Rex...we were finally here, and it was just us soaking in that perfect view.
We got back to our bungalow, ate a delicious dinner, and went to sleep for the next day's adventures. The next morning we woke up, drank some water, got some fresh fruit, and took the scooter out towards the meeting point. At first, it was a little tricky to find and we did start to worry that we had been ripped off because no one was answering our WhatsApp calls, but finally we got a response and realised we were right where we need to be...just not far enough up the beach. So we got the right size snorkel gear and we all got into the Indonesian fishing boat and off we went! We went to a few spots, all of which had insanely clear water. The fish were so brightly coloured and friendly and it just felt like an entirely different world. And then the main event...Manta Bay.
Here's the thing...Manta Bay was wild (no, seriously, Manta Bay is wild). The boats literally pull up to a cliff section where the waves are crashing against the cliffs, there is some trash floating around, and these giant shadows swimming around...the driver of our boat stood at the back, yelled "Manta! Now!" and you just jump in. We loved it (apart from the trash...honestly I do think that the area is overused and it shows), but I do need to stress that if you are not a strong swimmer, then you should sit this one out. Others were struggling through the water. I saw two mantas and Josh saw one. Sharing the water with these giant rays is something I will never forget...I just wish it was in less of a damaged environment (to say the least). From the stunning turquoise waters to the beautiful wildlife under the ocean's surface, this tour was worth every single cent.
After an incredible day out on the water, we went back to Crystal Bay Beach and watched the sunset with some beers and chips. What. A. Sunset. On our way back that very day, we got caught in the start of the afternoon storm. It came on quickly and it was brutal. As we were literally going down a steep road into the valley where the bungalow and Crystal Bay Beach is, the scooter in front of us slid out on the road and the poor couple on it kind of slid across with the scooter. Thankfully, no one hit them coming either way and a guy behind us was a doctor. The woman was hurt more than the man, neither of them had helmets...it was a mess. A taxi coming in the opposite direction stopped, picked them up, and took them to the hospital. They left the scooter there. It was a shock and a really good reminder to never forget our helmets (please, if you ever opt to hire a scooter, wear your damn helmet).
The next morning, our forth day meant that it was time to go to the next island. We wanted to see Atuh Beach, Peguyangan waterfall, Angels billalong, Thousand Island viewpoint, Nusa Penida treehouse, Diamond Beach (we actually did try to go to Diamond Beach at one point, but a storm rolled over and we - rightfully, as it turned out - thought the island's roads might flood out or get too dangerous if we persisted and got quite literally caught in the rain) and some other places on the island but it was time to drop our scooter off and take the boat over to Ceningan.
Nusa Ceningan
When we got to Ceningan, we were going to be able to easily travel between this, island and Nusa Lembongan. The two smaller Nusa islands are connected by a bright yellow bridge (called Jembatan Kuning) that is literally the width of a scooter at most. This means that most of the travel on the two little islands (apart from some locals) is by scooter or by foot. We got off the boat next to Jembatan Kuning and got a taxi to our accommodation's beach. We walked to our oceanside bungalow which was a nice walk along the little beach. Our first thoughts: this place is so special. We stayed in a little bungalow with a beautiful view of the beach just a few metres away from the pool. I was so excited for the sunsets.
Scooter hire was even easier on this island than it was on Penida, if that was even possible. Our Airbnb host family had scooters for hire, so that was crazy easy too. So, we got our scooter, we locked our bungalow with the little backpacks we bought with us to the islands, we off we went to explore. We had three days on Ceningan, so we wanted to make the most of them. That first day, we went to see the blue lagoon. The clouds came over on our way over, however even when it was overcast, the icy blues were so intense. It was wildly beautiful. We then made our way to some little beachside bars to spend the afternoon having drinks and relaxing on the hammocks and swings that were laid out over the shallows. This is paradise.
Nusa Lembongan
That second day, we scootered over Jembatan Kuning (it was a lot sunnier this day and so the bridge was even brighter than we remembered from the day before) and decided to explore Lembongan. We went to see Dream Beach. We pulled up, parked the scooter, and had lunch overlooking the beautiful beach. Afterwards, we walked down and saw all the washed up coral and shells. The water was beautiful here too. This is also where Devil's Tear is. So, we walked over and watched the waves crash against the cliffs. Look, you can jump off the cliffs into the water here, but we watched the ocean crash into those rocky cliffs and I do not have a death wish, so...maybe if it wasn't such a choppy day? Anyway, we took it all in and then we got on our scooter to find somewhere down a random road (we love to do this...tourist spots are great to see but we both love to have experiences that are not surrounded by many, if any, other individuals).
We eventually found a little road and took it and found an even prettier cliff section and get this...no one else around. We stayed here for longer than we did at Devil's Tear and just soaked it all in. I wish I even knew what that cliff section was called (if it even has an "official" name), but I don't. So, just take it from me...just explore. This doesn't just go for the Nusa Islands. It goes for everywhere...explore, see all the tourist spots, but go off the beaten path just as often (maybe even more often). Just be smart and you will not regret it. We got back to our bungalow after a full day of exploring Lembongan and we had dinner at a great little cafe a few hundred metres away from our bungalow. This little puppy followed us the entire day and he found us again at dinner...I was in heaven (if you haven't already figured it out, I love dogs).
That last day was pretty chill. We just drove the scooter around the two little islands, taking it wherever there was a road or path that would allow the scooter. Crystal clear blue and turquoise waters, lush green hills overlooking the ocean, kind locals, cute animals, and great food and experiences...what more could you possibly want from a tropical island getaway? Honestly, we could have spent even more time on these little islands, however as always, it is a great reason to go back and we definitely ticked off some experiences and sights we wanted to get to and we struck the perfect balance over this entire week. The Nusa Islands are like Bali...but twenty years ago. Less pollution, less tourists (not that tourists are a bad thing, obviously), and more privacy to enjoy the islands in a more "off the grid" way than is generally possible in Bali. We are back in the rice fields of Ubud and ready to smash out a great month. This was exactly the break that we needed to refresh and reset.
