Nusa Penida

The island's beaches are some of the most photographed in Indonesia, but most are better to look at than to swim from. Kelingking and Diamond Beach lie at the foot of high limestone cliffs, reached by steep, rough paths or carved steps, and the open south and east coasts take heavy surf and strong currents that make swimming risky on many days.

The swims that work are on the sheltered west side. Crystal Bay has clear water and good snorkelling straight off the sand, and Atuh in the east is a cove that is calmer than most. The water stays around 27°C for most of the year, though it can turn sharply cooler in the upwelling months from about July to October. Neighbouring Nusa Lembongan, a short boat ride away, adds gentler bays. Beach life here means a swim between viewpoints, not lying on the sand for a week.

Eating is simple and local. Family warungs serve nasi campur, grilled fish, satay and fried rice, and along the north coast around Toyapakeh and Ped there is a strip of traveller cafés with smoothie bowls, pizza and coffee. Seafood is fresh but cooked plainly, and there is no market or cooking tradition that would bring a visitor here to eat. Anyone who cares about food will do their serious eating on the Bali mainland before or after.

Nusa Penida's heritage is in its temples, and it holds a particular place in Balinese belief as the home of the demon-king Ratu Gede Mecaling. Pura Dalem Ped on the north coast is a major pilgrimage temple that draws Balinese worshippers from across the strait, and Goa Giri Putri is a cave temple entered through a narrow gap in the rock that opens into a long chamber with shrines inside. Village temples and offerings are part of daily life everywhere. Beyond these there are no museums, palaces or historic towns, and a couple of temple visits cover it.

There is essentially no going out. A few cafés along the north coast serve beer at sunset, and evenings end with dinner, partly because most visitors are up early for boats, dives or viewpoints. Nusa Lembongan across the channel has a few more beach bars, but nothing runs late, and anyone wanting a night out has to go back to south Bali.

The real reason to come is underwater. Reef manta rays gather at cleaning stations off the south-west coast all year, and snorkellers as well as divers can swim with them. From about July to October the cold upwellings bring the oceanic sunfish, or mola mola, up to the reefs around Crystal Bay and the channel with Lembongan, one of the few places in the world where divers meet them reliably. Strong currents make for exhilarating drift dives, though they demand experience and a good guide.

On land the scenery is cliffs: the T-Rex-shaped headland above Kelingking, the arch of Broken Beach, the tidal pool of Angel's Billabong and the scattered islets of the Thousand Islands viewpoint in the east. Walking is mostly short descents to beaches and viewpoints rather than trails, and the dry, hilly interior is farmland with few marked routes.

The obvious outing is to Nusa Lembongan and Nusa Ceningan, a short boat ride across the channel, with their villages, mangrove channels, seaweed farms and the suspension bridge linking the two. The Bali mainland is the other option: fast boats cross to Sanur in under an hour, and from there Denpasar or a temple visit is manageable. Going on to Ubud or the rice terraces means a crossing and a long drive both ways, and the strait can be rough, so most visitors keep mainland Bali for the days before or after their stay.

This is a hard island for young children. The famous beaches need steep, rough climbs, the surf on most coasts is too strong for small swimmers, and long bumpy drives between sights test anyone's patience. There are no attractions made for children, and medical facilities are basic. Older, confident swimmers may love a manta snorkelling trip or the calm water at Crystal Bay, but families with small children are better based on Lembongan or the mainland and visiting for a day.

Getting around takes effort. There is no public transport, and the roads are narrow, steep and often rough, with tight bends down to the coast. Most visitors hire a car and driver for the day, since the main viewpoints sit far apart on the west and east coasts and a full loop takes many hours. Scooters are widely rented, but the gradients and loose surfaces cause frequent accidents among inexperienced riders. Fast boats link the north coast with Sanur and Lembongan, landing on the beach, and crossings can be cancelled or uncomfortable when the sea is up.

There is very little to buy. Stalls at the busy viewpoints sell sarongs, hats and drinks, and village shops cover the basics. The one craft worth seeking out is the island's handwoven ikat cloth, made on looms in villages such as Tanglad in the south-east. Anything else waits for the Bali mainland.

Day-to-day costs are low. Family guesthouses and simple bungalows are cheap, warung meals cost little, and the island has fewer upmarket resorts to push prices up. The costs add up elsewhere: there is no public transport, so a private driver for each day of sightseeing becomes a main expense, along with fast-boat crossings and the dive and snorkelling trips that are the reason most people come. Traveller cafés charge well above local prices.

There is no performance scene to attend. Gamelan music and dance belong to temple festivals and village ceremonies, which a visitor may come across by chance, especially around Pura Dalem Ped, but there are no theatres, concert venues or regular shows. Those who want Balinese dance performances should plan for them in Ubud.

The island is quiet once the day-trippers have gone, and a stay in a cliff-top bungalow or a north-coast guesthouse can be genuinely slow. Balinese massage is easy to find in small, simple spas, and a few yoga places run classes. There is no bathing tradition or spa resort of any depth, though, and much of a typical stay is spent on rough roads and at crowded viewpoints. Visitors who want a restorative stay do better with a few quiet days on the north coast and little sightseeing, or with a resort spa on Lembongan.