In order to enjoy the rest of your vacation quietly, especially after having been on a trip around Bali, while discovering an island paradise with its rural charm and a peaceful atmosphere away from the hassle and hectic pace of South Bali, you could go to Nusa Lembongan. As one of the most popular attractions in Bali, it is simply an ideal place to put up your feet and relax. Nothing spoils the magnificent scenery over here; the water is some of the clearest you will find anywhere with a vivid aqua blue color. The main activities include surfing, diving and snorkeling.
Located off the southeast coast of the main island of Bali, just a half hour journey by speedboat, Nusa Lembongan is a beautiful place where you can see the majestic scenery of the mountains and volcanoes that seem to border the southern coast of Bali. Initially discovered by surfing enthusiasts fascinated by the strong waves from Indian Ocean, this island represents a small tropical paradise with exceptional surroundings – clear blue sea waters bordered by small white sandy coves fringed with coconut palms. This is just a fine place for relaxation and marine recreation. Rapidly becoming one of the favorite destinations in Bali, this is a world away from the hustle and bustle of mass tourism in the South Bali. Today there are various marine activities are regularly organized here from Bali mainland - diving, snorkeling, surfing, cruises and others.
Nusa Lembongan is just a tiny island offering unspoiled beaches and coves, majestic views of Mount Agung, unique Balinese architecture, and the friendliness of a simple country folk. Inside part of the land is scrubby and very dry, with volcanic stonewalls and processional avenues crisscrossing the small cactus-covered hills. The total area is about 61.5 km2 inhabited by 5,000 people who are only Hindu Balinese. The inhabitants who are largely open to various touristic infrastructures are not totally dependent on tourism. They know how to keep their life in line with local customs and tradition by pursuing their traditional activities such as fishing, agriculture (corn, cassavas, peanuts, coconuts) and seaweed farming. The later gives most of the people on the island an important source of income. Most of the seaweed crop is exported to Hong Kong, Japan, China, Netherlands and America for use of cosmetics and food processing industries.
Nusa Lembongan hides some interesting features to be noticed. The peaceful pace of daily life, expansive seaweed gardens, sea bottom resembling a large tiled floor with many small boats in the surrounding areas, large ranges of marine sports, the majestic view of Mount Agung in the mainland of Bali, all of which are of special wonders that rest your eyes.
One of the most popular activities here is snorkeling or scuba diving to discover various underwater biodiversities. To be noted that Nusa Lembongan is one of the best dive spots in Bali and Indonesia. Here is a home of more than 250 species of coral reefs and over 550 species of tropical fish including sharks, Manta rays and Mola-Molas. Zones around the coral reefs are particularly preferred for an amazing underwater exploration.
Unless it is too hot during the day, it is interesting to take a walk around the island on foot as it has small surface area and remains quiet along the year. However, for a faster walking tour, you can rent a bike or scooter from your hotel (recommended) to go a bit further to the neighboring island of Nusa Ceningan by a bridge that connects the two islands and enjoy a nice swim in one of its coves.
While in the northeast of the island, near the village of Jungutbatu, there is a very dense well protected Mangrove forest. The visit of this zone which is rich in biodiversity is preferable in canoe and kayak. How to do it ? Once you get in the North of the island, you can easily find a fisherman with his traditional boat ready to take you on excursion in the mangrove with its marshes all the same. However, the best time to get there is in the morning around 7 am because you could see a lot of rare species birds.
It is possible to walk around the island of Nusa Lembongan in a half day, and it's actually a beautiful walk enriched by superb views simply to enjoy the beautiful sites within a couple of hours. It takes over two hours to walk around the island or one hour by bike. It will takes a bit longer if you take the time to visit some interesting places there. Starting from the village of Jungutbatu, you go to the south or right on the main road leading to the picturesque village of Lembongan where you will see a huge Banyan tree and its many temples. From there, go down to the bridge to Nusa Ceningan, you can stop at the underground house built between 1961 and 1976 by the village priest, Made Byasa. And then you turn right to the south at the entrance of Lembongan village, you will find yourself getting to the Dream Beach ... The landscape is simply breathtaking !
