Bali Day 6: Nusa Penida

Again, we awoke from our slumber early in the morning, with the sun barely peaking over the blinds. At 6:00 am, we took a Gojek to the dock, for today was our day to go to Nusa Penida, a beautiful island off Bali. Originally, Bryan and I were planning on going to the Gili Islands, but it would have taken three hours to get there and back, so we decided that it would be more worth it to go to to Nusa Penida, a short one hour speed boat ride away. We got to the dock in thirty minutes, exactly on time. We ran to check in, and were promptly informed we had to run to the other side of the dock to get our tickets. We took off. As we ran, we were assaulted by a myriad of unpleasant smells. An aggressive fishiness snuck up our noses, the smell of day old rubbish chased us from behind, and we barreled forward towards the beautiful scent of the ocean. Once we arrived, we got our tickets all set, and headed toward our boat. What we didn’t know is that there really was no dock, and that you just have to wade out waist deep to even get on the boat itself. Disclaimer: wear water shoes and a bathing suit for this trip.

The boat ride was very pleasant. We watched Bali recede, and felt the wind on our face as we watched islands, volcanoes, and beautiful bays pass us by. BEWARE, the boat owners will try to get you to buy a tour or a driver to drive you around the island. DO NOT DO THIS. It is far more expensive than just going to the island and asking around to get a driver. After talking to our driver, we also found out that the drivers don’t like the boat scam ringleaders, and would much rather just show you around themselves. Another important thing to note is that you do not want to get stuck at the same beaches the tours are at, as it completely ruins the experience. Go the other way first, and I would recommend going to the less accessible beaches on the island as they will be much quieter. If you have the funds, I would suggest renting a boat of some kind to get to the different beaches, because Nusa Penida is a very cliffy island, and by the end of this post, I think you may agree with me that this is best way to explore it.

Upon arrival on the island, we found a driver and set off to some of the touristy spots first, so we could beat the crowds. Our first stop was Kelingking beach. One thing that immediately stood out to me about the island is how undeveloped it is. There are no big buildings, and most people live in small shacks along the one road. It is predominantly forest, with small blips of farmland. It is incredibly beautiful driving through, though it is a bit of a rollercoaster. Once we arrived at Kelingking beach, we hopped out of the car and ran to the.. cliff. The beach was a few thousand feet below. There were a few people taking photos, but it was pretty quiet. The beach itself was completely empty. I wish we would have had the time to hike down to it, it was gorgeous. Apparently it takes about an hour and half to get down there, so if you have the time, I’m sure it would be amazing. Bryan and I, however, did not have time. We were speedrunning the touristy locations.

The next touristy beach we were headed to is called Angel's Billabong, cool name, slightly less cool location when it’s packed with tourists. I did get some very cheap water bottles though. These beaches were beautiful as well, but far more touristy. This is one of those places that would be amazing with a boat, because it is the only way to get to the actual beach itself. At this point, Bryan and I were getting very fed up with looking at all these beaches but them being either too touristy, or too inaccessible.

We decided that for our final stop, we would choose the most inaccessible and far away beach possible to minimize the chances of it being tourist packed, and just commit to making it down to the beach no matter what. For this, we picked Diamond Beach. We drove for nearly an hour and a half to the other side of the island, along dirt roads, and through tiny mountain villages. Somehow Bryan managed to sleep (very impressive on this road).

Around three fourths of the way there, we passed by one of our driver’s friends who had crashed into a tree, so our driver stopped and helped him pull his car out of the ditch it went into, and then talked about how to fix it for around thirty minutes, without a word to Bryan and I. It reminded us of when a group of dads stand around a broken machine all telling the others how to fix it (note the hand on the hip).

After finishing up that little scenario, we were once again on our way. After 20 more minutes of bumping down the “road” we finally arrived. Bryan and I looked up and asked our driver, “where is the beach?” He pointed at the sitting in front of us and said, “down there”. We got out of the car, and went to scope it out. Around a thousand feet below, we could see a gorgeous beach. We asked some people how to get down, and they told us to walk along the cliff until we see a nail hammered into the rock, and to climb down from there. Wait. Climb Down? Yes, you heard that right. There are tiny stairs carved into the side of the mountain, and a rope to hold on to, but other than that, its just the cliffside, you, and then a sheer thousand foot drop. In case you didn’t know, I also have a fear of falling. But I was not about to second guess myself at that point. Bryan and I started down the cliffside. Climbing down that cliff has to be one of the scariest things I have ever done. By the time I was nearing the bottom, I had ditched my shoes for bare feet, and my legs were shaking as I belayed the last 20 feet. Somehow we both made it down with only a few scratches and two ripped shirts from pressing against the cliffside. When we turned around to look at the beach, it all became worth it. It was as if we had been transported into Pirates of the Caribbean. The must stunning, pristine, and empty beach I had ever seen was splayed out in front of us. It was awe-inspiring.

We stayed here and swam for a long time, just taking in the beauty of the beach, and the significance of our accomplishment of reaching it. It was an amazing few hours, but all good things must come to an end. On the way back up, we had both mentally prepared ourselves. I wore no shoes, and began back up, switching between all fours, climbing, and rappelling up. Around halfway up, there was a couple coming down, so I had to let go of the rope so they could pass. I had nothing to cling onto but the cliff wall. This was definitely the scariest part. I felt like a gecko, but with less experience. After an eternity, I finally had the rope back in my hand and I finished my ascent to the top of the cliff. The adrenaline rush after making it to the top was impeccable. I would honestly do it again just for that, and the satisfaction of beating my fears, but again, for the less thrill seeking readers, I would once again suggest a boat to get to the beaches.

After getting back to the car, drenched in sweat, we went to a Warung nearby and got Mi Goreng. Nothing tasted better. After finishing up our meal, we hopped back in the car for the long drive back.

The boat ride back was incredibly calming, and we snuck up to the top, so we got some great photos and were able to feel the sea spray on our faces. After wading back to shore from the boat, we met up with our driver, and headed back to our room to debrief on an amazing day. We decided to head to bed early that night, as we were still very sleep deprived, and we knew the next day we were headed to Bryans home, Singapore!