Maua Nusa Penida

Worth getting out of bed for

Remote Nusa Penida may be, but that doesn’t mean it wants for things to do. Indeed, for the keen scuba diver, the happy snapper and the nature-loving adventurer this island is something of a hidden treasure. Heck, if you came here seeking a holistic hideaway you needn’t even leave the resort, thanks to dawn and dusk yoga classes and aqua stretching sessions hosted in your own private plunge pool.

Seagrass beds and colourful coral reefs that teem with manta rays, sea turtles and rainbows of tropical fish make for some of Indonesia’s finest snorkelling and scuba sites. Lucky divers might even come face to enormous face with a showstopping ocean sunfish or two. You can’t miss them, really: they’re about 20 times the size you are. Manta Point and nearby Crystal Bay are two of the best spots. Or take a boat trip over to the aptly named Blue Lagoon at neighbouring Nusa Ceningan.

You are of course spoiled for choice here when it comes to palm-fringed white sands and crystal clear waters. Budding photographers will love Broken Beach for its distinctive arch, circular cove scooped out of the cliffs and turquoise waters that, inaccessible to humans, are a playground for manta rays. Prefer your coves a little more… swimmable? Head to Tembeling Beach where, beneath forest-fringed cliffs, lies a huge sea cave with a waterfall and natural pools. Intrepid adventurers will need to channel their inner Indiana Jones or Lara Croft to reach it though – it’s located at the bottom of a somewhat hair-raising cliffside dirt track.

With its signature T-rex-shaped outcrop, Kelingking Beach is one of the island’s most visited (and photographed) attractions. Trek along the top of the beast’s head, from where you can take the vertigo-inducing stairway down to the pristine beach below. Nearby Paluang Cliff affords excellent t-rex views minus the crowds. There’s also a Hindu shrine up here, commonly known as the Car Temple due to two monolithic stone sculptures that appear to have been modelled on the vehicles from Wacky Races.

For a more traditional but no less religious experience, head out east for a hike up to Goa Giri Putri Temple. You’ll find it up a steep staircase and through a hole in the mountainside, where worshippers gather for Hindu ceremonies inside a huge natural limestone cave.

Local restaurants

The Chill Penida is as laid back as the name suggests, with a pool, beachfront sea views and a cocktail list that makes the most of Indonesia’s fruity bounty. Swig a punchy passion fruit margarita or smooth coco-lime daiquiri before dining on a wide variety of international classics that includes pizzas, burgers and tacos as well as stacks of plant-based dishes. We’re going for the grilled watermelon salad and steamed fish with umami tauco sauce and Balinese sambal.

Perched high in the cliffs, Green Kubu Penida is as much about the views and infinity pool as the authentic Indonesian cuisine. Pair a dip overlooking the Nusa islands with great platefuls of local seafood: catch of the day drenched in zingy Balinese sauces, seaweed shrimp salad and seafood laksa for the win.

Local bars

Penida Colada merits a visit for that pun-tastic name alone, let alone its exceptional north coast beachfront views and a cocktail menu that includes – yes – the signature Penida Colada, plus other imaginative concoctions like the fiery rum- and chilli-laced Mango Fury and perky vodka-fuelled Coffee Colada. Soak it all up with a jackfruit burrito or Indonesian-style fried banana with brown sugar syrup and vanilla ice cream. 

Trading on those ever-spectacular dusk views, Amok Sunset couples traditional thatched bamboo structures with a long list of modern cocktails. Book ringside seats for sundown in the bar’s thatched lookout towers, but be careful not to overdo the vodka-laced signature Blue Ocean cocktails or you may find yourself descending the ladder rather more quickly and painfully than intended.