Nusa Penida is a big rugged island 45 minutes by fast boat from Sanur — the source of the shots everyone knows from social media: Kelingking cape with its T-rex ridge and a white beach 200 metres below, the Angel's Billabong natural pool, the Broken Beach arch and the east-coast viewpoints. In the water: snorkelling with manta rays at Manta Point and coral gardens off the north shore.
Boats leave Sanur harbour from early morning (about Rp 300,000–400,000 return). Then either a packaged tour with car and guide (roughly Rp 1,000,000–1,400,000 per person with snorkelling) or independent — boat plus a car with driver on the island. Don't try to see it all in one day: distances are short but the roads are slow, and every spot is crowded by noon. The best plan is an overnight — the west ring one day, the east the next. The Kelingking beach descent is a steep stepped path: 30–40 minutes down, an hour back up in the heat, minimum a litre of water each.
Tips
- •Take the earliest boat to reach Kelingking before the tour groups
- •Prone to seasickness? Take a pill half an hour before — the strait can be lumpy
- •Book manta snorkelling for the morning: afternoons bring chop and worse visibility
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