Nusa Lembongan Beach the Dream Beach

Nusa Lembongan is approximately 8 square kilometres in size and is one of three neighbouring islands, the others being much larger Nusa Penida and tiny Nusa Ceningan (also covered by this article). The three islands are separated from Bali by the Badung Strait.

Fast becoming one of Bali's most popular attractions, this island paradise is a world away from the hassle and hectic pace of South Bali. There are no hawkers, no traffic, magnificent scenery and this is the perfect place to put your feet up and relax. Main activities include surfing, diving and snorkeling. Some tourists may find the island a little slow after the pace of southern Bali.

The water is some of the clearest you can find and vivid aqua blue in color. Most areas aroudn the island are good for diving and snorkeling with abundant marine life and live coral. Surfing can get a bit crowded but the waves are good. There are several white sand beaches away from the main centres which are virtually never rarely crowded. There is a flourishing and well established seaweed farming industry here and many visitors find it interesting to learn about this.

There are two main beach areas which have traditionally attracted visitors. Jungut Batu in the north is the bigger of the two with a myriad of hotels, restaurants and cheap eateries and has traditionally attracted backpackers, families and surfers. In more recent times, the hillside to the south of Jungut Batu (the Bukit) has been developed and attracted higher level hotels. The views from the Bukit are second to none on Nusa Lembongan. Sunsets are best viewed along the main Jungut Batu beachfront.

Mushroom Bay to the south-west of Jungut Batu is a quaint, attractive and sheltered bay. It is a nice spot after 3PM when the day trippers have gone home and it has a great white sandy beach along with some cozy little restaurants that line the beach. Further south the lesser known beaches either side of the Devil's Tear outcrop are increasingly drawing more visitors.