Nusa Lembongan and Nusa Penida are 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. Away from traffic of Bali, known by its 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 color.
If you love splashing around in clear turquoise waters and watching the orchestra of reef fishes, you don’t want to miss snorkeling Nusa Lembongan! The marine life around Bali is not only spectacular for scuba diving but also snorkeling – so make sure you explore the magnificent marine world on your next trip to Bali.
Nusa Lembongan and Nusa Penida offer some of the most beautiful underwater scenery around Bali. To get to these islands of paradise you need a boat to discover every corner of the islands. You need at least one day trip to go and return to Bali.
Mostly tourist will depart from Sanur by fast boat to reach the islands. Sanur will be very busy every morning to provide the tourist needs of fast boat. Most of the boat providers offering services one way or return transfer to Lembongan or Nusa Penida.
For those who would like to have a trip to Lembongan with serenity and enjoyable experiences, we recommend you to book a private charter boat. Here is the reasons why private charter boat are recommended for you.
- Instead of jostle with crowd to get a boat ticket to Lembongan, you could just wait in your hotel lobby until the private charter boat provider’s team to pick you up.
- Private and enjoyable experience of sailing on the boat could sooth your mind and relax your body, instead of sharing fast boat without any flexibility.
- With private charter boat you will get flexibility around scheduling the trip, selecting the snorkeling sites, and staying in the water for as long as you like.
Most of sailing catamaran boats are able to accommodate more than 10 persons on board that makes it efficient if you have a family trip or need to chill with you friend in the ocean. As mentioned before, Lembongan and other Nusa Islands are a snorkeling paradise. Here some recommended spots of snorkeling to be your reference.
Gamat Bay
Located across Nusa Ceningan along the northwest coast of Nusa Penida, Gamat Bay offers calm waters and crystal clear visibility where you can see an abundance of colorful fishes and corals. I love Gamat Bay for snorkeling because it is generally protected from surge and currents, and provides optimal snorkeling conditions.
Crystal Bay
Crystal Bay is a famous scuba diving site for mola-mola sightings (sorry, you cannot see the amazing molas from the surface) but is also a spectacular snorkeling site along the cliff sides and the beach.
You can see anything from angelfish, dam selfish, clown fish, surgeon fish, to catfish and many more.
Due to the popularity of the site, there is constant boat traffic in this bay – so stay alert and be mindful of boats moving around you.
Yes, you will see plastic and other trash in the waters around Manta Point. Sadly, this is the reality all around Bali, particularly during the wet season between December to March. The good news is, the governor of Bali banned single-use plastic in 2019 and communities are slowly learning the devastating impact of plastic and making changes.
The rubbish in the waters, however, does not seem to deter the manta rays from approaching the coastline of Nusa Penida at Manta Point or Manta Bay. Generally, manta rays can be seen year-round, but it’s best to avoid the wet season due to the surface conditions and poor visibility.
You should also note that while most operators will attempt a trip to Manta Point, they may redirect to another snorkeling spot if they cannot spot manta rays or deem the water conditions to be unsafe for the boat crew or the guests. In other words, manta sightings are never guaranteed.
Toyapakeh
This is my favorite dive and snorkeling location on Nusa Lembongan!
You can never get tired of the marine life in the shallow reefs along the western coast of Nusa Penida. The underwater colors of the corals and the marine species at Toyapakeh are simply stunning. You can usually find light current along this site, which offers a gentle drift for a relaxing snorkeling experience.