Nusa Lembongan

January 17-21

After a long time of wandering, living in crappy conditions, and sightseeing, I decided to take a few days off. I'm not generally a beach person, but this time I thought a few days of doing nothing and sunbathing on the beach would do me good.

I wanted to avoid touristy Kuta, and apparently the other beaches in Bali aren't exactly amazing either. Lombok is a bit far away, so I chose Nusa Lembongan. I'd heard it wasn't very touristy yet, but it was beautiful. It turned out to be quite easy to get there. There are ferries and boats from Sanur, and I chose the fast boat, which only takes 30 minutes. I was traveling from Ubud, so I still had to find a cheap way to get to Sanur. Luckily, I found a cheap way to get there. A bus picked me up at the hotel. I was the only one there, so it felt like a taxi. In Sanur, I took the fast ferry and 30 minutes later I was on the island. The only thing left was the hotel transfer, which was arranged by the ferry company. The drive was a bit intimidating; the drive was long, especially for such a small island. We drove along winding roads, at one point far from civilization, and I was afraid I'd be stuck in the hotel for a few days. Fortunately, it turned out that walking along the beach was faster to the center than driving.

I stayed at Cliff Villas, which had excellent reviews. The entire villa was perfect for me, as usual, with some issues. My villa had a faulty electrical system and was constantly tripping. Whenever the staff turned it on, I'd have to call to say it was down again. Eventually, I had to move to another villa. My villa was roughly in the middle of the property, with a pool at the top, offering a stunning ocean view. Personally, I like pools, but if I have no other option, if I can swim in the ocean, I'll definitely choose that. That's why I was very disappointed when I saw the hotel's pseudo-beach. However, I have to admit, the pool had a wonderful view.

The next day, I decided to try my luck on a different beach. After about an hour of walking, I almost gave up. The beaches were polluted and stinking. Where was that beautiful, white sand from the photos? I finally went downtown to look around and explore. There, the locals told me the two best beaches on the island were Mushroom Beach and Dream Beach. Both were far away, and you had to get there by scooter, but I couldn't ride a scooter! And it's probably not without reason that I'd already failed my driving test four times. Indeed, everyone there rode scooters, locals and tourists alike. You could borrow them for pennies, even without a license, but I'd never ridden a scooter or motorbike, not even as a passenger. I decided to break down and go as a passenger. I just had to find someone to take me. It turned out to be easier than I thought. Everyone there wants to make some extra money, so practically anyone with a scooter and a bit of time can give me a ride for a fee. The first man sang too much, then I asked the woman at the shop if she knew anyone, and she pointed to a friend. Honestly, I didn't want to go with a woman. I always get my left and right confused, and I don't trust women driving. 🙂 Not only did she sing a lot, but I also had to wait until she took the kid home. I continued on and found a bike and scooter rental. I was lucky there. The man who worked there said he'd take me and pick me up later. Interestingly, he left the rental shop open, with the scooters unlocked, and off we went. At first, I felt a little nervous, but it turned out I needn't have. I made it to the beach without any problems, no falls or falls from the scooter. Mushroom Beach. 

Honestly? I wasn't impressed. I found a cozy bay where I could relax. The beach was much better than the hotel beach, but quite small, a bit smelly, and the water was rocky. The heat was terrible; for the first time, I even sweated in the water. I took a dip, read, and curled up at 4 p.m. The gentleman was waiting, as promised. It was wonderful to return to the air-conditioned room.

I decided to spend the next day on Dream Beach. This time I decided to walk, less than 3 km each way. I like walking; I've walked as much as 30 km a day, but not in this heat! I was truly exhausted when I reached this beach, but after a moment, exhaustion was replaced by disappointment. Is this little stretch of beach a dream beach? If it weren't for the sign saying "dream beach," I would have thought I'd come to the wrong place. The beach was small and, surprisingly, almost empty. I sat for a while and then left. I couldn't stay long because there was nowhere to hide from the sun.

To sum up my trip to Nusa Lembongan. It didn't live up to my expectations. I was sure I was going to a paradise island, with beautiful, sandy beaches and clear, blue water. No, that's not there. I think if I knew how to ride a scooter and were more mobile, I would definitely see more. Looking at the map of the island, I only saw a small part of it. I probably wouldn't have found a better beach, as the two I mentioned are supposedly the prettiest, but maybe I would have discovered some interesting places.