NUSA LEMBONGAN

BEST TIME TO TRAVEL:

WET SEASON – DECEMBER THROUGH TO MARCH

This is what you dreamed Bali would be like – living right on the sand of a quiet, palm-fringed beach! Nusa Lembongan’s beaches have no paved roads or cars to detract from the peaceful idyllic lifestyle enjoyed by the local fishermen for centuries. You can really relax and slow down here, beach combing for hours as you wait for the tide to come in and the surf to start pumping.

Dry season south-east trade winds are offshore at Nusa Lembongan, the same as Kuta in Bali. Low budget surfers catch the early morning public boat from Sanur, a 2 hour motor-sail over some of the world’s deepest waters near the Lombok continental divide. Be prepared to get wet and sunburnt. Book through www.peramatours.com. Or get there much faster on Rocky Fast Boat leaving Sanur at 10am and 12 noon daily for $25 from www.rockyfastcruise.com, or discounted to $20 if you book a room from $25 at www.tarcibungalows.com

Shipwreck is the best break, a reliable right hand reef break that always increases in size with the tide, from 2 feet at low tide to 6 or even 8 feet on high tide. The tidal currents can be very strong, sucking you towards the remains of the rusting shipwreck as the tide rushes in, then the opposite direction as the tide rushes out. Waves here rarely get below 4 feet (on high tide). There are great bungalows on the beach, from cheap to luxury, all with great views of the action in the surf and the magnificent sunsets over Bali’s Gunung Agung volcano.

Lacerations is the next reef break south, another right hander but much faster, hollower and far more viscious. It is not called Lacerations for nothing. An extremely shallow reef, definitely for experts only. Wear protective boots and vest. A Gath helmet is not out of the question either. Sometimes a left almost holds up on high tide, called Razors, but it is ultra fast. Full moon tides only.

The last break in the protected south corner of Lembongan is the aptly named Playgrounds, a fun left with a shorter right off the same peak. Easy rides for less experienced surfers, or longboards or SUP. Great surf views from Villas at www.playgroundslembongan.com

Ceningan, pronounced ‘Chen-ning-ahn’ is the next small island to the east before Nusa Penida, with a fast left point break ideal for longboards, but only when Nusa Lembongan is virtually too small to surf.

There are excellent yachts like Moggy and Cruise Cat Line cruising over to Nusa Lembongan for day trips, so this is an ideal way to check it out in luxury. There are lots of places to stay once you arrive, from basic $20 a night losmen to $500 a night luxury resorts. We recommend Playgrounds Lembongan, Coconuts Beach Resort, and the luxury Batu Karang Resort.