Nusa Lembongan is one part of a trio of Nusa islands (the other being Nusa Ceningan and Nusa Penida), just a 45 minute boat ride off the eastern coast of Bali. Here you’ll find a more relaxed side of Bali, away from the clubbing of Kuta, the foodies and fashionistas of Seminyak or the surfers of Canggu. A true island life where wearing shoes is optional (but gross, please wear shoes), you’ll know everyone on the island within a week and people live for the ocean. Although only 10km in diameter, there’s plenty to do on Nusa Lembongan, and it’s easy to get to the neighbouring islands if you so desire. Here’s my top 10 choices of the epic things to do on Nusa Lembongan.

Diving (or snorkelling)

Hands up if you knew this was going to be my first choice?! By far the most amazing place I’ve dived so far, Nusa Lembongan and the Nusa Islands are a real treat. You can try out diving, learn to dive, upgrade your certification or become a professional here. You can even do a conservation course! Everything goes. There’s plenty of dive sites to be explored, so many different species of fish to see, and if you’re really lucky you’ll see something bigger. I was lucky enough to see a hammerhead shark, a thresher shark, mola mola and heaps of manta rays. Of course this is just an excuse for me to share more of the underwater pictures I took while I was there!

Beaches

Beaches galore! If sitting back, relaxing, and soaking up some vitamin D is more your thing, there are plenty of beaches to choose from. There is of course the long stretch of Jungatbatu beach, where you’ll find copious bars to lounge at, but also a lot of smaller beaches like secret beach, dream beach and mushroom bay, where you can get your fill of sand and sunshine.

Explore

Pop on a scooter or jump in a car and check out all the beauty of Nusa Lembongan. Here are some of my favourite spots;

Mangroves – at the top end of Nusa Lembongan you’ll find a stretch of Mangroves which is amazing to fly the drone over.

Devil’s Tears – a popular spot for day trippers, head there either early in the morning or late in the arvo to beat the crowds.

Blue Lagoon – the perfect spot to watch the waves crash in on Nusa Ceningan.

Yellow Bridge – the iconic bridge which connects Nusa Lembongan and Nusa Ceningan, not a site to be missed.

Seaweed Farm – Not really farmed anymore, you can wade through the shallow waters during low tide.

Mahana Point – an amazing spot for a sunset beverage, a spot of surfing or lunch with views for days!

Secret Beach – not so secret these days, you can find it on Google Maps easy enough.

Bar Hop

There are some sweet places to have a cheeky beverage here. Here is my bar hop itinerary.

Mahana Point – a good starting point if you’re staying on Nusa Lembongan or a good finish point if you prefer to end with a sunset!

Sea Breeze – swings and hammocks for days! Have you even been to Bali if you haven’t got a swing on the beach picture?

Devils Tears – plenty of vendors selling Bintangs here. Grab one and watch the waves crash in.

Blue Corner – bean bags, beach and pool hangs. Add a vodka to your juice or grab a bucket of beers.

Agung Beach Club – Up near the mangroves, this is a special spot to see – all the furniture is made out of driftwood.

Nusa Penida

Jump on a ferry, book a tour or just Do it Yourself! Penida is a huge island, so plan accordingly. It has it’s very own blog post here!

Surfing

There are so many surf spots on the Lembongan and Ceningan Islands. The popular ones are found along Jungatbatu beach – namely Playgrounds, Lacerations and Shipwreck. Another placed I enjoyed watching the surfers was Mahana Point. While they surfed, I had a radler! Haha. Not being a very proficient surfer myself I opted for some lessons. The small waves and reasonably shallow water means a not-so-confronting experience. I used Thabu Surf Lessons, and had a bloody fantastic morning. Crazy sore the next day though!

Volunteer

If you’re a dog lover like me, Paws of Lembongan can always used a hand or a dollar from willing participants. I wrote a whole blog post about my experience here.

Yoga

Now I didn’t do any yoga, but it sure is popular here. My brain is too busy for yoga… I end up getting bored.

Eat

Food food food. 2 months on Lembongan and I didn’t get sick of rice. There are options here people! Here are some of my favourites…

Nida’s – Affectionally called Fat Dogs (due to the ridiculously fat dog that lived there), here you’ll find some of the best local food on the island for an insanely low price.

Siki Grill and Bar – A nice place to visit if you’re sick of rice and need a bit of western food. Still a decent price too!

Oishii’s – oh good lord, the most delicious sushi I’ve eaten in ages. A bit more pricey than most places, but totally worth it. You’ll need to book in if you want dinner here. Lunch isn’t so busy.

Warung Bu Candra – also known as Pink House, this place made the best Nasi Gorang and Mie Gorang on the island, no exceptions.

Warung Bu Edy – locally called White House, which makes it a great deal easier to find, there’s abundant local food here… but I can’t promise the cleanliness. Super tasty though!

Ginger and Jamu – get your health kick here. Super amazing for breakfast lunch or dinner, but be prepared to pay for it.

Nothing at all

You’re here to relax. Take a load of and sit by the pool. Laze about and watch the sun set. No judgement here.

Matt and I stayed the first month at Bungalow No 7 and the second at Puri Kirana. Both were nice places to stay, but I much preferred Puri Kirana. You can find more fancy places, or something backpacker style – something for all budgets here.