The island of Bali, which is just one of 18,000 islands within the country of Indonesia, is an iconic location: full of wonder, mystery, and a fair amount of over-hype. Is Bali “what it used to be?” many ask, and the answer is, “no,” –but nothing is. Near the main, large island are several choices of smaller satellite islands to visit, including the three Gili Islands, and the (two) closer “Nusa” Islands. We had a choice between Nusa Lembongan, which was a 35 minute ferry ride across the channel, and the larger, and a bit further, Nusa Penida. We were told by many that we MUST visit some of the islands, and their advice was well placed!

We opted for Lembongan for 10 days, and it was wonderful! Our room was $12 per night and the small village of Mushroom Bay was charming, with scores of restaurants, several coffee shops, and a few beautiful beaches. We had a scooter for a few days and went to yet another island, call Ceningan, which is accessible via a very narrow metal bridge, officially named the “Yellow Bridge.” We found one of the most amazing view spots, called Mahana Point, and returned early the next morning to view the marvel of nature at low tide, which allowed us walk out to sea several hundred yards until the tides returned.

But our almost final stop was a tour of Nusa Peneda, which is large enough to offer a West Tour, which we did, as well as an East Tour. Each offered several landmarks, viewpoints, and beaches, but the one we had to see was call Kelingking, which is a unique rock feature with a beach 400 meters down to the waterline. I’ll let the pictures speak for us, since no words could do it justice. That visit was followed by Angel’s Billabong, which is a dramatic rock face which gets pounded by the power of the surf 24/7, and has a ledge with sitting water just above it. (I never knew “Billabong” meant dead end river) It sits immediately next to yet another attraction, Broken Beach, with a beautiful archway over the water. Both these places were difficult to get to since the roads are barely wide enough for two vehicles, and they tax the suspension and brakes to their breaking point. Starting at 0930, and finishing at 3:30 made for a very long day, but an exhilarating one.

Right now we are in the Philippines on the small island of Palawan. But overall we spent seven weeks in Bali and will absolutely return. We know many fellow nomads and everyone speaks highly of the island, and the rest have it on their itinerary as a place to visit. We suggest you do the same