Nusa Lembongan is a small island between Bali and Nusa Penida which is separated by Badung Strait. This island is the perfect holiday hideaway with few visitors and pristine un-spoilt beaches. A low, protected island about 11 km southeast of mainland Bali, measuring only four by three km and ringed with mangrove swamps, and palms and white sandy beaches.
Island the terrain is scrubby and very dry, with volcanic stonewalls and processional avenues crisscrossing the small cactus-covered hills. Overlooking Sanghiang Bay with its clear blue waters, the Nusa Lembongan Resort offers a panoramic view of eastern Bali and the majestic silhouette of Mount Agung . Known for its great surf, the excellent crystal-clear waters also make it a perfect place for snorkeling and diving. It’s still a basic place, but interesting, and there are some lovely places to stay.
The island is small enough to explore on foot, offering pristine beaches and coves, majestic views of Mount Agung , unique Balinese architecture, and the friendliness of a simple country folk. With a lack of arable land and a severe shortage of tourist attractions, the island’s economy is limited to its underwater wealth-seaweed. A secondary occupation is catering to visiting surfers. Between Nusa Lembongan and the adjacent of Nusa Ceningan Island , the population is only 60,000.
Lembongan Beach
Seaweed Farm Lembongan
There are just two villages on Nusa Lembongan, the large, spread out administrative center of Lembongan Village , and Jungut Batu village. Surfers and backpackers hang out in the latter, about 150 per month, for an average stay of three to five days. The only other visitors are European, Japanese, and Australian day-trippers on excursion boats. Jungut Batu offers the island’s best accommodations and water sport opportunities. There’s motorcycle traffic between the two villages and it’s easy to get a lift. Both villages are heavily involved in the cultivation of seaweed. Before government – supported commercial seafood production in 1980, the people of the island lived on maize, cassava, tuber, beans, and peanuts. Today most everyone is involved in one way or another with cultivation of “sea vegetables,” and the air is permeated with its smell…[read more]
