What to expect when visiting Nusa Lembongan
If you’re looking to relax, Nusa Lembongan is the ideal destination to enjoy the chilled beach vibes and tour around the island. Beyond its pristine beaches though, Nusa Lembongan is also a haven for adventure seekers in Bali.
Whether it be cliff-jumping, surfing on world-class waves, swimming with manta rays, or kayaking across mangroves, you’re definitely in for a treat on this island. From Nusa Lembongan, it’s easy to reach the neighbouring island Nusa Cenigan, as well as its larger brother, Nusa Penida.
How to get from Bali to Nusa Lembongan
The only way to get from Bali to Nusa Lembongan is by fast boat. Several fast boat companies operate between the two islands. Tickets start from $10 (150,000 IDR) for the 30-minute fast boat ride.
Public boats were available before the pandemic, but they haven’t resumed operations. The fast boats are already convenient, giving you lots of choices for almost the same price and with a much shorter travel time.
The best way to get around in Nusa Lembongan is by motorbike. Rentals are offered as soon as you arrive at the port for rates between $5 (75,000 IDR) – $6.50 (100,000 IDR).
Insider-tip: From personal experience, I can highly recommend contacting Made on WhatsApp. His motorbikes are of a very good standard and he will deliver the motorbikes to the pier or your hotel. The bike was of better quality than the bike I rented at the pier the last time I visited Nusa Lembongan.
Bali to Nusa Lembongan by Fast boat
With a number of fast boat companies on this route, you have several options when taking a fast boat from Bali to Nusa Lembongan. The fast boats depart from the new port in Sanur with regular departures between 08:15 and 17:50.
Sanur Port
Bali has several ports that act as a gateway to its neighbouring islands, such as Lombok, Gili Islands, Nusa Penida, and Nusa Lembongan.
For the Bali to Nusa Lembongan route, all fast boats depart from the new port in Sanur in Bali. This port is the closest to Nusa Lembongan, just directly across from it, making for a short 30-minute fast boat ride.
PRO TIP: There are some fast boat companies operating between Bali and Nusa Lembongan that offer a hotel pick-up for an extra charge. However, keep in mind that this is a shared shuttle, meaning the van will make several stops to pick up other passengers. Booking a taxi with Gojek or Grab will be cheaper than the hotel pick-up.
How to get to Sanur Port
UPDATE: In November 2022 — just before the G20 — Sanur opened a new port. It’s one of the most modern ports you’ll find in Southeast Asia and all boats now conveniently depart and arrive from a pier instead of from the beach. The new port is equipped with a digital ticketing system and an air-conditioned waiting area with clean bathrooms. Just be aware that the new port is about a 5-10 minute walk from the old port.
To get to Sanur Port, you have two options. You can take a minivan departing from Kuta or Ubud, or more conveniently, a taxi from your hotel.
Taxi fares and time to Sanur Port
Taxi fares to Sanur Port
You’ll find an estimation of the taxi fares from Bali’s most popular tourist destinations to Padang Bai in the table below. When sharing the costs with your travel buddies, it will be around the same price or cheaper than paying a higher-priced ticket that includes pick-up.
An important advantage compared to a shared pick-up service is that your transfer won’t be delayed by picking up other passengers. This alone could already add 1-hour extra time to get to Sanur Port.
Estimated taxi fares to Sanur Port
| Departure point | Travel time | Taxi fares* |
|---|---|---|
| Canggu | 1-1.5 hours | from $6.50 (100,000 IDR) |
| Kuta, Seminyak | 30 minutes – 1 hour | from $7 (110,000 IDR) |
| Ubud | 1-1.5 hours | from $12.50 (190,000 IDR) |
| Uluwatu | 1.5-2 hours | from $13.50 (200,000 IDR) |
Minivan to Sanur Port
Minivan to Sanur Port
As an alternative, you can also take the minivan operated by Perama Tour & Travel. The minivans depart at 07:00 from their offices in Kuta and Ubud.
See here the costs of the minivan tickets:
- From Kuta: $4.30 (65,000 IDR)
- From Ubud: $6.50 (100,000 IDR)
Keep in mind that these minivans depart from Perama Tour & Travel Offices. This means you might need to take another taxi from your hotel to the departure point.
Arrival in Nusa Lembongan
Note that not all ferries arrive at the same pier in Nusa Lembongan. It’s best to check this before you book so that you can choose the boat that arrives closest to your destination.
Most of the fast boats arrive at Jungut Batu beach, which is a great area to stay with lots of restaurants within walking distance. Tanis and Dream Beach Express, on the other hand, arrive at Mushroom Bay. You can also find several places to stay in this area, but it’s a bit more quiet compared to Jungut Batu.
Both beaches are on the western coast of Nusa Lembongan and about a 15-minute drive apart. A taxi to the other beach will cost around $10 (150,000 IDR).
Two arrival ports in Nusa Lembongan
| Jungut Batu Beach | Glory Express, Rocky Fast Cruise, DCamel Fast Ferry, Arthamas Express |
| Mushroom Bay Beach | Tanis Lembongan Express, Dream Beach Express |
Fast boat schedule from Bali to Nusa Lembongan
We suggest booking your tickets online in advance. If you buy your tickets at the port, expect a hefty uplift from the online prices, as they can go up to $20 (300,000 IDR) per person, one-way.
Klook currently offers some great deals on this route. You can book your fast boat tickets for as cheap as $10.50 (160,000 IDR). Note that Klook mentions an entrance fee for the island of $1.60 (25,000 IDR), but when we travelled from Bali to Nusa Lembongan in September 2022, we didn’t get charged upon arrival.
Check Fast Boat Tickets on Klook
Transport to your accommodation in Nusa Lembongan
You can find several accommodation sites around both beaches, but it might be easier to use local transport to get to your hotel. Most hotels also offer pick-up services, but they are often higher priced.
Public (slow) boat from Bali to Nusa Lembongan
Note: Slow boats are currently not operating.
There were also public boats between Bali and Nusa Lembongan. These boats were the main mode of transportation for locals, especially those travelling with goods.
Travelling by slow boat used to take up to 1.5 hours, and tickets were $0.60 (100,00 IDR) per person. These public boats were not available daily, and if they were running, there used to be only one trip per day.
These public boats were available in Sanur Port in Bali and also arrived at Jungut Batu Beach on the island.
Getting from Nusa Lembongan to Nusa Ceningan
The best way to explore the Nusa Islands is by motorbike as the roads aren’t great for cars and it’s too far to walk all distances.
From Lembongan, you can just cross the bridge with your motorbike and tour the entire Ceningan island. The famous Blue Lagoon is a highlight not to miss!
Getting from Nusa Lembongan to Nusa Penida
From Nusa Lembongan, you can also make a day trip or continue your journey to Nusa Penida.
Paradise Island and Lembongan Ocean Trip
Paradise Island has hourly departures from 07:30 to 16:00 and tickets cost $6.50 (100,000 IDR). It takes only 15 minutes to travel from the Yellow Bridge in Nusa Lembongan to Toya Pakeh Harbour in Nusa Penida. You can book your tickets online in advance:
Check Boat Tickets on 12GoAsia
Lembongan Ocean Trip also offers ferry tickets that you can book in advance. Tickets cost $5 (75,000 IDR) on their website, but they are a bit cheaper at $4 (60,000 IDR) on the Jtrip app. There are only three departures at 09:00, 12:00, and 16:00.
Note that Jtrip is a fairly new company, and based on reviews, some recent travel experiences have been quite negative. Common complaints are about several hours of delays and cancelled ferry trips because there weren’t enough passengers.
Public boats
Public boats at the Yellow Bridge are cheaper at just $3.30 (50,000 IDR) per person.
These public boats operate all day from 06:30 to 18:00. But note that they don’t have specific departure times — they simply leave when the boat is full (14 passengers + 1 captain). Waiting time can be 30 minutes or more.
If you don’t want to wait or prefer a boat for yourself, you can also rent a private boat for $13.50 (200,000 IDR).
Renting a motorbike in Nusa Penida
Bike rental in Nusa Penida normally costs around $6.50 (100,000 IDR). But if you book with Klook, you can get a discounted price of $5.50 (82,000 IDR). The renter will also be waiting for you at the harbour with your bike.
Check Motorbike Rental with Klook
Of course, it’s still required to have a valid driver’s license and you should be comfortable driving a bike. If you don’t want to drive a bike in Bali, it’s also better to not drive it in Nusa Penida.
Based in Bali, Maarten’s passion for travel is undeniable. In 2016, he decided to quit his job as a stock analyst and started doing what he always dreamed of: travelling through South East Asia and helping other people plan their trips. When he is not working on Gecko Routes, you’ll find him surfing in the ocean or exploring the best gems of Indonesia.
Abby is a writer who finds joy in mountains, beaches, and road trips. She considers her solo backpacking trip to the rice terraces of Bontoc one of the most fulfilling moments in her life. She’s loyal to the islands of her home country, the Philippines, but Thailand’s beaches also have a special place in her heart.
Hallo! Wir planen einen Bali Trip in den ersten zwei April Wochen 2023. Gerne würden wir die folgenden Ziele abklappern und miteinander kombinieren:
– Nusa Lembongan
– Nusa Penida
– Gili T
– ggf. eine weitere Gili Insel
– Süden von Lombok
– Dann wieder zurück nach Bali, tendenziell nach Ubud
Diese Reihenfolge würde für mich am meisten Sinn machen. Leider finde ich bspw. von Lembongan nach Nusa Penida aber nur Schnellboote für ca. 50 €. Gibt es mittlerweile wieder öffentliche, langsame Boote? Oder müssen alle Trips vor Ort gebucht werden?’
Würdest du die Reihenfolge generell auch so empfehlen oder würdest du etwas anders machen?
Vielen Dank im Voraus!!
VG
Thomas
Hey Thomas, fast boats from Nusa Lembongan to Nusa Penida only cost €6 on 12GoAsia. You can also just go to the Yellow Bridge and look for the public boats going to Nusa Penida.
Your itinerary is a great idea. It’s quite convenient that you can take a direct ferry from Nusa Penida to the Gilis and also makes sense to travel from the Gilis to the south of Lombok. From the south of Lombok, you have the option to fly back to Bali, or if you want to travel back by ferry, we suggest taking the Eka Jaya ferry from Senggigi Pier to Padang Bai (instead of travelling back all the way north to Bangsal Pier).
Hope this helps you plan your Bali trip!
PS: Diese Antwort ist auf Englisch verfasst, um sie für Reisende aus allen Ländern hilfreich zu machen. Wir empfehlen die Verwendung von Google Translate, um diese Antwort ins Deutsche zu übersetzen.