Nusa Penida - RAW

It's one word that describes Nusa Penida perfectly.

Unlike Lembongan and Ceningan, Penida is a gigantic island and tourism hasn't really taken off like Lembongan and Ceningan. Roads are still being constructed when we were there ('17) but it gives you such an authentic experience of the island, you'll probably fall in love with it.

Driving around on your motorbike comes with a lot of danger. So if you aren't an experienced driver you should arrange a private driver for yourself. I drove around in Bali, Java, Lombok and a whole bunch of other places but Penida is a challenge and that's putting it mildly. Yes, we fell too on our motorbike and sadly my girlfriend had the biggest scratch.

So LOOK OUT and be CAREFULL is the first thing you should think about.

What to do?

If you've read my previous blogposts this will sound like I'm on repeat but it's the truth.

Rent a motorbike and take off, go discover! You will find yourself all alone on the roads, going up and down, looking into valleys of palmtrees and a gazillion view points to take breathtaking pictures.

You should make it a habit to stop wherever you think it might be beautiful or cool, because before you've noticed a wonderful picture opportunity was lost:

Nusa Penida offers stunning landscapes so let's start counting them down:

Keling King Beach

Do you know the feeling? Seeing pictures on Social Media, thinking it's beautiful, only to visit the place and being left underwhelmed because Photoshop nowadays makes everything look too beautiful?

Well, Keling King Beach doesn't fall into that category. Stepping up to the viewpoint is one of the coolest things I've done in my life. It's even more amazing in real life. The force of nature can be felt here. From the wind that crashes into you to the sounds of the waves hitting the shore.

And then it's time to make the descend to the beach. Which is probably the adventure of a lifetime. Make sure to wear shoes (I did it in flipflops :D), wear a hat and pack enough water!

If you're in Bali, make sure to visit this spot!

Angel's Billabong

Warning! The road you have to take to get to this point is dangerous as fook. So if you're not an experienced driver, make sure to arrange a private driver to this place.

If you're heading to Angel's Billabong, you get Broken Beach for free because it's just a five minute walk.

Try to look up if it's a sunny day or not when you're planning your Angel's Billabong visit. We had quite a grey and windy day so the view wasn't as spectacular as another day. Angel's Billabong is not an easy walk down. Make sure to wear good shoes to climb down to the water. Mind your photography stuff because when we were there, two camera's fell down in the water!

Broken Beach

This isn't that spectacular, but if you're in Angel's Billabong you might wanna take a five minute walk over here. You can see, if the lighting isn't right, it's not a great picture.

This picture has been photoshopped so much on Social Media that coming here and taking in the view is probably a disappointment.

Crystal Bay

You need to have a crystal clear day here to fully enjoy the view. Actually, the best view you can have on Crystal Bay is from a boat looking at the beach with all the palmtrees behind the sand. Another good tip is to drive on down to Crystal Bay to enjoy the sunset. Make sure you leave quite early or the road back is going to be dark and unsafe.

Peguyangan Waterfall

We didn't make it to Peguyangan Waterfall during our trip because it's located in the Eastern part of Nusa Penida, which is a long drive. Expect rough shores, steep climbs and unbelievable nature. Eastern Nusa Penida is still left undiscovered for me and it would be reason number one to return to Bali and the Nusa's!

If you'd like other tips or have any questions make sure to drop'em in the comments!

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