Nusa Penida, The Hidden Gem of Bali You Should Visit

Bali has several hidden gems scattered around on the island itself and outside of it, and one of them is called Nusa Penida. Nusa Penida is a small separate island located off Bali’s southeast coast. This place is packed with things to see and do if you love to explore and have an adventure. These are the things you should do when you visit Nusa Penida.

Kelingking Beach

The first place you can visit when you are in Nusa Penida is the famous Kelingking Beach or some people also called it T-Rex Beach. Some people, especially locals, called it Kelingking Beach because when you look down, there’s an elongated cliff going to the ocean that looks like a finger. But for some tourists, that long cliff looks more similar to a dinosaur spine and hence the name T-Rex Beach.

The beach itself is so secluded, being covered and protected by the cliff surrounding it. You can just admire the stunning beauty of it, but if you want to go enjoy the beach more than just looking at it, you need to prepare to climb down the cliff. Since not a lot of people dare to do that, you could enjoy the secluded beach just by yourself or your friends, but the climb down is quite dangerous so if you’re not sure with your climbing skills, don’t do it.

Once you’re down there, you can see the gorgeous view of the beach with its magnificent turquoise water. Seeing all that, you might be tempted to swim there, but it is important to know that you are not supposed to do that. While it’s beautiful, the Kelingking Beach is very dangerous to swim since there are constant powerful currents and waves that have swept many tourists out into the sea.

Snorkeling with the Mantas

While it might be disappointing not to be able to enjoy the water on Kelingking Beach, you can enjoy a better experience in Nusa Penida by going snorkeling. But this time, it’s not an ordinary snorkeling, but you can do it with the Manta Rays swimming around you. This is a very recommended activity to do during your tour in bali.

The Manta Rays in Nusa Penida are giants with a wingspan of 5 M. But even though they could look quite scary due to their appearance and size, you don’t need to worry since these Mantas are very gentle and friendly to tourists. Imagine snorkeling where you can enjoy the beautiful underwater views of Nusa Penida while being accompanied by the amazing Manta Rays.

Angel’s Billabong

Another famous spot in Nusa Penida that you should visit is the Angel’s Billabong. It is a natural pool with crystal clear water where you can swim peacefully. But this calm version of the Billabong is not going to be there all the time, only when the tide of low. If the tide is high, the Billabong will show you its more violent side with murky waters after waves after waves crashing into it.

So if you want to visit Angel’s Billabong in Nusa Penida and enjoy swimming there in the clear beautiful water, make sure that you do it while the tide is low. During the day, you can enjoy the calmest version of Angel’s Billabong at 8 AM. If the tide is high, especially during the rainy season, it is not recommended to swim even though the tide seems low enough since it would be unpredictable and violent waves could come at any time.

Peguyangan Waterfalls

Nusa Penida is an island full of beautiful places from nature including waterfalls and one of the best waterfalls on this island is called Peguyangan Waterfall. There are steep blue stairs that will help you to get to the waterfall so it’s pretty safe. During your hike you would see the spectacular views of coastal cliffs which are the small island’s signature.

Once you have arrived downstairs after the hike down, you would be greeted by a Hindu temple with three statues dressed in blue, red and white cloth. After that, you can visit the natural infinity pools, the last one only a few meters above sea level. Since the stones are pretty slippery, be careful when you want to enjoy the water.

Nusa Penida Treehouse

When you plan your Bali tour in Nusa Penida, you should also visit one of the most popular places there currently, which is a treehouse. This treehouse is built near Atuh Beach, perched up on the mountain making the view from inside the treehouse spectacular.

You might think that this treehouse is just a viewing spot built by the locals for tourists, but the neat thing is, it is actually a house where you can rent and sleep in. It must be really great to spend a night in this house with the stunning sea view you can witness.

Broken Beach

The next amazing spot you could visit in Nusa Penida is another beach called Broken Beach. This is an incredible cove of Nusa Penida with the iconic natural archway that wraps around the bay. It is amazing to see an arch so perfect but was made entirely by nature.

When you are standing above the cove, the arch seems to be almost circular, but when it’s on your eye level, it is quite high. While the view of this beach with its iconic arch is tempting, unfortunately there’s no way you can go down and enjoy a refreshing dip since the beach is surrounded by steep formations of rocks and it is impossible to get down safely.

So there you go, several amazing spots you could visit when you decided to go to Nusa Penida, the famous hidden gem of Bali. Compared to Bali, Nusa Penida is still underdeveloped so you might not see proper infrastructures on these tourist spots. So remember to always be careful when you visit these places.