A Visitors Guide to Nusa Ceningan
Welcome to Nusa Ceningan, a beautiful and serene island paradise located just off of Bali, Indonesia.
Part of the Nusa Islands, Nusa Ceningan is often referred to as the “hidden gem” of Bali due to its stunning natural beauty, crystal-clear waters, and unspoiled landscape. It’s a relatively small island with an area of only 3.7km2, making it easy to explore and discover all of its hidden treasures in a short amount of time.
The island is known for its laid-back atmosphere and tranquil surroundings, making it a perfect escape from the hustle and bustle of Bali’s tourist hotspots. Despite its small size, Nusa Ceningan has a lot to offer visitors. Its turquoise waters are perfect for swimming, snorkelling, and diving, while its white sandy beaches are perfect for sunbathing and relaxing. Even though it’s struggled with the lack of tourism during Covid-19, we had an amazing time in Ceningan and it was one of the highlights of our Two Months in Bali!
This travel guide will give you everything you need to know about Nusa Ceningan. From where to stay, how to get there and where to eat, this guide has it all.
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How to get to Nusa Ceningan
From Bali
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, there are no longer any direct ferries from Bali to Nusa Ceningan island. As such, the only method of transport is a ferry from Bali’s Sanur port to Nusa Lembongan. Ferries leave intermittently between 08:15am and 17:15pm and cost roughly 150,000 IDR ($10) per person. The majority of ferries will drop off at Lembongan Pier, where the hub of the island is located, but few do go to Mushroom Bay Beach.
Once you’re in Nusa Lembongan, you can arrange for your accommodation in Nusa Ceningan to pick you up. Do be wary that it’s highly likely to method of transport will be a scooter as there are very few cars/trucks on the islands. Alternatively, you can hire your own scooters in Nusa Lembongan and use them to explore all of the Nusa Islands.
From Gili Islands
Despite being further away geographically, it is very easy to get from Gili Trawangan to Nusa Ceningan. Ferries leave from Gili T between 11:00pm and 12:45pm and cost 500,000 IDR ($33.40) per person. The reason for the short time frame is that ferries will stop off at multiple other locations along the way causing the journey to be nearly four hours. This will include Gili Air, Gili Meno, Lombok and even Bali island as well. Nonetheless, simply catch a ferry from Gili T’s port straight to Nusa Lembongan and hop on a scooter and you’re on Ceningan island!
From Lombok
Ferries from Lombok will usually depart from Bangsai Port in the north west but some do leave from Senggigi port in the east. Each ticket costs 500,000 IDR ($33.40) per person and takes roughly three hours with leaving times between 12:00pm and 14:00pm.
In addition to travelling from Bali and the Gili Islands, some ferries will drop you off at Lembongan Eka Jaya. This drop-off location is situated right underneath the Yellow Bridge Point, one of the Nusa Islands’ most famous landmarks. From here it’s far easier to get to Nusa Ceningan as you can just walk across the bridge!
Fly
Believe it or not, it is actually possible to fly to Nusa Ceningan, albeit not directly. You can fly from Bali’s Ngurah Rai airport to Lombok’s main airport, Praya. From here it’s possible to get a taxi to Lombok’s Bangsai pier and then a ferry to Nusa Lembongan. This is when you’ll need to rent a scooter or have your accommodation pick you up. Overall, this is by far the worst option both in terms of cost and time taken and we don’t recommend it.
As you know, we absolutely swear by 12go Asia and found it the easiest, simplest and best way of booking transport throughout the whole of South East Asia, not just in Indonesia.
How to get around Nusa Ceningan
Bike
Hiring a scooter is by far the easiest way of getting around Bali, Lembongan, Nusa Penida and Nusa Ceningan. This can cost between 75,000 IDR ($5) and 150,000 IDR ($10) per day. Having a scooter at your disposal is one of the best ways to explore Ceningan as you can choose to go where you want when you want without having to rely on other people. Pretty much every single bike accommodates for a driver and a passenger so it’s perfect if you’re travelling as a couple or with a friend. We couldn’t recommend this mode of transport enough!
Taxi
Constantly having to hire a taxi to get to different places on Nusa Ceningan can really eat into your budget and may not be the most authentic way of travelling. This means you won’t get to immerse yourself in Balinese culture and truly feel like you’ve visited the islands.
In addition, there are hardly any cars on the island and the majority are used for transporting goods too and from the port so finding a taxi can be quite hard.
Walking
Whilst this is obviously the cheapest method of getting around, it takes time to get anywhere and can be quite exhausting. This will limit the number of things you can see and experience which can limit how good your trip is. Having said that, if you have time and are located in a good area with things to do nearby, walking is a great option to know the local area.
Where to stay on Nusa Ceningan
Ocean Brothers
We stayed here and absolutely loved it! Firstly, the views over the seaweed farm are absolutely incredible and well worth viewing whilst grabbing some free breakfast in the morning. We could’ve sat here for hours it was so pretty. The rooms themselves were really well kept, had everything you need and most importantly, the bed was super comfy!
It’s also not far from the bridge but the owners will ask family to pick you up on the back of scooters if you need to. The owners themselves were super nice and were happy to answer all of our questions when getting to know the island. You can also rent scooters from the hotel at a really good price.
Le Pirate Beach Club
We ended up visiting here for some food and drink but we wish we stayed here for a couple of nights. The place looks like something out of a movie! The little cabins were neatly arranged alongside the pool and the pictures of the inside looked amazing. The pool itself is a good size and just what you need after a long day of exploring. All the other facilities had everything you could ask for so we’d highly recommend staying here. Make sure to have a dip in the pool during sunset as the views are incredible!
Lembongan Hostel
If you don’t fancy staying in Nusa Ceningan, you can always stay at Lembongan Hostel. It’s situated not far from the Yellow Bridge which makes it perfectly commutable if you have access to a scooter. The hostel itself is very social and has a great atmosphere so if you’re looking to make friends then definitely look to stay here. The rooms are super clean and the staff are notoriously friendly and will help you out with anything you need. It’s a 15 minute walk to both the beach and restaurants so all the amenities are easily accessible. There are also scooters available to hire which is such handy if you’re looking to explore the islands.
Things to do on Nusa Ceningan
Blue Lagoon
This is without a doubt one of the prettiest and best places you can visit on the whole island. We sat at Klyf Club Blue Lagoon and gazed over the turquoise water below for hours. It was so beautiful and we literally just watched the waves going back and forth whilst the crabs scurried about below.
Surf at Mahana Point
If you love surfing then there’s no better place to go than Mahana Point, mainly as this is the only surfing break on Nusa Ceningan. Even though its easily surf-able at any tide, the locals prefer going at low tide. People come from all across Ceningan island just to surf here which makes for a great atmosphere.
If you want to try something different, then try the Mahana Point Cliff Jump. There’s both a 10m and 5m platform you can jump off with a ladder to help you climb up.
Cross the Yellow Bridge Point
Wherever you’re coming from, you will at some point have to cross the Yellow Bridge connecting Nusa Lembongan to Nusa Ceningan. This bridge is only wide enough to fit two scooters side by side and you can just about squeeze through a four-wheeled vehicle. It’s 140m long in length and great fun to walk across admiring the views on either side!
Secret Beach
Despite its name, it’s not a secret in nature as everyone knows how good of a spot this is. Secret Beach is easily one of Nusa Ceningan’s hidden gems thanks to its breath taking scenery, calm turquoise waters and white sandy beaches. Whilst it admittedly is a bit of a hike to the beach, the views and the serenity are absolutely worth it! As not many people take the effort to actually make their way down, it’s usually pretty quiet which only adds to its attraction.
Ceningan Cliff
Admittedly this is on the completely opposite side of the island to the most populated part of the island but it’s one of the most beautiful places we visited. The location has its own seafood restaurant (which is well worth trying) and has absolutely breathtaking views over Nusa Lembongan and Gamat Bay in particular. However, the two standouts amenities are the infinity pool and swing where you can take in the views and get some unbelievable pictures. We visited at sunset and it was absolutely beautiful!
Relax in a beach club
Despite being such a small island, there are loads of beach clubs scattered across the coast that you should visit. Relaxing at beach clubs ended up being one of our favourite activities whilst on the islands in South East Asia. Sit back with a book, or Bintang, in hand, next to a beautiful pool, with a stunning view and just let the world go by. Rocky Beach Club, Sea Breeze Cafe and Le Pirate Beach Club were three of our favourites!
Bike or walk around the island
No matter where we visited, we always found that the best way to enjoy the island was on foot or by bike. This way we got to see so much more of the island than in the central areas and got a feel of what the island was actually like. You may even stumble across some hidden gems that we’d absolutely love to hear about!
Go on a snorkelling tour
If you love exploring underneath the surface, there is no better way than taking this Snorkelling Day Trip tour from Nusa Lembongan. This ended up being one of the best activities we did throughout our trip to the Nusa Islands. The tour took us to Crystal Bay, Gamat Bay, and Mangrove Point and we even got to see giant wild Manta at Manta Bay which was incredible and should be on everyone’s Bali bucket list! The whole activity was really well organised and we really enjoyed the pick-up and drop-off service, especially after a full day snorkelling. It probably didn’t help that I ate way too much at the Indonesian buffet lunch that was provided. Overall it was great value for money and we made some great memories that will last a lifetime!
There are only very few snorkelling tours originating from Nusa Ceningan so you’ll need to take a quick journey over the bridge.
Visit Nusa Lembongan
Go ziplining
If you’ve seen our other posts, we absolutely love ziplining so we had to do it at Nusa Ceningan as well. Located. in the Island Cove Resort, Abyss Zipline allows you to travel between two huge cliffs and over the stunning views below. This activity costs just 100 baht ($3) but does last less than one minute. If you’re visiting Blue Lagoon or are in the area, you absolutely have to visit as you’ll be able to see some stunning views and make a great memory.
Where to eat and drink on Nusa Ceningan
Next Level Cafe
Without a doubt, Next Level is one of the best places to eat on the island and is easily accessible. The breakfast is incredible and we loved the coffee and smoothies bowl! The latter was so colourful, had tons of fresh fruit and we could’ve come back here every single day. That said, all the food looked super yummy and we wish we tried more! Due to its location, it also had incredible views over the seaweed farm which we gazed out for hours.
MyBeach Warung and Bar
If you’re looking for some authentic Balinese food then you HAVE to visit here. This was located right next to our Ocean Brothers accommodation and we ended up eating here pretty much every day as we loved it so much. As you can imagine, the menu isn’t that extensive but they make everything of high quality. If you’re going to get one thing when you visit here, it HAS to be the spring rolls, they were incredible! MyBeach Warung was run by a family who was super friendly and it was great to learn about life on the island. Definitely give this restaurant a visit!
Sea Breeze Cafe
Arguably one of the best beach clubs on the island, Sea Breeze had everything you could want in a beach club. It had amazing views over the seaweed farm in the Bali Sea and the site extends right down to the ocean. This allows enough space for the beautiful pool and tons of loungers to relax on. The wifi stretches throughout the whole venue which makes it a great place if you’re a digital nomad.
We spent a lot of time here so got a great grasp of the array of food options they offer. Being away for so long we loved the home comforts of pasta and pizza but they also make a great smoothie bowl as well as Nasi or Mie Goreng. It seemed to be one of the most popular places on the island as they had loads of beers, cocktails and other drinks on offer for a great price.
The Island Ceningan Beach Bar
The Island Beach Bar is another really affordable place to eat in Nusa Ceningan. Their menu mixes Balinese and Mexican food which is something you rarely find on islands of this size. We absolutely loved the ability to have a different option and thought the chimichanga, tacos and nachos were incredible! As with most places in Bali, all the staff were super nice and very attentive and it was great to chat with them about Balinese life.
The Sand
The view, staff and atmosphere here were so good we ended up spending the whole evening here after eating. The food was really yummy and everything on the menu was really affordable. The pizza was only 200 baht ($6) and the beer just was 60 baht ($1.50), whats not to love?
Le Pirate Beach Club
As you can tell, this is a beautiful place to com and grab some food, the grounds truly are spectacular! However, the views are also one of the best you can find on the island and well worth spending and evening here. The food itself is so good, we even had the best chicken quesadilla ever at Le Pirate! Even if you don’t grab any food, you have to come for an iced latte or a cold Bintang!
Klyf Club Blue Lagoon
As we’ve mentioned above, Klyf is a great choice to visit for some great views and even better views. Nestled between the gorgeous cliffs on the southern coast, this club has everything you need. From the huge infinity pool to daybeds to its amazing bar and restaurant it is definitely worth visiting. We loved grabbing a bite to eat whilst looking over the lagoon and stayed there for hours!
The Dungki Bendega Resto
This family-owned restaurant is a must for foodies and hungry travellers! It serves delicious local food and the portion sizes are REALLY generous which will make you want to come back again and again. The atmosphere is really relaxing and the staff are super accommodating. It’s a little off the beaten path but that’s where all the best places are!
FAQs for Nusa Ceningan
Absolutely! If you’re tight on time then you can do all three islands in a matter of days. Renting a bike will make this possible.
Yes, there are loads of places you can stay on the island. We stayed at Ocean Brothers Ceningan and loved it.
Without a doubt ye. Nusa Ceningan was our favourite out of the three Nusa islands. It provides a great mix of relaxation spots as well as things to do.
Whilst it will take you some time, Nusa Ceningan is definitely walkable!
There are cars and trucks but they’re very few and far between and mainly used for transporting goods. As the island only has single-track roads, the vast majority of people use scooters to get around.
…
There you have it, our visitors guide to Nusa Ceningan! Outlining all the best places to stay, to eat and how to get there. We absolutely loved our visit here and found it one of the most relaxing and enjoyable places to visit. The people were super friendly, there were a range of activities to do and tons of yummy food spots to try out!
We hope you like the island as much as we did and we’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments section below!
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Disclaimer: Some of the links included on our website may contain affiliate links. We may receive some commission from purchases made via these but it will NOT affect the price you pay. This is to allow this site to stay online and ensure that readers use, what we believe, are the best products possible whilst travelling.
The Blue Lagoon looks sooo pristine and beautiful! Do you know if there are any good scuba diving spots from here as well? From the state of the water, it seems to be a perfect place for heading under water!
Honestly the Blue Lagoon was incredible! There’s loads of scuba diving spots on Nusa Penida and one of the most popular activities to do!
Those beaches look absolutely stunning! Would really love to visit one day!
What a beautiful island! The beach clubs look really fun – definitely will keep Nusa Ceningan in mind for when I finally make it to Asia.
Nusa Ceningan is a beautiful hidden gem of Bali, Indonesia. This is a great guide – especially love all the good insight and tips on how to get there and best places to explore.
The color of the water in Nusa Ceningan is gorgeous. I can picture myself relaxing at the beach club enjoying the incredible view!