Nusa Penida is a stunning island close to Bali in Indonesia. It has dramatic landscapes, rugged cliffs, astonishing views and crystal-clear turquoise waters. From breathtaking viewpoints like Kelingking Beach and Diamond Beach to pristine beaches such as Crystal Bay and Atuh Beach, the island is a paradise for sightseeing and photography. It even has some epic natural formations like Angel’s Billabong. Diving and snorkelling lovers can immerse themselves in the vibrant underwater world, encountering magnificent Giant Manta Rays, tropical fish and colourful coral reefs. The peaceful coastal roads provide serene escapes if you’re looking for some chill vibes. Nusa Penida is an island of natural wonders and untamed beauty and offers an unforgettable experience for every traveler.
Not to mention – it houses some of the most photogenic sights in Bali.
Nusa Penida is also a relatively undeveloped island. You won’t find as many cool beach clubs, organic cafes, or trendy restaurants here, but that is changing rapidly. Within the few visits we paid the island it already developed a lot.
Nusa Penida is part of the Nusa Islands Trio, consisting of Nusa Penida, Nusa Lembongan, and Nusa Ceningan. Each island offers a unique experience and varying levels of accessibility, making them suitable for different types of travelers.
The islands lay between larger brothers Bali and Lombok in Indonesia. The Nusa Trio lays just off the southeast coast of Bali.
In this post we’ll guide you through everything you need to know before exploring Nusa Penida. Read on!
Quick Guide of Nusa Penida
First time on Nusa Penida? We summed up few of Nusa Penida’s bests:
How to get there: Speedboat from Bali to Penida
Best resort: Maua Nusa Penida
Best budget accommodation: Setilas Bungalows or Batang Golden Hills
Best restaurant: Mambo Beach Restaurant and Secret Penida Restaurant
Best coffee: Dharma Coffee Shop and Sunny Cafe Penida
Best beach: Crystal Bay and Kelingking Beach
Best guided tours: Bali/Nusa Penida: East & West Highlights Full-Day Tour or From Bali: Swim with Manta Rays in Nusa Penida
Get a local SIM card. While getting around we relied heavily on Google Maps for directions. We recommend Airalo eSIM, so you’ll have data transfer as soon as you land.
Note! Your mobile phone has to be eSIM compatible to use this option.
How many days should I spend on Nusa Penida?
Depending on what you want to see in Nusa Penida, how you want to see it and how fast you’ll be exploring it, you would need 3-4 days on the island.
But if you only have one day to spare, a day trip to Nusa Penida from Bali is very doable and common to do. You can get to Nusa Penida via a speedboat from Sanur in the morning and come back to Bali in the afternoon. We’ve done this on our first trip to Nusa Penida and were so hyped we decided to come back for a longer stay on our own.
Your best option to seeing the most epic sites in one day is the Ultimate Day Tour Nusa Penida.
You can check many more tours here as well and tailor them to your liking.
How to Get to Nusa Penida?
There are 3 ways to get to Nusa Penida, but we’re showing you the summary first.
The easiest and most common (therefore less room for error) way to get to Nusa Penida is taking a speedboat from Sanur Harbour (Bali) to Toya Pakeh on Nusa Penida.
It’s best to reserve your boat/ferry ticket ahead of time, reasons being:
1) chaos in Sanur Harbor,
2) multiple vendors selling different options for various prices, and
3) availability during peak season.
You can book your speedboat tickets on 12Go for the best price – keep reading.
Cool thing about 12Go is also you can book multi-island tickets (for example we went Sanur – Lombok – Nusa Penida – Nusa Lembongan – Sanur).
how does 12Go work?
You find the desired transfers, all prices visible, and put them in the basket. Upon payout you pay one receipt only. You receive the final receipt on your email. You receive separate tickets on your email for each transfer, with all instructions and separate prices. Super easy to understand and their website is easy to navigate.
The morning is the best time to take the fast boat because the ocean is calmer. Nusa Penida is approximately 45 minutes by fast boat from Sanur. Arrival is to Toya Pakeh Harbor, which is the main harbour in the island.
So, as promised, the two ways breakdown to reach Nusa Penida from Bali.
1) By Speedboat from Sanur (easiest way, mentioned above)
2) By Public Ferry from Padang Bai
We will go through both options below.
Get to Nusa Penida by Speedboat from Sanur
Most operators have a speedboat going out from Sanur to Nusa Penida at limited timings in the morning and a few in the afternoon: 7am – 10am and 2pm – 5pm. They also have boats coming back in the morning and afternoon at around the same time. If you are doing a solo day trip, we’d recommend going to the island as early as possible.
You can book the Nusa Penida Speedboat tickets online through 12Go.
Buying Speedboat Tickets to Nusa Penida at Sanur Beach
You could also buy tickets at Sanur Harbor when you arrive, but it will be chaotic, confusing and in general a lot is going on. When you prepurchase tickets online you know exactly what operator to look for and upon arrival to the harbour you simply ask the locals for your operator’s counter.
The tickets cost the same whether you book online or on spot. If buying on spot you will notice the difference in price depending on your nationality (Indonesians pay less than foreigners).
Getting on the speedboat to Nusa Penida from Sanur Beach
Once you get your tickets, they’ll hand you a lanyard. Depending on the operator you choose you will drop your luggage off too (and collect it again upon arrival to Penida). Just wait nearby on the beach/at the terminal (depending on the operator you choose) until they let you know that the boat has arrived. You then board the boat, either from the pier or by wading through a shallow bit of water (depending on the operator you chose).
Wander Responder tip: Wear flip-flops and shorts.
Regardless of the operator, the speedboat seat layout is mediocre. The seats are packed to maximize the number of passengers so there was barely any legroom between each row of seats.
NOTE! There is no toilet on the speedboat. Use the restrooms at the terminal.
Public Ferry to Nusa Penida from Padang Bai
We haven’t done this yet and there is almost no information about it online, but we have heard there is a public ferry that leaves from Padang Bai, used mostly by locals and can transfer vehicles. The ticket is around Rp 35,000 per person.
This ferry does not have a set schedule, it leaves whenever passengers are waiting, usually from 11am – 1pm.
Nusa Penida port fee: Regardless which port of entry you arrive to, you’ll have to pay the port fee of Nusa Penida upon arrival to the island. It’s Rp 25,000 per person, one time charge (meaning, if you go snorkeling and arrive to the port again, you won’t pay again).
Where to stay in Nusa Penida?
If you have a few days to spare, we recommend staying a night or two. Here are some accommodations you can consider:
- The Pancor Jungle Resort ($)
- Dbelish Village ($)
- Penida Bay Village ($$)
- Penida Bambu Green ($$$)
- Kompyang Cottage ($$$)
Getting around Nusa Penida
There are 3 ways to get around Nusa Penida:
1) Join a Tour. Best option if you’re short on time. It’s also the most convenient way to get around Nusa Penida – you needn’t worry about where to go and how to get there, the tour will take care of that for you. Check the abundance of tours here.
Our recommendation is the Ultimate Nusa Penida tour which covers all the highlights.
2) Hire a car with private driver (on the beach) at Nusa Penida. You can also hire a car or scooter driver to take you around when you get to Nusa Penida. Most drivers on the beach speak English poorly, so it can be difficult to communicate with them if you have a specific plan in mind. However, if you are happy to see the usual highlights of Nusa Penida, then this is a perfectly fine option.
Price for car rental with private driver: estimated 800k (US$50) per day.
Price for scooter rental with private driver: estimated 150k – 200k (US$10) per day.
We’d recommend hiring a car with private driver that speaks English to avoid any misunderstandings. Price is for up to 5 people and includes up to 8 hours of driving around, gas and the driver. They will tell you lots of local stories too!
3) Rent a Scooter. You can rent a scooter right off the harbor, fuss-free. We got it literally within minutes of getting off the boat! Price for rental: Rp 70k – 80k (US$5) a day. We checked the rental shops beforehand on Google and decided for Doel Hadi Rental Scooter – everything was smooth. Helmet is mandatory.
You might also have to top up gas which is going to be very minimal, about Rp 10,000 – 20,000. We recommend topping up your fuel while you are still close to the harbor – there aren’t many petrol sellers as you get deeper into the island.
NOTE! If you decide to rent a bike, you should be comfortable and confident with riding the scooter since numerous roads on Nusa Penida are broken, bumpy, with gravel and holes. Not to mention the ignorant van drivers driving like you’re not even there. There is also an insane amount of traffic near main points of interest.
What apps will be useful in Nusa Penida?
- WhatsApp: most locals use WhatsApp either for calling or making appointments and bookings with tourists. WhatsApp is a free app.
- Maps.me: if you aren’t planning on using local SIM card and data, we’d recommend you download Maps.me. It’s a pretty detailed app in Indonesia and we occasionally found it to have even better mapping of Nusa Penida than Google Maps.
What to bring to Nusa Penida?
Now that we know your options for getting to and around the island, here are things you should prepare for your trip there:
- Local SIM Card – Having a local SIM card is always a good idea. We have tested Airalo electronic SIMs many times so far and it works fantastic in Indonesia, so we are definitely recommending it. You literally have data transfer as soon as your flight lands in Indonesia. Comes handy with all the transfers too (for example, you can order yourself a Grab straight away and probably save on a taxi rip-off). Note! Your mobile phone has to be eSIM compatible to use this option. Get your eSIM here before-hand!
- Cash (in Rupiah) – there are hardly any ATMs or places that take credit cards in Nusa Penida, so you need enough to last the entire time you’re on the island. I would set aside about Rp 150k – 200k per person per day.
- Sun coverage – All the things you need to combat that strong sun in Bali – a hat, sunscreen (at least SPF50!), and sunglasses. If you are on a scooter, wear a thin layer with sleeves that can be removed.
- A thin cotton scarf/sarong wrap – I love this because they are versatile! you can wear it around your neck and shoulder to protect yourself from the sun, but can also double up as something to sit on while you are at the beach.
- Swimwear – once you see how clear the water is in this part of the world, you’d want to jump in. Trust me.
- Suitable Footwear – You need good walking shoes for the treks, but you’d probably want to wear flip-flops while at the beach. So bring both if you can.
What to do in Nusa Penida?
Once you are on the island, it’s time to explore! Nusa Penida is not a big island, but because of the way the roads are built and the condition of the roads, it will still take some time to get from one spot to another.
Check out the 3-day itinerary we’ve made for Nusa Penida.
The main things to see in Nusa Penida are:
– Diamond Beach
– Kelingking Beach
– Rumat Pohon Treehouse
– Tembeling Forest, Pool & Beach
– Broken Beach
– Crystal Bay
– Manta Bay
A click on each of the listed attractions will take you to a separate page with detailed description and tips included. You can also check out the 27 Best Things to do in Nusa Penida. If you’re most interested in active exploring you might like the 10 Epic Hikes on Nusa Penida.
Cost breakdown for a day trip to Nusa Penida on your own
We prepared a small breakdown of costs for a solo day-trip to Nusa Penida in your own organisation. Perhaps this will help you decide whether to come to gorgeous Penida on your own, stay a few days, or join a tour.
| Taxi/Grab to Sanur | Rp 75,000 / car one way, depending on where you’re staying in Bali |
| Round Trip Ferry Ticket to Nusa Penida | Rp 300,000 / person (Rp 150,000 / person if you are Indonesian) |
| Transportation in Nusa Penida | Rp 70,000 – 100,000 / scooter/day OR Rp 500,000 – 700,000 / car |
| Snorkeling Rental | Rp 50,000 / person |
| Lunch | Rp 50,000 / person |
| Water | Rp 25,000 / person |
| Taxi back to the hotel | Rp 75,000 / car one way, depending on where you live |
As you can see from the cost breakdown above, the main cost differentiator is your mode of transportation on Nusa Penida. In general, it’s not that much of a difference, but it saves a lot of nerves around the transportations.
We hope we gave you a good insight into all the topics about Nusa Penida we covered in this blog post. You can check out the other posts about Penida too. If you’re still unsure about planning the whole trip don’t hesitate to contact us, we will gladly help!
