How to Get Around Nusa Lembongan: 7 Transportation Options
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Nusa Lembongan is only a 15- to 30-minute boat ride from Bali, making it a popular destination for people traveling in Indonesia. Although some people choose to do Nusa Lembongan as a day trip from Bali, the island is a wonderful place to spend a few days on. Once you’re there, getting around Nusa Lembongan is very easy and there are a few transportation methods that you can choose from. Here’s a breakdown of all the different ways to get around Nusa Lembongan and what you should consider in order to choose the best option(s) for you.
Scooter
Renting a scooter is the most popular way to get around Nusa Lembongan. It gives you the most flexibility to go where you want to, and it’s cheap at about 70,000 to 100,000 IDR (about $4.32 to $6.17 USD) per day. The main roads on the island are well paved, but you may have to navigate dirt and rocky paths when turning on to side streets.
There are many scooter rental companies on Nusa Lembongan, and many will deliver and pick up the scooter. If you plan in advance, you can even arrange to have the scooter delivered to your arrival location (usually either Mushroom Bay Beach or Lembongan Beach). Scooters come with helmets and are typically delivered with a full gas of tank.
Golf cart
There aren’t any cars on Nusa Lembongan, except for the occasional truck. Instead, golf carts or buggies are used to transport larger groups of people. Renting a golf cart is ideal if you’re traveling in a group of four to six people, whether that’s family or friends. However, golf carts are much more expensive than scooters. For example, renting a four-person golf cart for one to five hours from Ricky Raja Buggy costs 800,000 IDR (about $50 USD) and prices go up from there if you want to rent for longer or rent a six-person golf cart.
Walk
Nusa Lembongan is a small island, only covering an area of about eight kilometers. This means that you can easily walk around Nusa Lembongan. Depending on where you’re going, it’s a fast walk along paved or dirt roads. You can even walk the entire island in several hours, if you’re up for the adventure. There are only a few main roads that span across the island, so you can simply follow them.
When I visited Nusa Lembongan, I hadn’t learned how to drive a scooter yet so I walked nearly everywhere. This included a two hour-long walk from Jungutbatu to Mushroom Bay and back. While it was a sweaty walk, I really enjoyed being able to slowly take in all the sights.
Bicycle
If you don’t know how to drive a scooter, then you may want to rent a bicycle or pushbike instead. Biking around the island is mostly easy, although you’ll face some hills. To overcome those uphills, there are some rental places, like Bold Electric Bikes, that offer electric bikes.
You can also e-bike the island with a guided half-day tour in either the morning or afternoon.
Shuttle or truck
Hotels and businesses like dive shops may have shuttles or trucks to transport customers. These vehicles are essentially pickup trucks that have been outfitted with benches in the trunk, and they’re offered at no additional charge for customers.
Private driver
While Grab or Gojek can be used in other areas of Indonesia to order a private mototaxi or car, these apps don’t operate on Nusa Lembongan. If you need a private driver, the easiest way is to arrange one through your accommodation. Locals will also offer their services when they see you walking around the island, but you’ll need to negotiate a rate with them.
Since private drivers aren’t commonly used and require negotiation, I didn’t use any when I was on Nusa Lembongan.
Guided tour
You can experience Nusa Lembongan through a guided tour. These are typically full-day tours that depart from Bali, and they include visiting some of the best beaches and viewpoints on Nusa Lembongan and snorkeling. Since Indonesia is known for Instagram-worthy spots, there’s even an Instagram tour of Nusa Lembongan that brings you to the most picturesque places on the island. Although pickup for these tours is usually in Bali, you can message the tour operator to see if you can meet them on Nusa Lembongan instead – it usually isn’t a problem.
More resources for traveling Indonesia
- How to Get to Nusa Lembongan
- Is Nusa Lembongan Worth Visiting? 5 Questions to Decide
- 16 Fun Things to Do in Gili Air
- How to Get to the Gili Islands From Bali
