Nusa Lembongan is a small island off the southeast coast of the main island of Bali. Quickly becoming one of Bali's most popular attractions, this island paradise is a world away from the hassle and hectic pace of South Bali. Neither hawkers nor traffic mar the magnificent scenery; this is a fine place to just put your feet up and relax. Main activities include surfing, diving and snorkeling. The water is some of the clearest you will find anywhere, and a vivid aqua blue in colour.
Nusa Lembongan is approximately 8km² 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. Some visitors may find Nusa Lembongan a little slow after the pace of South Bali.
Many areas around the island are good for diving and snorkeling, with abundant marine life and healthy 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 crowded. There is a flourishing and well established seaweed farming industry here, and many visitors find it interesting to learn about this.
Two main beach areas have traditionally attracted visitors.
Jungut Batu in the northwest is the bigger of the two, and has myriad hotels and cheap eateries. This is the area which traditionally attracted backpackers and surfers to the island. The white sand beach here is pleasant enough but nothing to get too excited about, and it is a little narrow in places. In more recent times, the hillside to the south of Jungut Batu known as the Bukit (the hill) has been developed and has attracted some higher level hotels and private villas. The views from the Bukit are perhaps second to none on Nusa Lembongan. Sunsets are best viewed along the main Jungut Batu beachfront.
Mushroom Bay to the southwest of Jungut Batu is a quaint, attractive and sheltered bay. It is an especially nice spot after 15:00 when the day trippers have returned to Bali, and it has a great white sandy beach, along with some cosy little water-side restaurants.
Further south, the lesser known beaches either side of the Devil's Tear outcrop, known as Dream Beach, one of the most beautiful in Bali and Sunset Beach (or Sandy Bay), are increasingly drawing more visitors. The coastal landscape in this part of the island is mostly low-lying limestone cliffs, and there are some dramatic cave formations. A beautiful view can be seen from the cliff at the right side of the Dream beach, especially at the sunset.
The north end of the island is fringed by an important mangrove forest, and the eastern side of the island is separated from neighbouring Nusa Ceningan by a shallow estuarine channel.
The main population centre of the island is Lembongan Village in the southern interior, and it is here that you will find the homes of many traditional island families.
Touches of Robinson Crusoe at Dream Beach
The climate of Nusa Lembongan is similar to neighbouring 'mainland' Bali, but it is noticeably drier here, particularly in the period of May to September. If there is a time to avoid, it would be the height of the rainy season in January and February.
The local Lembonganese are Hindu and visitors will notice little or no difference from the prevailing culture on the Bali mainland.
You may be able to catch a cock fight, look out for a crowd of local men! This generates a lot of excitement on this tiny island.
Balinese is the most common language of communication between local residents, with Bahasa Indonesia a distant second. The Balinese spoken here is a distinct dialect, and sharp-eared linguists would certainly notice this. English is widely understood and spoken, often with an Australian accent!
To get there
By Cruise Line
Infants under 4 years free
Prices:
Adults (15+): USD 105 - Book online: USD 94.50
* = IDR 1.321.000
Children (4-14): USD 70 - Book online: USD 63.00
* = IDR 880.000
* Due to government regulations, all cruise purchases will be charged in IDR (Indonesian Rupiah) with the above rates.
Inclusions:
Air-conditioned hotel transfers
Return transfers to Lembongan Bay
Morning/afternoon tea & coffee and snacks
International Buffet Lunch
Semi Submersible Coral Viewer
Lembongan Village excursion
Unlimited banana boat rides
Snorkeling equipment and instruction
35m Water Slide
Diving Board
Locker
By Fast Boat
Sanur - Lembongan
4 Times Daily : 10.00 am, 12.00 noon, 14.00 pm, and 17.30 pm.
Lembongan - Sanur
4 Times Daily : 09.00 am, 11.00 am, 13.00 pm, and 16.30 pm
Pick Up Time
1 to 2 hours before departure time, depends on your hotel location.
OUR SERVICES
Safety Equipment
Full international safety equipment: life rats, life jacket, ring buoys, GPS system 3 in 1, full accredited captain and crews, special fast boat with seat design, fire extinguisher, marine VHF radio, first and aid kit.
Pick Up / Drop Off
Nusa Lembongan is a 30 minutes boat trip from Sanur, Bali. Rocky fast cruise offers 4 daily return departure times. Transfers include FREE pick up and drop off from airport, Jimbaran, Kuta, Seminyak, Legian, and Sanur. Other area will be quoted on upon request.
Fast Cruise are available for surf and exploration charters to Nusa Lembongan, Nusa Ceningan and Nusa Penida.
FARES
ONE WAY - ADULT : 30 US$
-CHILDREN : 20 US$
RETURN -ADULT : 50 US$
-CHILDREN : 35 US$
INFANT (UNDER 3 Y.O FREE OF CHARGES
Price include:,
Insurance, Return Land Transfer
Mineral Water Map of Lembongan
Friendly Staff
By Jukung /Vessel
The creaky jukung (or jongkong) boat makes a slow pass through Badung Strait. The steady drone of the motor engine breaks the early morning silence in Sanur and the boat slices the mirror-like still waters like a knife. It’s still very early in Sanur. The 15 to 20 people packed together on board the tiny jukung are equally silent, each enjoying the serenity of the sunny morning. Not many realise that situated just across the water from the famous Sanur Beach, there exists a number of small islands that fall within Bali’s territory.
It takes over an hour for the creaky tourist and non-tourist boat to traverse the 20 kilometres to Jungutbatu Beach on Nusa Lembongan. The boat finally approaches the shore and dark blue waters give way to light green. A number of boats are parked up on the white sandy beach and can be seen ahead. As we approach the shore, rows of highly organised wooden stakes can be seen jutting out of the water. Beneath the water lies Nusa Lembongan’s most important agricultural product: seaweed. Harvesting the seaweed is the local population’s primary source of income and the crop is grown and cultivated underwater by being attached to strings that are, in turn, tied to these wooden stakes.
BOOK HERE
No comments:
Post a Comment