Are you looking for a perfect destination to spend your holidays this year? A place where you can see the sun shining, waves washing to the shore, golden sandy beaches that stretch for miles and miles, tropical plants, exotic animals, friendly people and their beautiful cultures? Do you love scuba diving or snorkeling? Or do you want to snap the best shots of your OOTD for your instagram with the most stunning landscapes in the background? Look no more because Nusa Penida - an island just about one and a half hour boat ride from Bali (Indonesia) - can offer you just that.

Bali has been a hot spot for holiday-makers for years and its popularity has yet to simmer down. There are countless reasons why Bali is such a paradise for tourists. Some examples that first came to my mind are beautiful sceneries, exciting cultures (especially in Ubud, where every corner of the town breathes the word culture in its literal sense), delicious food (offered at very reasonable prices), and great service. On the down side, the crowds in its most visited towns - Kuta and Ubud - can be really suffocating at times. Hardly a day goes by in Kuta without vehicles getting stuck in traffic jams. It is very likely for you to get swindled by some greedy taxi drivers in Ubud center. Nusa Penida has everything Bali has to offer, minus the annoying bits.

As Nusa Penida is still a smaller island, the service there may not be as great. There are not many local restaurants, just the right number of places to satisfy hungry tourists’ appetite. I highly recommend “The Krusty Krab” - a great restaurant where you can taste great food and enjoy a great time. The owner is very friendly and an avid fan of SpongeBob Squarepants, which inspired him to decorate the interior and exterior of his restaurant. I am so in love with the fact that Nusa Penida is still not overly commercialized. The nature is well reserved and the island is not too crowded. The biggest (and possibly the only) flaw of this coastal paradise is that no cellular network is available on the island (fortunately, the hostels, bungalows, and hotels there DO have wifi, phew!). However, Nusa Penida is arguably one of the few places on earth that you will never regret visiting. So, let me tell you how to get to this beautiful island and how to explore its top attractions.

Suggested Itinerary

Small as Nusa Penida is, it is best to spend at least three days and two nights there so that you can have enough time complete a tour around the island.

This itinerary is best for those who can ride scooters, but it is also possible to hire a car to travel around the island.

Photos by Vân Trương.