Two Days on Nusa Penida Island
Swimming with manta rays, hiking to waterfalls, and exploring temples, Nusa Penida is calling you to come and adventure.
Written by Gracie Rounds
Introduction
In comparison to some of the other locations we have guides for in Indoneisa, we honestly would recommend you only spend a couple full days on Nusa Penida. It is an island that is worth visiting to be sure, but spending more than a few days here will leave you searching for more to do that isn’t really there.
This island is comparitively quite underdeveloped, so this won’t be your spot for an upscale vacation. But, there are lots of little adventures to get yourself into that make the visit undeniably worthwhile, especially if you have alotted a good amount of time to exploring Indonesia.
Based on the stay of my sister, solo world-traveler Callie Rounds, this guide will give you the perfect two day itinerary on Nusa Penida.
Day 1 (Arrival Day)
Upon arrival on Nusa Penida, you will want to check in and drop your bags at the Tropical Glamping hotel. This is definitely the best place to stay on the island, and includes an iconic net deck over the ocean for epic photos. You can also sort options for transportation from place to place here.
If you have time in the afternoon you’ll want to head to Kelingking Beach. This is a popular spot to visit but is an amazing afternoon/evening spot to enjoy sunset at. It’s about an hour drive from Tropical Glamping so make sure you have the time. It is a steep, rocky trail to get down to the beach that could really be considered rock climbing, but the views are entirely worth it.
After an adventurous first activity on the island, you will have probably worked up an appeite. On the way back from Kelingking stop at Warung NG. This will be an amazing first dinner with local cuisine to fill you up before heading back to Tropical Glamping for a restful evening.
Day 2
Day 2 on Nusa Penida is going to start off with an adventure to waterfalls and temples. After a hopefully restful nights sleep you’ll have the energy to tackle the days adventures.
Guyangan Waterfall will be where you head to first. This is about a 45 minute drive from the hotel. Make sure you bring proper attire as this is a trail that follows steep stairs down the side of a cliff. At the bottom there are caves filled with water that you can swim in, and a small temple that you can explore.
Your afternoon will be best spent relaxing Diamond Beach. This will be right next to your hotel and can be a pretty touristy spot but is still worth it. This is also a really special spot for sunrise if you get the time.
Your evening will finish by visiting the Teletubbies Hill, also very close to Tropical Glamping. Best in the rainy season, this is a great sunset spot and is a really good spot to fly a drone if you are into that!
Day 3
In the morning if you’re up for another hike you will love hiking from Crystal Bay to Broken Beach. The latter will have a arched rock formation in the cove you will arrive at, and is absolutely stunning.
Post hike, you will not want to miss diving with the manta rays on your last day. This is a typical tourist attraction but you just have to do it. There are many different options that you can book online after a quick google search.
While you’re already doing water activities and if you have extra energy, you could also add on some extra snorkeling around the island. The sea life here is really vibrant, just ask some locals or people at Tropical Glamping where is best to go.
Day 4
Sadly you will be leaving on this day, but this short trip will have left you satisfied that you did everything you wanted to do on the island.
If you have a later flight and checkout, in the morning you could head to Manta Cliff to overlook the manta rays in the water below if you aren’t manta-rayed out from the day before.