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Nusa Penida
After we spent three days Ubud, we took a fast boat to the neighbouring island, Nusa Penisa. Compared to Bali, the island is less developed and many tourists visit it in a one-day trip. We decided to experience the rural part of Indonesia and booked two nights at Sunrise Penida Hill. The villa is situated on top of a hill and offers amazing views!
The harbour in Nusa Penida
A volcano from Bali, seen from the car
Our villa
In Nusa Penisa, there are two things I didn’t quite like. The first one is that all tourist attractions are far from each other, and the roads are in a bad shape – I don’t recommend to rent motorbikes. Another minus is that there’s not much to do in the evening. We couldn’t find a place with restaurants, bars, so we spent our evenings at the villa, swimming in the pool or singing karaoke with the neighbors.
On the first day in Nusa Penida, our driver took us to Kelingking beach, the most iconic place on the island. Kelingking became so famous because the main cliff coming out the water looks like a T-Rex. More than this, the view is absolutely amazing and down there, there’s a beautiful sandy beach framed by towering, steep cliffs and turquoise water. The secluded beach itself is down a rugged 400 meters cliff-side. It can take even one hour to get to it and the descent can be pretty dangerous. We decided to skip the beach and head to the next sight.
Our next stop was at Broken Beach and Angel’s Billabong, two places famous for the spectacular views. Here you can see how beautifully and dramatically the nature shaped the coast of Nusa Penida.
Last stop we did was at Crystal Bay. The beach is large, with long chairs and places where you can eat, but the water was very cold. Still, this beach is perfect for watching the sunset while drinking a cold beer.
The next day, we visited Diamond Beach, one of the most beautiful beaches I’ve even seen! In Nusa Penida, there are many view points from where you can admire the cliffs, the beaches, but most of them are inaccessible. This was exactly the situation at Diamond Beach until late 2018 when stairs were carved into a side of the cliff. Make sure you are comfortable going down that stairway, it’s quite dangerous and slippery. But the views are totally worth it and the beach is amazing!
Seminyak
We decided to end our vacation on the beach and relax after so many sightseeing and trips. We had to choose between Kuta, Canggu, Jimbaran, Seminyak and the last one was the winner! Seminyak is Bali’s most stylish and upscale beach resort area, with restaurants, bars, shops, places with live music, a long beach and perfect conditions for surfing. It was exactly what we needed for the end of the trip.
Live concert at our hotel
Seminyak beach
On Sunday, the beach was full with Balinese people. It is a tradition to go to the beach, do a barbecue, play volleyball or football together.
Potato Head Beach Club, Kuta
We couldn’t leave Bali without going to a beach club. We chose to go to Potato Head which is built in an amazing location, right next to the ocean. It has a large infinity pool, with another swim-in pool bar. It is a place where art meets fun. The design, the accessories, the menu are all artsy. During the day, they have lounge music, but they also throw parties after sunsets. There’s no entrance fee. The food is amazing and the service as well! Totally worth it!
La Favela, Seminyak
You can’t travel all the way to Bali without enjoying a party or two. The most renowned club in Seminyak is La Favela. The interior is very cool, inspired by the jungles of Indonesia and was designed to captivate. The rooms have a intimate, vintage design and heavily decorated walls. The place is completely magical, but the prices are quite high – one cocktails starts from 10 euro. We were lucky enough to run into a famous tennis player from Australia, Thanisi Kokkinakis.
Old Man’s, Canggu
We heard many things about the parties at Old Man’s in Canggu, so decided to give them a try. Until midnight, the party take place in a large open-space bar, and then the party and the crowds move to the beach. We had a night to remember!
All places have their own beauty and uniqueness, but it’s always the people who make a place nicer, cooler, friendlier. And the Balinese are simply AMAZING! So kind, friendly, curious and welcoming. Thank you for showing us what happiness looks like!
We made some friends
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