Frequently Asked Questions about Nusa Penida

For certified divers, our daily fun dive trips are the ideal choice. Because Nusa Penida’s conditions are dynamic, our diving instructors and guides select the best sites each morning. This ensures maximum safety and the best chances to see marine life. You will experience our famous drift dives and have chances to encounter the manta ray or the elusive mola-mola.

We offer a complete pathway from recreational diver to instructor. First, you would complete your Open Water Diver Course and get the diving experience by logging at least 35 dives. After that you would do your SSI React Right and Diver Stress and Rescue courses. Upon successfully completing that, you can enroll in our comprehensive SSI Divemaster course. This is an immersive internship where you learn to guide and manage divers. Ultimately, this fully prepares you for the Instructor Training Course (ITC) to become an SSI Open Water Scuba Instructor.

Absolutely! Combining both is a fantastic way to experience the underwater world. Many of our guests book a diving package and add a Freediving session on their first day. It’s important to remember that you cannot freedive for 18 hours after your last scuba dive for safety considerations. Scuba diving after a day of freediving is totally fine though.

In case you are considering the possibility of coming to Nusa Penida by speedboat in the morning to dive with us – it is possible if you take a 7:00 a.m. boat from Sanur or Kusamba to Nusa Penida.
Speedboats schedules, prices and bookings – www.penidago.com

Manta Rays are definitely one of the main attractions for divers and freedivers in Nusa Penida. Diving with these majestic animals is an unforgettable experience making it to the bucket list of virtually every diver. Manta Rays are spotted on a regular basis at 2 main dive sites – Manta Bay and Manta Point. We’d say, that with a tiny bit of luck the chances to spot them far exceed average. However the side of the island they are coming to clean and feed is facing an open ocean, thus making diving there very weather dependant. Normally we can tell if we can make it there 3-5 days prior to the trip at the earliest.
Good news is that you can see Manta Rays the whole year round provided the ocean conditions are good and we can actually make it there.

Mola-mola or oceanic sunfish, along with manta rays has been attracting divers to Bali and specifically Nusa Penida for years. There are chances to see a mola-mola on basically any dive and any time of the year, though the best chances are between July-October. Thanks to the upwelling currents this deep-see pelagic dwellers are brought closer to the reefs around Penida where they get cleaned by various species of reef fish.
Most of the sightings take place at depths below 20 meters, so having your SSI Advanced Adventurer certification or equivalent is a necessary minimum if you seek to find those elusive creatures.

Please allow for the sufficient surface interval before you take a flight after your last dive. We’d recommend you to consider planning your flight no earlier than 24 hours after your last dive.
Let us know your flight time so we can adjust your booking accordingly.

The primary advantage is total convenience and excellent value. Our diving package options handle all your key logistics. This includes your accommodation, daily dives with lunch, and all necessary transport on the island. Furthermore, these packages offer a better overall diving price compared to booking each component separately, letting you focus entirely on your holiday.

The best way is to visit the Promos and Specials page on our website. We regularly post seasonal discounts on courses and multi-day fun dive packages. Additionally, for the best ongoing value, consider our longer Dive & Stay packages. These have built-in discounts for extended stays.

The two coasts offer very different experiences. The North as well as the East are famous for its healthy, sloping coral reefs and exhilarating drift dives. This area is perfect for seeing turtles and vast schools of fish. In contrast, the south coast has dramatic cliffs and is home to cleaning stations for the manta ray. During the season (July-October) practically the entire island becomes a top spot for mola-mola encounters. Our trips are planned daily to give you the best of both worlds. More about dive sites we organise our trips to – on our Nusa Penida dive sites page.

Our daily trips focus on the world-class sites surrounding Nusa Penida, Lembongan and South East Bali (Candidasa area). These offer the most biodiversity and excitement in the region. While Lembongan Island has amazing dive sites, they are very close and often part of our north coast itinerary. For diving East Bali sites like the USAT Liberty Wreck and Drop Off in Tulamben as well amazing muck sites in Amed, it’s best to stay in that area. The travel time makes day trips from Nusa Penida impractical.

Good news is diving generally great the whole year around Bali and Nusa Penida!
Water is normally a bit colder May to November, sometimes dropping to 18-19 degrees Celsius around August-October, however the visibility is normally a bit better within this time of the year.
Diving from December to April is fantastic as well, due to way warmer water temperatures (average 26-28 degrees Celsius).

One of our favourite places to go for 5-7 days of diving has long been Kalimaya Dive Resort in West Sumbawa. Everything a scuba diver wants – pristine coral reefs, manta rays, sharks and absolutely mind-blowing macro topped with great accommodation and service in a location where it’s unlikely to meet any other scuba diver.

If you’re considering diving Komodo National Park, we would definitely recommend our friends at Azul Komodo, a PADI 5-Star IDC & Eco Center and the first PADI Eco Center in Komodo. Azul operates day-trip diving and training from Labuan Bajo, and also runs Lotus Liveaboards, including the Blue Lotus — their flagship phinisi for extended Komodo expeditions.

Lombok has a lot to offer in terms of surfing and freediving – you can’t go wrong with Freedive Lombok. They offer a full range of freedive training – from intro to advance level, as well a surf specific apnea training.

Nusa Penida is a big island with lots of spots and sights to enjoy both on land and underwater. To our friends and family we always recommend to spend at least 2-3 nights in Nusa Penida. That will give you enough time to actually enjoy the island and beat the crowds for the best spots.

Visa regulations can change, so getting information from the official source is essential. For the most accurate and up-to-date requirements, we strongly recommend visiting the official Indonesian Directorate General of Immigration website: https://www.imigrasi.go.id/en/. The latest procedures for entering Indonesia – eVisa. This will ensure you have the correct information before booking flights.

The journey is straightforward. First, take a taxi from the airport to Sanur Harbour (approx. 30-45 minutes). Then, take a fast boat to Nusa Penida (approx. 40 minutes). We recommend booking your boat ticket in advance through an online portal like https://penidago.com/ to secure your seat. Once you arrive at the harbour in Nusa Penida, a short taxi ride will bring you to our resort.

Nusa Penida is famous for its stunning landscapes. We highly recommend hiring a scooter (for experienced riders only) or a private driver for the day. You can visit iconic spots like Kelingking Beach (the ‘T-Rex’ cliff), the stunning Diamond Beach, and the natural infinity pool at Angel’s Billabong. These locations offer incredible photo opportunities.

Staying healthy is a priority for any traveler. The best practices are to drink only bottled or filtered water, avoid ice in drinks from street-side stalls, and eat at reputable restaurants where food is cooked fresh.

Nusa Penida is a beautiful island with lots of spots that are an absolute must to visit. Roads are quite narrow around Penida, so getting around by yourself driving a scooter is ok only if you know how to handle a scooter and have a licence for it. If you are confident driving a motorbike or a scooter it’s very easy to rent one right next to any of two harbours (Toyapakeh or Sampan) the boats from Bali are arriving to. Make sure you get yourself a helmet if you rent a bike or a scooter.
Another option is renting a car with the driver to take you around the island which will be more costly, but hey, when was the extra comfort cheap?

We see life as a journey with a possibility of some turbulence.
Indonesia is a stunning country with jaw-drapping nature both on the surface and underwater. However the whole 17,000++ (yes, you’ve read that one right) tropical islands archipelago sits on the so called Ring of Fire, which is a zone of seismic activity.
In order to minimise the impact of the rare but still possible surprises of Mother Nature, we strongly recommend you to have your travel and medical insurance sorted. We are using Dive Assure for both travel and diving insurance.

Indonesia is the country where Islam is the major religion.
Bali province, which Nusa Penida is a part of, is populated mainly by Hindus.
Religious ceremonies are integral part of everyday life in Nusa Penida as well as Lembongan, Ceningan and Bali.
Simple respect and understanding towards local cultural traditions will make your travel to Bali easy and stress free.
Do not enter the temples without permission and with your knees and ankles exposed.
Ask permission before you make a picture or video of people.
Be polite and smile! From our experience that’s enough to make your stay in Bali absolutely gorgeous.

There are no existing bans on alcohol in Bali province.
Beers, ciders, wine as well as liquors and cocktails are served at almost every venue on the island.
Import taxes and fees for locally made alcohol are quite high, though.
That’s the reason you should not expect super cheap drinks anywhere on the island.

The national currency of the Republic of Indonesia is Indonesian Rupiah. We normally use www.xe.com to check the approximate exchange rates. There are several ATMs on the island, though sometimes they are out of cash.
Exchange rate is usually better in Bali. Cards (Visa and MasterCard) are accepted in several venues around the island. Normally there is a credit card surcharge that fluctuates between 2 and 3 per cent of the charged amount. We do not charge you anything extra if you’re paying with debit/credit card or PayPal.
You can read about our Booking, Payment and Cancellation Policies here.