A little information about Nusa Penida

Nusa Penida is an island southeast of Bali and is a district of Klungkung Regency which includes the neighbouring smaller islands of Nusa Lembongan and Nusa Ceningan. The Badung Strait separates the islands from Bali. Nusa Penida is a hilly island with the highest point being Puncak Mundi in the centre with an elevation of 524 metres.The island is drier than Bali and has limited fresh water sources.

Tourism is relatively new to the island and many people liken the island to Bali 20 years ago.The island covers an area of just over 200km’s. We suggest you come for more than a day trip if possible as you will not be able to see all our beautiful attractions in just one day. There are an estimated 48,000 people residing on the three islands.

The predominant religion on Nusa Penida is Hindu except for Toyapakeh which is a Muslim village, this adds to the religious diversity of the island. Locals residing on the north side of the island can converse to varying degrees in english but it is worth knowing a few phrases in Bahasa Indonesia especially if you go off the beaten track and need directions. Local inhabitants make their living predominantly from fisheries, seaweed farming and marine tourism.

Nusa Penida can be accessed by fast boat, the trip takes approximately 40 minutes one way from Sanur, with boats leaving throughout the day. Boats arrive in Nusa Penida at either Toyapakeh or Buyuk depending on which company you travel with. You can also travel on the ferry which sails between Padang Bai and Nusa Penida daily.

Nusa Penida lies in the southwest corner of the Coral Triangle which contains 75% of all known coral species and shelters 40% (that’s more than 3000) of the world’s reef fish species. It is one of the world’s great marine nurseries. In 2010 Nusa Penida was established as a Marine Protected Area (MPA), to advance conservation throughout the region, it encompasses 20,057 hectares. It has diverse coral ecosystems containing some 298 species of coral and 576 species of reef fish. It is also home to the manta rays and mola mola (ocean sunfish) as well as migrating whales, dolphins and hawksbill turtles. The waters are exceptionally clear and the diversity of underwater sites make it a diver’s paradise.