Is Nusa Lembongan Worth Visiting? A Complete Guide!

Is Nusa Lembongan worth visiting?  If you’re looking for a laidback island with beautiful beaches, fun beach clubs, and good restaurants – yes, Nusa Lembongan is absolutely worth visiting.  If you’re more into a nightlife scene or you’re looking for adventure, Nusa Lembongan probably isn’t for you (instead I’d recommend Bali, Lombok, or Gili T).  I spent five days exploring Nusa Lembongan and Nusa Ceningan and every day I fell a little bit more in love.  Unlike Nusa Penida, Nusa Lembongan is very easy to get around on motorbike and it’s small, which means you can easily day trip to Nusa Lembongan from Bali and see a majority of the island.

Below you’ll find out everything you need to know about visiting Lembongan so that you can decide if you think it’s worth the visit!  (Spoiler:  it totally is).

 

If you’re considering visiting the Nusa Islands, don’t miss…

• 8 Things to Do in Nusa Penida
• The Best Nusa Penida 2 Day Itinerary

 

How to Get to Nusa Lembongan

There is not an airport in Nusa Lembongan so the only way to arrive is by boat.  While the most popular route might be Bali to Nusa Lembongan or Nusa Penida to Nusa Lembongan, you can arrive from multiple islands around Indonesia.  I traveled from Gili Air to Nusa Lembongan which was a breeze!

If you’re traveling from Bali, you’ll want to leave from the Sanur port in the east.  You can book ferry tickets here.

Before arriving to Nusa Lembongan, I recommend contacting your hotel to set you up with a taxi driver who will be waiting for you at the port.  However, if you don’t do this there is likely to still be drivers waiting around asking if you need a ride.  Depending on where you’re going on the island, you shouldn’t be paying more than 150 IDR.

 

BOOK YOUR FERRY TO NUSA LEMBONGAN HERE!

 

How to Get Around Nusa Lembongan

Before visiting, one question I had was “can you walk around Nusa Lembongan?”  After all, the island is pretty small at only 3 square miles.  I found the answer to be a bit of both.  You can walk around, but like Bali, the island is not pedestrian friendly.  There are not sidewalks which makes it difficult to walk, but you will see tourists walking to the beach or to the bar, etc.

Aside from walking, there are plenty of taxi’s to take around the island.  If you don’t feel comfortable renting a motorbike, this is also a good option.  The prices for a taxi vary, make sure to ask the price ahead of time so that you’re able to negotiate.

My favorite way to get around the island (perhaps the easiest and most cost effective) was to rent a motorbike.  Rentals on the island cost around 80,000 IDR and unlike Nusa Penida, the roads are bigger and the island isn’t as hilly.  It was so much fun to have the freedom to go wherever I wanted and to see a large majority of the island, and even get to drive over to Nusa Ceningan.  Your hotel should be able to set you up with a motorbike rental, but if they can’t you’ll see signs for rentals all around the island.

 

How Many Days Do You Need in Nusa Lembongan?

As I mentioned earlier, Nusa Lembongan is quite small so you don’t need too much time.  While you can certainly day trip from Bali, I really enjoyed slowing down here which is why I would recommend spending at least one night on the island.  If you do decide to do a day trip from Bali, I recommend leaving the Sanur port as early as possible and taking the latest boat back.  The latest ferry to leave Lembongan is at 1600.

 

Where to Stay in Nusa Lembongan

Where you stay in Nusa Lembongan depends on what kind of experience you’re looking for.  If you want to be near the beach, I recommend booking a hotel near Dream Beach or Mushroom Bay Beach.  If you want to be walking distance from the Main Street in town with tons of bars and restaurants, you want to be near Jl. Jungutbatu street/Jungutbatu Beach.  And, the southern part of the island that faces Nusa Ceningan has particularly beautiful views!  Lastly, I would also recommend the eastern side of Nusa Ceningan.

Here are some hotels I’d recommend…

• Nusa Veranda Sunset Villas
• Aurora Beach View
• Water Blow Huts
• Sunset Coin Lembongan
• Helly’s Secret Garden Cottage

 

BOOK YOUR STAY IN NUSA LEMBONGAN HERE!

 

What is Nusa Lembongan Known for?

Nusa Lembongan is known for its pristine beaches, turquoise blue waters, and more relaxed vibe compared to Bali.  It’s also known as a premiere destination for both snorkeling and diving.

 

For more beautiful islands in Indonesia, don’t miss…

• 10 of the Best Things to Do in Gili Air

 

Things to Do in Nusa Lembongan

For such a small island, there are plenty of relaxing things to do!  Below you’ll find some of my recommendations for ways to spend your time.

 

DINING OUT IN NUSA LEMBONGAN

There are no shortage of places to eat at in Nusa Lembongan.  During the days, I would lazily order food from whatever beach club I happened to be at (they all surprisingly had very good food) but at night I preferred to head to Jungutbatu Street for a variety of different restaurants.  One of my favorites was Curry Traders – a delicious Indian restaurant.  Also, for breakfast or a sweet treat to tie you over, don’t miss Let’s Bake!  Let’s Bake is a French Bakery on Jungutbatu Street.

 

BEACH CLUBS IN NUSA LEMBONGAN

My favorite way to spend my days in Nusa Lembongan was at the beach clubs.  I visited the island for five days and four of those days were spent lounging on lawn chairs, taking a dip in the pool, and drinking cocktails with views of the ocean.  My favorite beach clubs included…

• Sandy Bay Beach Club – This one is located on the west coast of Nusa Lembongan and has a decent size pool looking out at the ocean.  If you sit at a table, there is no minimum spend, but the day beds require a minimum spend of 250 IDR.  Out of every beach club, I would say Sandy Bay had the best food!
• Suku Beach Club – Suku is in the west of Nusa Ceningan and is by far the most stunning beach club I visited.  However, they do require a minimum spend of 250 IDR/person every three hours.  (If you stay longer than 3 hours, you have to spend 250 IDR again).  Suku had a swim up bar so it did feel more like a party scene than the other beach clubs mentioned.
• The Island Ceningan Beach Bar – I randomly stumbled upon The Island in Nusa Ceningan and am so happy that I did!  This place is much more chill and not only does it have a pool, but you can easily get in the ocean from here too.  There is no minimum spend and I would say that this would be your best bet for a sunset spot.  The only downside is that there isn’t a lot of comfortable seating here which would make it hard to stay all day.  I would recommend coming around 4-5 pm to make sure to grab a good spot for sunset!
• Ohana’s – Out of the four beach clubs I visited, Ohana’s would be my last choice.  While it was gorgeous and definitely a vibe, it was also the most crowded beach club I visited.  Because of that and the subpar service, I would be hesitant to recommend it and would really only go if you had limited time and it was near where you were staying.  The minimum spend here is 500 IDR for a day bed.

 

RIDE AROUND THE ISLAND & TO NUSA CENINGAN

Another great way to spend your time on the island is to rent a motorbike and make your way around the island!  I highly recommend crossing the famous yellow bridge that connects Lembongan to Ceningan and also ride check out Ceningan while you’re at it.  In my opinion, the views from Ceningan were the most jaw dropping!

 

Best Beaches in Nusa Lembongan

One negative aspect of this island is that many of the beaches are hard to swim in due to ocean currents.  But don’t let that stop you!  From what I witnessed, the tides changed throughout the day making it easier to swim at some times and not at others.

My favorite beach in Nusa Lembongan was Dream Beach.  It was quiet, a bit more hidden, and felt secluded as small cliffs were on both sides of you.  There are not any beach chairs to rent at Dream Beach but you can pay 50,000 IDR to the hotel near the beach and use their chairs and swimming pool.

Another good beach for swimming is Mushroom Beach.  This beach wasn’t my favorite just because there were tons of boats coming and going but it seems to be more calm making swimming easier.

Lastly, if you head over to Nusa Ceningan, I would highly recommend Secret Point Beach.  Again, there are no beach chairs to sit on but this was the prettiest beach I visited!

 

2-Day Nusa Lembongan Itinerary

If you have two days to slow down, this is how I would spend them!

 

DAY 1

• Arrive by boat – check into hotel
• Head to Dream Beach for a quick dip in the ocean
• Visit Sandy Bay Beach Club for cocktails and dinner

 

DAY 2

• Head for breakfast at Let’s Bake – French Bakery
• Rent a motorbike and drive around the island and around Nusa Ceningan
• Reach Suku Beach Club around 1300 for lunch – stay for your allotted 3 hours
• Visit The Island Ceningan Beach Bar – stay for sunset
• Dinner at Curry Traders

 

Should You Visit Nusa Penida or Nusa Lembongan?

Now for the million dollar question – should you visit Nusa Lembongan or Nusa Penida?  I thoroughly enjoyed both islands (for different reasons) and while the ideal answer is both (I would suggest 3-4 days to visit both islands)… if you don’t have the time, here’s how I would decide.

In my opinion, Nusa Penida is much more impressive in terms of landscapes.  You have incredible beaches here – mainly Kelingking Beach and Diamond Beach.  However, Nusa Penida is incredibly challenging to get around on motorbike and if you’re not an experienced driver you might need to hire a taxi which can be pricey.  If you want something more chill and laidback while also being able to drive around on your own and experience the island, I would recommend Nusa Lembongan.  You should also consider that Nusa Penida is much busier than Nusa Lembongan so if you want more of a “off the beaten path” experience, Nusa Lembongan would be for you.

 

Indonesia Essentials – What You Need & Need to Know About Visiting Indonesia

 

So, is Nusa Lembongan worth visiting?  Without a doubt – yes.  I truly loved this little slice of paradise and hope that you feel inspired to visit!  If you have any questions about getting to the Nusa islands or visiting Lembongan, let me know in a comment below!

 

If you’re planning a trip to Indonesia, don’t miss…

• Everything You Need to Know About Visiting Indonesia
• The Ultimate 10 Day Indonesia Itinerary – Island Hopping Edition
• The Best Packing List for Indonesia

 

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For more information on things to see and do in Nusa Lembongan, make sure to check out my Instagram page/highlight reel by searching “#ppinindonesia” or under my highlights for “Indonesia”; alternatively, head to my TikTok and search for the saved “Indonesia” highlight

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