Lembongan Island

Lembongan Island is a tiny island about an hour away by pretty fast boat. It has a number of hotels and seems like a chance to get away from the crowds of normal Bali cities. It boasts different beaches and a small network of tiny roads which can only be navigated by motorcycle.

You can rent a motorcycle from pretty much any hotel or store and all that’s required is pretty much the money. The roads are very basic and I guess they think you’re not going to run off with it. What’s not clear on the maps is that there is at least one large hill/mountain which will test out both your motorbike and driving abilities.

At the north end of the island is a Mangrove Forest where you can rent a boat and guide who will take you for a Venice-Style ride for 30 minutes or so. Expect to pay 100,000RP for this trip. Worth every penny.

At the south end of the island and over the mountain are various cool beaches. Stop at the top of the hill for a spectacular view of the island before heading down into the beaches.

   

 

Mushroom Bay is full of boats and if you go snorkelling you will see lots of greenery and some interesting fish, including “Nemo” if you’re lucky.

   

Just around the corner is Dream Beach, a spectacular looking cove which is pounded by photogenic waves every second and from all angles. A fantastic photo spot. Above Dream Beach is a small hotel which has a cafe and a swimming pool perched on the cliff edge. All around this beach are signs telling you how dangerous it is to swim in this area. Unfortunately many crazy tourists just see this as a challenge. I wonder how many of them don’t make it.

   

The hotels on Lembongan vary greatly so I suggest to choose one of the higher priced ones. The hotel restaurants are pretty good but watch out for the mosquitoes.

Overall Lembongan is worth seeing, but you probably would not want to stay more than 1 night, if that. After a while you begin to feel like trapped like a prisoner and even Kuta seems like a nicer place to be. If you only have a limited time on Bali, you can probably skip Lembongan.