Life Abundant

Off The Beaten Path

There is no way that you can possibly see all the beauty that Bali has to offer.  Our wish list of places to explore was endless, and with only a few days, there was no way that we could fit it all in, so we really had to prioritize how we wanted to spend our time. When we visit a new place, we usually do a few of the typical tourist things that a location has to offer, but we desire to spend most of our time exploring off the beaten path to experience a more authentic version of a place.

This is why we chose to go to Nusa Penida, a beautiful little island about a 45-minute boat ride off the south-eastern coast of Bali. There were a number of different places we wanted to visit on this little island, but due to its rough roads and the fact that our only mode of transportation was a moto, we only had time to visit a few of the amazing sites.

High on our list was the Peguyangan Waterfall, a series of smaller waterfalls coming from a natural freshwater spring that flows over the island’s steep cliffs and into the churning ocean waters below.  Reaching the spring involves a treacherous descent down some 470 narrow stairs that wind their way along steep cliffs that sprawl in either direction, providing amazing views of the island’s dramatic coastline.

Angel’s Billabong

Our second and favorite stop on Nusa Penida was to the beautiful Angel’s Billabong and Broken Bay. Broken Bay is located on a high coastal cliff, with views along the coast of Nusa Penida.  If you’re lucky, you can see giant manta rays or sea turtles swimming in the bright blue waters below.    Broken Beach is “trapped” in between the cliffs, forming a giant pool in the protected bay, only crossed by a natural bridge of rock.

Angels Billabong, a natural infinity pool only accessible at low tide, was our absolute favorite spot on the island!  It’s crystal clear waters are stilled from the wind by the cliffs that protect and surround it.  We loved swimming in this natural pool, sometimes getting close to the edge where we could watch the waves crash and once in a while overflow into the billabong.  There are warnings not to get too close to the edge, as the waves and tides can be unpredictable and can crash into the billabong making it dangerous at times.  We’ve never seen anything like this before.  We are blown away by some of the natural wonders of our world!

If you like some more off the beaten path adventures (that you have to work a little harder to see) with some breathtaking views, do yourself a favor and don’t miss Nusa Penida!