Nusa Lembongan, Bali

I'm so glad we found Nusa Lembongan. This is what Bali is all about. Perfect, and I mean perfect, clear turquoise water, with beaches and temples every direction you turn. It is a paradise.

Thankfully the choppy boat trip was a short one to Lembongan (which is one of 3 islands that comprise the Nusa Penido Archipelago, right at the very south of Bali). It's a bit hectic when you arrive as your bags are taken off the roof of the boat and you pray they don't fall in, there are people every where and men frantically asking which hotel you are staying in and then you are herded into the back of a truck and dropped off at your hotel before you know which end of you is up! We stayed at Radya Homestay which is fantastic value for a bungalow for 2 and run by a lovely family. The open air bathroom is a bit of a surprise, but a nice touch too.

Less than 24 hours after swearing off mopeds for life for a second time, we rented another one. This time with the added bonus of having no helmets and a kickstarter!
We had the best day.
We found a gorgeous spot called Mangrove Beach where the sun-loungers were free and the water was warm! We sipped on fresh mango juice and coconuts in Warung Jiva and read our kindles looking over the beach and feeling very lucky.

After a while we geared up for some exploring and willed the bike up steep hills as we drove around the coast looking at the perfect views and women working on seaweed farms when the tide went out.

Around every corner was a new find. Ornate temples, panoramic views, beaches, cliffs. We passed by a graveyard that had colourful umbrellas on every headstone and saw a volcano from the tippy-top of the island. It was such a great way to see the island, exploring for ourselves and getting lost to find new ways around. I loved how so many places felt totally untouched like we weren't supposed to be there... maybe we weren't!

 

Another great beach we found is called Dreamland Beach where enormous waves crash into Devil's Tear. We stayed for ages watching the monster waves rolling in, I can still hear them thundering in my ears when I think about it!

 

Later on we went to Blue Corner for the sunset and a very laid back beach party with some surfers from Melbourne. It was a great spot for a party and seems to be the place to go for a night out on Lembongan. 

The next day we ambushed the pool at the hotel across the road from us called Tiger Lilly's and pretended we weren't poor backpackers for an afternoon!

That night was spent at the island's cinema restaurant, complete with bean bags, projector and drinks - such a cool spot. The movie was Into The Wild which is a feckin horrible movie for a traveller to watch, I'm scared for life! The cinema is a great idea though as the island is so laid back and not a huge party island, it's lovely to sink into a beanbag and relax after a tough day on the beach!

Next Stop: Gili Islands
 

Other Bits and Pieces:

Nusa Lembongan is really forward thinking about conservation and the environment which is great to see. You can snorkel in crystal clear water and they are doing their best to keep it that way, so you may have to pay a tax to snorkel or dive. There is also a really cool self-sustainable cafe called Eco Deli who have natural juices and salads, definitely worth a visit. You can also refill water bottles in lots of places so hold on to your empties.

It is quite expensive to get to the Gilis from Lembongan. But MAKE SURE that however you get there, you book your return ticket as they charge even more once you are on Gili to get off. Our haggling/bluffing experience paid off and we got a boat to Gili T, an open return ticket to Padang Bai and a transfer to Ubud for 750,000RPH. We tried them all but the best deal was in the agency across the road from Radya Homestay. They were really organised and they used Ekajaya Fast Boats which are very reliable and safe. The guy who sold us the tickets was a bit mad and looked like an Indonesian Christy Dignam from Aslan, but it's all above board!